"I see things the way I feel them and not the way things look around me."

- Eric B

The first question most people ask is, "How can he do that?" Eric states most succinctly, “I had to become blind to learn how to see. Although Eric is blind, he 'sees' a space by literally feeling his way through from room to room. Los Angeles Designer, Peter Dunham experienced this first hand when he accompanied Eric on a celebrity, show-house tour.

According to Peter, "First, Eric walked around, feeling, getting a sense of the room. Then, he asked me to describe the room as he continued with his walk through, touching and sensing the space. He perceives the height and size of room using sound and its echo and his body as a measuring device." Peter went on to explain that much to his surprise, Eric identified such items as furnishings and fixtures down to the manufacturer and even the model number in some cases. "Eric detects the most extraordinary details of room elements, things a sighted person would miss. He notices things I would not even notice in my own work. Eric is amazing."

Feeling and not seeing a home may have its advantages. "Not having sight allows me to tap into the energy of the surroundings and identify blockages that inhibit flow and prevent the house from achieving its fullest potential," says Eric B. "I go directly to the potential of the space rather than be stuck on how to modify or fix what's there."

While this may seem a bit abstract, Eric B's vision translates into concrete plans. Talking tape measures, devices that read color, a computer that reads text, and raised, Braille-like blueprints are some of the tools Eric B. uses in this process. It is, however, keen listening, precise communication, and incredible visualization that allows Eric to succeed in the highly visual world of design.