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The Difference Between A Designer & Decorator with D.B. Kim

Designer? Decorator? Can someone settle the record once and for all? It seems that the misuse of these terms is a daily occurrence in the print world, on TV shows, on the blogs, and in the design industry in general. I had the pleasure of sitting down with D.B. Kim, award-winning designer, conceptual and constructive practitioner, and commentator on creativity (check out his blog for Interior Design Magazine,) to decipher the primary distinctions between designing and decorating.


SY: Lots of people use the words STYLE & DESIGN synonymously. For me, these words couldn’t be more different, each belonging to a separate camp in the interior design arena. Decorators are masters at styling rooms while designers are problem solvers who create solutions for living spaces. Are people ignorant, or is this just semantics? What are your thoughts on style vs. design/ decorator vs. designer? How are they the same? How are they different?

DK: “I agree that contemporaries tend to use the words Style and Design frequently and over a vast range of visual implementations. For me, Style is an expression of attitude and Design is an act of facilitation. At times, two words definitely overlap and complicate our visual digestions […] Style can be expressed without any intentions: having no style can be a style. And just because a look, a style, is well composed does not mean it is a design. Designers work with provided objectives: they don’t design without purpose. Style is closer to an art form, instinctively. Although, designers tend to have their own style, and we can see this reflected through their products and environments. At the same time, Stylists can produce befitted settings, which respond to the client’s objectives; therefore, their work becomes more than an expression of instincts.”



SY: Is it more challenging to create opportunities in the consumer marketplace for a designer or decorator? It seems that a mediocre decorator with a somewhat distinctive look is more prone to licensing opportunities than a talented designer... seems unfair.

DK: “It is equally challenging, nowadays, to create any opportunity in the marketplace whether designers or stylists/decorators. However, people tend to take less risks and safety net themselves by concentrating on basics. Design opportunities are becoming less demanding and are being pushed to the bottom of the priority list while decorators, like stylists, may rise up to the top of the list because they deal with immediate emotions. Decorations comfort us, whether intellectuals agree or not, and present themselves ambiguously, which makes the risk factor less than work done by a designer. Definitely some decorators have an individual signature aesthetic that becomes one’s own invested portfolio. In the end decorators/stylists tend to provide us with immeasurable experiences that can be romantic. Consumers perceive the designing element as a form of risk taking and a luxurious solution that many of us are limiting.“



SY: Decorators are inspired by… in their work?

DK: “Trends, pop culture, etc… Inspirations come from everywhere and from everything I see and experience. I don’t follow current trends; however, I can never be sure whether I am influenced by current trends in my work.“



SY: Designers are inspired by… in their work?

DK: “I am often affected by my feelings and internal experiences while I conceive designs. At the end, my work is experiential and emotional, but not in a sad way. I use the senses to stimulate in subtle ways.“



SY: Who do you consider a great designer who’s not a decorator?

DK: “Le Corbusier.”



SY: Who do you consider a great decorator who’s not a designer?

DK: “Jacque Ruhlmann.”



SY: Who do you consider a great talent who is both a designer and decorator?

DK: “There are many fortunately; however, I think of Tony Chi as one of great designers and decorators.”



SY: I’ve heard that it's considered an insult to refer to a designer as a decorator within the industry. Is this true? What’s the feeling out there?

DK: “Generally, labeling someone can be insulting. I think that the further we get into the future, our positions become blurred, which can be an optimistic situation, as our activities become broad, opening up to bigger opportunities. However, calling someone a decorator can be a condescending appointment: underlining the notion of having less education in logic of designs and less academic recognition.“

The Difference Between A Designer & Decorator with D.B. Kim

Designer? Decorator? Can someone settle the record once and for all? It seems that the misuse of these terms is a daily occurrence in the print world, on TV shows, on the blogs, and in the design industry in general. I had the pleasure of sitting down with D.B. Kim, award-winning designer, conceptual and constructive practitioner, and commentator on creativity (check out his blog for Interior Design Magazine,) to decipher the primary distinctions between designing and decorating.


