Mike Whaling - Whaling is a partner at InfiniSys Electronic Architects, a Florida company that specializes in home automation. He’s wired major residential complexes and celebrity homes.
1-minute tip: “Remove scratches from a CD with a cut banana. Start at the center and rub to the edge.”
CULINARY ARTS
Thomas Griffiths - Griffiths is a certified master chef and a professor at the Culinary Institute of America, in New York City. He’s held chef positions at the United Nations, Côte Basque, and Le Cirque.
1-minute tip: “Two simple salads: (1) mixed field greens, toasted walnuts, Anjou pear, blue cheese; and (2) mixed field greens, red grapes, toasted almonds, and sharp Cheddar.”
DRINKS/WINE
Livio Lauro - Lauro is the national president of the United States Bartenders’ Guild. He works at Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada, and with hotels and restaurants, developing drink menus for the Las Vegas Strip.
1-minute tip: “Citrus fruits yield less juice and taste bitter when cold. Soak the fruit in hot water for 15 minutes before slicing.”
INTERIOR DESIGN AND HOSPITALITY
Ross Klein - Klein is the president of the Starwood Hotels Luxury Brand Group. He guides hotel design, from bedding to ambience.
1-minute tip: “Hide dents in black luggage with a black Sharpie. It also works on car bumpers.”
CARPENTRY
Gary M. Katz - Katz is a licensed general contractor in California and founder of the Katz Roadshow, a traveling instructional carpentry clinic.
1-minute tip: “Install crown molding. It adds warmth and character to a home.”
REAL ESTATE
Mark Nash - Nash is a Chicago real-estate broker and author of the annual forecast, What’s In, What’s Out with Homebuyers.
1-minute tip: “Buy the smallest home in the best neighborhood you can afford. Popular neighborhoods will always remain in demand.”
CONSTRUCTION
Randy Polumbo - Polumbo is the founder of 3-D Laboratory, which has built homes for Giorgio Armani and Maya Lin. He specializes in salvage, restoration, and sustainability projects.
1-minute tip: “Clogged screens on plumbing fixtures decrease water pressure. Once a year, clean your showerhead and faucets.”
DESIGN PSYCHOLOGY
Susan Painter, Ph.D., and Constance Forrest, Psy.D. - Painter and Forrest are founders of Forrest-Painter Design, in California. They use design psychology to convey peace of mind.
1-minute tip: “Pair objects like candlesticks and you’ll subliminally send a message that you’ll make a great mate.”
INTERIOR DESIGN
Robert Passal - An interior designer in New York, Passal has engineered living spaces for Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada.
1-minute tip: “Paint the interiors of bookcases to contrast with the color of your walls. Your collection will stand out.”
PLUMBING
Cesar Balbin - Balbin is a vice president at the Drain Surgeon, in California. He’s unclogged pipes for several U.S. presidents.
1-minute tip: “Run citrus peels through your garbage disposal to remove odors.”
GREEN LIVING
Lloyd Alter - Alter writes about low-impact, ecological living at treehugger.com.
1-minute tip: “If you haven’t touched something you own in the past year, get rid of it.”
LIGHTING
David Ghatan - Ghatan is an architectural-lighting designer for CM Kling & Associates. He’s overseen more than 500 projects worldwide, including the Starlight Ballroom at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria.
1-minute tip: “Use lighting from multiple angles to reduce shadows across your face and make you look healthier.”
LANDSCAPING
José Raúl Buitrago - Buitrago teaches landscape architecture at the University of Georgia. He’s crafted layouts for residences, resorts, and theme parks.
1-minute tip: “Traditional pine-bark mulch is a buffet for termites. Instead, use pine-needle mulch, which contains a natural toxin that repels certain termite species.”