Recently, Architectural Digest has been taking a beating in the comment sections of various blogs. Indirectly, so has Mario Buatta. I understand how either might not be everyone's cup of tea. What I fail to understand is the virulence of the reaction. It is not as if either is promoting genocide.
Someone once asked me why I read AD (yes, avidly). I blithely quipped, 'To see how not to decorate'. AD is about architecture and design. Decorating and design are not the same thing. Many Designers, I think, hold we Decorators in contempt. Especially those under 35, who seem to be labouring under the misapprehension that they invented modernism.
I for one am only concerned with the end result. That does not mean I am uninterested in the actual structure. It means I am uninterested in the process. If the window needs to be moved, move it, but spare me the details. That is what contractors and builders are for. With that said, if the pitch on the back of a chair is not comfortable I will know instantly, and know how to correct it. Comfort, practicality, and quality are paramount. I am sure those qualities are also paramount to Mr Buatta; whose work I would not presume to critique. Yes, I would have done some of his rooms differently. Not, because I find them wanting, but because my perspective is different and I have not had the constraint of a brief.
But, honestly, who would not want to have the career that Mario Buatta has had?
And if AD called tomorrow, who would really say no?
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Friday, 16 November 2007
What would the naysayers really do?
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10 comments:
Amen, you summed up exactly why I became a decorator and not an interior designer.
Hello calie anderson, c.i.d - I hope it is going well for you.
I very much admire Mr. Buatta. He's talented and he has a great sense of humor. And I agree, who would not want to achieve the success that Buatta has!
PoC - I would certainly be happy with half the success, maybe not content but certainly happy.
BRAVO! you put down in words how I feel about AD and why i still read it! You have to take things for what they are - it's not a decorators magazine -it's more a designers magazine....big difference!
BTC - thanks! I like that " You have to take things for what they are".
Your insights are always spot on. I don't care if you choose to post four times a year - I still check every day.
Thank you MrsB ! It is both appreciated and reciprocated.
YES! I am glad someone out there has a voice of reason. I have had a subscription to AD forever I think, and although not overly enamoured, there is still alot of good information about sources and historical perspective that is important to know. Even if one cannnot afford the AD lifestyle, where do the less expensive, innovative ideas come from? From researching and tweaking things from the "old guard".
Hi katiediid - The AD spotlight on the houses/decorators of yesteryear is brilliant and vital. It prevents ideas from being lost or forgotten.
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