Thomas J. Simonetti

 Plott Inc.

Norther NJ Chapter

When interior design beckoned, Thomas J. Simonetti (who goes by TJ) heeded the call — although his journey took a somewhat winding path. After attending performing arts high schools in New York and Michigan, he studied Music Performance and English at the University of Denver, toured as a vocalist with the Dallas Symphony and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, and was awarded a grant at the University of Otago in New Zealand where he studied “analytical depictions of stream-of-consciousness in the literary tradition.” Then, after accepting a position managing business operations at Floor & Décor in Tenafly, N.J., he discovered that kitchen and bath design was more than tile deep. “At its core, interior design is about intuition and perception; understanding people, what they love and don’t love,” says TJ.

“At its core, interior design is about intuition and perception; understanding people, what they love and don’t love.”

Enter Plott Inc., which specializes in the development of new spatial and immersive technologies designed to redefine the way designers, builders and do-it-yourselfers measure, plan and execute projects. TJ joined the team in 2018 and now oversees business development centered around the growing field of Augmented Reality and Extended Reality (AR/XR), helping Plott become the leading AR/XR company in the DIY space. TJ, who describes himself as “passionate,” says creating tools to streamline the home-renovation process is what keeps him motivated. “While I’m proud of the work that I’ve done, I’m more excited about how the work I am doing now will change the workflow of these processes in the future,” he notes.

Although TJ’s youthful obsession was collecting — his room was cluttered with “strange objects from antique stores…specifically lighthouses, I had a lot of lighthouses,” he says — his current passions are snow skiing, hanging out with his American Eskimo dog, Jakey, and traveling. “I want to travel at least one to two times per year and see as much of the world as I can with my family and close friends,” he says, “always making new memories and bringing joy to others.”