Meet Thomas Puckett | Thomas Puckett Designs
New York designer Thomas Puckett grew up in Columbus, GA and has deep roots in the South. Thomas has received acclaim for his residential, landscape and commercial design as well as multiple Houzz awards and consistent 5-star ratings from his diverse clients.
What inspired you to open Thomas Puckett Designs?
Years ago, good friends purchased the Hamptons home of a Real Housewives of New York – Kelly Bensimon. Despite the fancy address, it needed a complete rehaul. When they asked for my help, I thought they wanted me to choose a paint color or a sofa. After some confusing conversations they said, “Thomas, you don’t get it, we want you to design the entire house.” A lightbulb went off in my head and I realized that I could have a legit interior and landscape design business. I’d always helped my mother who has a design business of her own, designed my own interiors and gardens and had been helping friends with theirs. So even though it was so obvious, I never thought of it until then. That’s what friends are for, and I’ll forever be grateful to them. My partner Chip Whitman is the COO who deals with the endless challenges of invoicing, billing, shipping, receiving and all the operational hurdles that clients never see. Without him, this business would never run successfully. Clients appreciate Chip’s skills as much as my designs.
Where/who do you draw inspiration from? Do you have a motto or mantra?
My Mother is a designer with great experience and she taught me the principles of taste, which is basically a knowledge of historical design, an eye for balance, proportion and weight, and an understanding of what people need to feel comfortable and enjoy their lives. She does elegant rooms that are never overdone and keeps a flow in a home so it feels all of a piece. I still ask for her advice on tough design problems. My personal design mantra is “voluptuous restraint.” I love creating a tension between lush comfort and strong pure materials. The image of an amply filled bustier swelling with voluptuous flesh that is barely contained and might burst open at any minute is basically it! Too many rooms and gardens end up looking like the bustier has already burst. Leave a bit of restraint and mystery is more alluring.
Describe your design style and philosophy?
The better the architecture, volumes and views, the less you need to “decorate.” I am drawn to pure natural materials, clean lines and a sense of the artisan’s hand. There’s a bit of the architect’s soul in me. Lighting is probably the number one most important factor as it affects all the other senses. I don’t go full bore on fads or trends because they date fast, but I do like spaces to feel current and fresh. I think seamless indoor-outdoor living is the bomb, so I love it when we can design both interior and exterior spaces to flow as one. It’s not always about price, we do a lot of high low mix which is more interesting anyway. In the end, great design is about creating a sense of beauty, wonder, and comfort that supports the way people want to live their lives.
How do you collaborate with your clients? What is the process?
In every project I am looking for an elusive sweet spot. Imagine a Venn diagram with three circles: the client’s fantasies, the site specifics, and a world of design choices and furnishings. Using my design experience and eye to bring these three forces into a harmonious, elevated and fresh co-existence is the goal. We listen, we propose, and evolve with the clients along the process. We’ve worked in person and remotely. We have done three New York City projects for clients who are based in India. We did their first apartment 100% over zoom- we never met in person until the installation! So location is not really a barrier. We always align on a total vision for the project before purchasing a single item. Once you know where you are going, is easy to sense when a decision will bring you closer or farther to your goal. I work at Instagram, and an expression we use there is “start with the end in mind.” That always stuck with me as a good way to approach design.
What do you find most rewarding about your work?
Solving challenges with creativity. Creating beauty. Finding an unusual fabric or unique piece of art that sets my inspiration on fire. That moment when the clients walk in on installation day and are just beaming. There is so much ugliness in the world- why not create more beauty?
Thomas Puckett Designs has completed projects in New York, The Hamptons, Georgia and Palm Beach
Learn more about Thomas Puckett Designs and @thomaspucketdesigns.