What's in a Name?

When it comes to the difference between decorator and interior designer, maybe everything.

- By Stephen Wallis

A penthouse apartment in New York City designed by the late American decorator Mario Buatta.

What do you call the interiors specialist a who designs, revamps, or simply refreshes rooms in your home? The answer might not be as straightforward as you think.

“I prefer decorator, says Miles Redd. “The word is a bit faded, but I align myself with Syrie Maugham, John Fowler, and Nancy Lancaster, and I don't think any of them called themselves an interior designer, which for me—and I hope I don't offend people I admire-feels the tiniest bit pretentious.” Hold that thought.

“If somebody calls me a decorator, nothing is more annoying, says designer Ghislaine Viñas (see page 42). “It's a dated term that conjures this image of a lady who shops with people, picks out trim, and zhuzhes things. It doesn't hold the clout that an interior designer has, because we go to school for years.”

Ask interiors professionals to discuss their feelings about decorating versus designing and it can call to mind those old Miller Lite commercials with the arguments over tastes great” and “less filling. Yet, despite some passionate taking of sides, this isn't really an either/or debate. Ultimately it's about differences in perception and usage, which have evolved in ways that people outside of the design world don't always grasp.