SY: Lots of people use the words STYLE & DESIGN synonymously. For me, these words couldn’t be more different, each belonging to a separate camp in the interior design arena. Decorators are masters at styling rooms while designers are problem solvers who create solutions for living spaces. Are people ignorant, or is this just semantics? What are your thoughts on style vs. design/ decorator vs. designer? How are they the same? How are they different?

DK: “I agree that contemporaries tend to use the words Style and Design frequently and over a vast range of visual implementations. For me, Style is an expression of attitude and Design is an act of facilitation. At times, two words definitely overlap and complicate our visual digestions […] Style can be expressed without any intentions: having no style can be a style. And just because a look, a style, is well composed does not mean it is a design. Designers work with provided objectives: they don’t design without purpose. Style is closer to an art form, instinctively. Although, designers tend to have their own style, and we can see this reflected through their products and environments. At the same time, Stylists can produce befitted settings, which respond to the client’s objectives; therefore, their work becomes more than an expression of instincts.”



SY: Is it more challenging to create opportunities in the consumer marketplace for a designer or decorator? It seems that a mediocre decorator with a somewhat distinctive look is more prone to licensing opportunities than a talented designer... seems unfair.

DK: “It is equally challenging, nowadays, to create any opportunity in the marketplace whether designers or stylists/decorators. However, people tend to take less risks and safety net themselves by concentrating on basics. Design opportunities are becoming less demanding and are being pushed to the bottom of the priority list while decorators, like stylists, may rise up to the top of the list because they deal with immediate emotions. Decorations comfort us, whether intellectuals agree or not, and present themselves ambiguously, which makes the risk factor less than work done by a designer. Definitely some decorators have an individual signature aesthetic that becomes one’s own invested portfolio. In the end decorators/stylists tend to provide us with immeasurable experiences that can be romantic. Consumers perceive the designing element as a form of risk taking and a luxurious solution that many of us are limiting.“



SY: Decorators are inspired by… in their work?

DK: “Trends, pop culture, etc… Inspirations come from everywhere and from everything I see and experience. I don’t follow current trends; however, I can never be sure whether I am influenced by current trends in my work.“



SY: Designers are inspired by… in their work?

DK: “I am often affected by my feelings and internal experiences while I conceive designs. At the end, my work is experiential and emotional, but not in a sad way. I use the senses to stimulate in subtle ways.“



SY: Who do you consider a great designer who’s not a decorator?

DK: “Le Corbusier.”



SY: Who do you consider a great decorator who’s not a designer?

DK: “Jacque Ruhlmann.”



SY: Who do you consider a great talent who is both a designer and decorator?

DK: “There are many fortunately; however, I think of Tony Chi as one of great designers and decorators.”



SY: I’ve heard that it's considered an insult to refer to a designer as a decorator within the industry. Is this true? What’s the feeling out there?

DK: “Generally, labeling someone can be insulting. I think that the further we get into the future, our positions become blurred, which can be an optimistic situation, as our activities become broad, opening up to bigger opportunities. However, calling someone a decorator can be a condescending appointment: underlining the notion of having less education in logic of designs and less academic recognition.“

Ask Debonair: Where to Look for Design Inspiration

Hello friends. My February post for Debonair Magazine is up today. As the interior design contributor for "Ask Debonair", I answer questions that are sent from readers concerning home and decor. This month, I offer some insightful resources for those seeking design inspirations, and for those who are yet undecided about the decorative direction they'd like to execute in their home.

Thanks for visiting,

-S

Ask Debonair: Where to Look for Design Inspiration

Hello friends. My February post for Debonair Magazine is up today. As the interior design contributor for "Ask Debonair", I answer questions that are sent from readers concerning home and decor. This month, I offer some insightful resources for those seeking design inspirations, and for those who are yet undecided about the decorative direction they'd like to execute in their home.

