HISTORY LESSON
Design historian and author Emily Evans Eerdmans’ latest book transcends the boundaries of a typical design retrospective.

Every now and then, the world of design offers us a chance to peek behind the curtain and witness the creative processes that shape our living spaces. For design historian Emily Evans Eerdmans, this opportunity has manifested multiple times as she’s studied the inner workings of some of the industry’s most iconic figures. Eerdmans’ recent book, Mario Buatta: Anatomy of a Decorator, takes us on a captivating journey through the life and work of the legendary interior designer, offering readers an intimate glimpse into his remarkable legacy. Throughout her distinguished career, Eerdmans has garnered a reputation as a leading storyteller of design, weaving together the threads of history, culture and creativity into vivid tapestries of the lives of interior luminaries. Her latest endeavor brings Mario Buatta into the spotlight, a fitting choice considering his profound impact on interior design. With a keen eye for detail and a deep appreciation for aesthetic nuance, Eerdmans offers readers a comprehensive exploration of Buatta’s life, vision and the mark he left on the industry.

The art of interior design often remains hidden from public view, but Eerdmans’ work peels back the layers, inviting us to enter the inner sanctum of Mario Buatta’s design philosophy. Through meticulous research and insightful analysis, Eerdmans uncovers the inspirations that fueled Buatta’s creativity. Readers are treated to an array of anecdotes and stories that reveal the essence of Buatta’s design approach—a harmonious blend of classical influences and contemporary sensibilities.

Quite simply, Eerdmans paints a vivid portrait of Buatta’s life and creations. Her book is an invitation to step into the world of an extraordinary designer and experience the magic he wove into every space he touched. Here we chatted with the author to delve a little deeper into her insights.

Hi Emily! Tell me a bit about your background. How did you come to concentrate on design and interiors? It all started when I moved to Paris after college to work as a nanny and discovered connoisseurship—everything from croissants to commodes. From there, I enrolled in the Sotheby’s Institute of Art’s master’s program in fine and decorative arts.

As a fellow design writer, people always assume I’m also a designer (which I am not!)— does this happen to you and how would you describe your own personal aesthetic?

Absolutely! Just recently, we started taking on decorating projects much like antiquaires Madeleine Castaing and Christopher Gibbs. But they have to be special. I am definitely a classicist and veer towards colorful, maximalist rooms. But each space tells you what it wants to a degree (as does the client).

What is it about design and specifically interiors that intrigues and excites you? A room reveals so much—not just about its owner, but about the point of time in which it was conceived: its technology, taste, craft and more. It’s fascinating.

Is there a specific style or genre you’re most drawn to? Why? The English Country House style—for its color, as well as emphasis on architecture and layered centuries of fine and decorative arts.

When did you first discover the work of Mario Buatta? When he wrote the foreword to my first book, Classic English Design and Antiques (Rizzoli, 2006).

What strikes you most about his work? He was an extraordinary colorist and also infused his spaces with a romantic exuberance.

When diving into your research for Anatomy of a Decorator, did you find a common thread or connective tissue within Mario’s work? When we did his first book together, we sat together nearly every day for a year discussing his life and work. What interested me in researching this book (without his guidance) was finding out more about how he came to form such a clear, focused style—an Americanized version of the English Country House look. It was interesting to read in very early articles from the 1960s how he would work in any style a client wanted, and then eventually rejected that approach by the end of the 1970s.

Tell me how the title of the book came to be.  The first book was a portfolio of his work and a glossed-over history of his career. He never wanted to show people how he achieved what he did or how he put a room together. We wanted this book to reveal all of that.

Mario famously has an uplifting success story—how do you think that shaped his creative trajectory? He learned a lot about “putting on a show” from his father, who was a bandleader and a member of Rudy Vallee’s orchestra for a time. He had a big personality and liked to make people laugh—that was an essential part of his success as his undeniable talent.

Is there a recipe for the Buatta look and feel? Voluptuous upholstery, dressmaker curtains, saturated color (deftly balanced), chintz, classical architectural details and collections of pictures and objects everywhere.

How would you classify the Mario Buatta aesthetic? An Americanized version of the English Country House style.

Can you share some insights into his creative process? What was the feeling like when he was creating his spaces and working with clients? Like every design legend I have studied, he started by getting the architecture right. From there, it was a furniture plan, then developing a color scheme with fabrics. He made sure to keep the process fun for his clients and never let it get too serious. Most of his clients trusted him completely and he was able to realize the schemes as he envisioned them. He also loved to reuse things clients already had—which is a rarity.

What or who inspired his work? And how did he translate his inspirations? John Fowler,  there is a chapter on that. Also see the section on Rose Cumming.

What techniques, materials, appliques, etc. eventually became synonymous with his style and body of work? Chintz obviously, with the nickname the Prince of Chintz he received from the reporter Chauncey Howell in 1984.

How did he influence the next generation of interior designers? You can definitely see the thread between him and a certain group of young designers who incorporate bows, chintz, needlepoint and ceramic vegetables and fruit in their environments as seen in the recent book, Charm School: The Schumacher Guide to Traditional Decorating for Today.

What’s been Mario Buatta’s impact on the world of design? He was essential to popularizing the English Country House style here in America, bringing ruffles, bows, chintz and dog paintings to everyone with his various licenses (fabrics, Vogue sewing patterns, sheet sets, potpourri, furniture and more). He was one of the first designers in the 20th century to make himself into a brand and his career illustrated the power of being known for a certain look.