But who can say how Buatta became a household name? Maybe it has to do with his famous clients. People like Jackie Onassis, Henry Kissinger, Barbara Walters, Malcomb Forbes, Henry Ford II, Billy Joel, and Mariah Carey all turned to him for help. Or maybe it’s the publication of his designs. Design magazines love exposing the private digs of especially rich and famous members of that eponymous club, and readers love voyeurism that won’t result in jail time. And when the rich and famous demand anonymity, well, the designer must stand alone in the spotlight. Buatta’s had his share of solos. In addition to all the private homes that built his reputation, it would be unfair to give short shrift to D.C.’s Blair House, which prompted all kinds of hoopla when Buatta decorated it. And let’s not even get started with his decades of participating in—and sometimes putting on the map— designer show houses. So what’s the master’s secret to displaying the antique collections that are such an essential part of his work? “I like organized clutter,” he says humbly. (This man is humble. He answered his own phone when interviewed back in the ‘80s. And he still does so today.) “Design is just like geometry. You play with the shapes. Scale and placement are the biggest mistakes people make.” He’s also a firm believer in the odd number. “One, three, five, seven. I like using an odd number of pieces, whether on a table or a wall. Mark Hampton, on the other hand, always did everything in pairs,” he adds, validating that approach, too. 18
Photo Credit: Ted Harden