Thanks for visiting,

-S

L.A. Muse: A conversation with Alex Prager

Last week, I was invited to the opening night for Alex Prager's exhibition, "Week-End," the latest body of work by the 29-year old photographer and native Angelino. Completely self-taught and recognized for her signature aesthetic, Prager’s "Week-End" is a collection of color photographs as dazzling as they are bizarre. The exhibition opened on January 30, 2010, and will run through March 6, 2010 @ M+B gallery in West Hollywood.

"Inspired by the high drama of classic movies—which, despite their theatricality, touch upon genuine emotions of alienation, fear, anger, longing, and lust—Prager's images seem at first to be all exquisite surface. However the girls of this series—named “Barbara,” “Jane,” “Lois” and other such conventional and slightly old-fashioned monikers—conceal pain beneath their lipstick-lined smiles and dead eyes. In the artist's own words, she is “documenting a world that exists and doesn’t exist at the same time.” The trilogy began with girls playing archetypal roles in "Polyester." Then in "Big Valley," the roles took on lives of their own, and the separation between make-believe and real life began to dissolve. With "Week-End," which signifies the peak as well as the extent of the period, the façade becomes so thick that the illusion is now more real than the world they actually live in." - M+B

As a photography enthusiast and fan of Alex's work, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to sit down with the artist herself. Here are some snippets from our conversation, as we talk about Los Angeles as a source of creative inspiration:


SY: The word "End" in your latest exhibition, "Week-End," seems to suggest a completion to your previous two works "Polyester" and "Big Valley." How did the story evolve throughout the trilogy, and why "End" it now?

AP: "The story started with a box of old clothes from the 60's that my grandmother's friend Vera gave me because she knew I liked vintage. I threw some wigs on my friends and basically played dress up with them. I think that's why "Polyester" seems more to me like it's a performance by a small town theater group with very bad acting. It's not serious to me. "The Big Valley" was more thought out for me, and I think it comes across a bit more on the edge, and slightly more real. With "Week-end," I felt as if the girls in the photos were no longer play-acting. It's as if their little game had become their only reality. To me, it's like the ending is more about them than about me and the work."



SY: As the trilogy unfolded, I became more and more convinced that you are doing a commentary on life in Los Angeles as much as telling a story about your cast of females. What is a bigger muse for you, L.A. or the women that fill your work?

AP: "I'd say that Los Angeles has been my muse for the past three series. The girls are more like props to me. I still have to find the exact right one for the picture I'm going to take, and she has to inspire me and all that, but when it comes down to it, there'll always be another girl, but there will never be another city like Los Angeles."



SY: How has being a native Angelino affected your artistry?

AP: "There's so much about this city that I disagree with, but at the same time I love it more than anywhere in the world, I guess maybe some of that might come across in my pictures. It's like anyone in regard to the place they grew up, I think there's always some sort of love/hate relationship going on there."



SY: Rick Owen's said something like "L.A. should stick to sitcoms and leave fashion to NYC and Paris." Of course, we're not talking fashion, but does the same go for art? Is it more challenging to prove oneself in the international community coming from L.A.?

AP: "I don't really know. I think a lot of artists in New York go unnoticed because there's so many people focused on art and so much competition. So many rules and politics and all that. Los Angeles is more laid back when it comes to art. You can put a show on in your closet and a crowd will probably turn up. I feel like because I started here, I had more of a chance, not less of it, because when I started my audience was mainly just friends and friends of friends checking it out. Not necessarily to criticize, but more just to see what I had made. I felt like people were interested in a different way than they probably would have been had I been having the same shows in New York. Maybe it's because they're more starved for art here, because there's not as much, I don't know."



SY: When one thing ends another begins. Now that the series is completed, what are we to anticipate from you in the future? ...new directions/inspirations/anything you’d like to share?

AP: "That's a secret, but I will be showing "Week-End" in Tokyo in April, and London in June."

