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.“
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