L.A. Muse: A conversation with Alex Prager

Last week, I was invited to the opening night for Alex Prager's exhibition, "Week-End," the latest body of work by the 29-year old photographer and native Angelino. Completely self-taught and recognized for her signature aesthetic, Prager’s "Week-End" is a collection of color photographs as dazzling as they are bizarre. The exhibition opened on January 30, 2010, and will run through March 6, 2010 @ M+B gallery in West Hollywood.

"Inspired by the high drama of classic movies—which, despite their theatricality, touch upon genuine emotions of alienation, fear, anger, longing, and lust—Prager's images seem at first to be all exquisite surface. However the girls of this series—named “Barbara,” “Jane,” “Lois” and other such conventional and slightly old-fashioned monikers—conceal pain beneath their lipstick-lined smiles and dead eyes. In the artist's own words, she is “documenting a world that exists and doesn’t exist at the same time.” The trilogy began with girls playing archetypal roles in "Polyester." Then in "Big Valley," the roles took on lives of their own, and the separation between make-believe and real life began to dissolve. With "Week-End," which signifies the peak as well as the extent of the period, the façade becomes so thick that the illusion is now more real than the world they actually live in." - M+B

As a photography enthusiast and fan of Alex's work, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to sit down with the artist herself. Here are some snippets from our conversation, as we talk about Los Angeles as a source of creative inspiration:


SY: The word "End" in your latest exhibition, "Week-End," seems to suggest a completion to your previous two works "Polyester" and "Big Valley." How did the story evolve throughout the trilogy, and why "End" it now?

AP: "The story started with a box of old clothes from the 60's that my grandmother's friend Vera gave me because she knew I liked vintage. I threw some wigs on my friends and basically played dress up with them. I think that's why "Polyester" seems more to me like it's a performance by a small town theater group with very bad acting. It's not serious to me. "The Big Valley" was more thought out for me, and I think it comes across a bit more on the edge, and slightly more real. With "Week-end," I felt as if the girls in the photos were no longer play-acting. It's as if their little game had become their only reality. To me, it's like the ending is more about them than about me and the work."



SY: As the trilogy unfolded, I became more and more convinced that you are doing a commentary on life in Los Angeles as much as telling a story about your cast of females. What is a bigger muse for you, L.A. or the women that fill your work?

AP: "I'd say that Los Angeles has been my muse for the past three series. The girls are more like props to me. I still have to find the exact right one for the picture I'm going to take, and she has to inspire me and all that, but when it comes down to it, there'll always be another girl, but there will never be another city like Los Angeles."



SY: How has being a native Angelino affected your artistry?

AP: "There's so much about this city that I disagree with, but at the same time I love it more than anywhere in the world, I guess maybe some of that might come across in my pictures. It's like anyone in regard to the place they grew up, I think there's always some sort of love/hate relationship going on there."



SY: Rick Owen's said something like "L.A. should stick to sitcoms and leave fashion to NYC and Paris." Of course, we're not talking fashion, but does the same go for art? Is it more challenging to prove oneself in the international community coming from L.A.?

AP: "I don't really know. I think a lot of artists in New York go unnoticed because there's so many people focused on art and so much competition. So many rules and politics and all that. Los Angeles is more laid back when it comes to art. You can put a show on in your closet and a crowd will probably turn up. I feel like because I started here, I had more of a chance, not less of it, because when I started my audience was mainly just friends and friends of friends checking it out. Not necessarily to criticize, but more just to see what I had made. I felt like people were interested in a different way than they probably would have been had I been having the same shows in New York. Maybe it's because they're more starved for art here, because there's not as much, I don't know."



SY: When one thing ends another begins. Now that the series is completed, what are we to anticipate from you in the future? ...new directions/inspirations/anything you’d like to share?

AP: "That's a secret, but I will be showing "Week-End" in Tokyo in April, and London in June."