Design in Depth: Meeting Mario Buatta

Being homes editor for New England Home has allowed me to meet some of the most fascinating people in the design world. Tord Boontje, Lulu de Kwiatkowski, Alexa Hampton, Charlotte Moss, Amanda Nisbet, Alessandra Branca and Karim Rashid are just a few of the colorful characters whose paths I’ve crossed over the past few years.

If life is like a safari there are still a few big cats out there I’d like to bag, so to speak. I can now cross Mario Buatta off my list. Last week I met him at his book signing at the Antiques and Artisan Center in Stamford, where he signed my copy of his new book published by Rizzoli. 

Photo courtesy of Rizzoli.

I had heard from a number of people what a great wit he is prior to meeting him. Just head to The Buzz blog for one of the funniest stories. In humor and Halloween spirit he had a fake hand placed in front of him, a rubbery gnarled piece he sometimes shook at people as they approached. The book weighs about 18 pounds and is thicker than most unabridged dictionaries. I joked with Mario that it was larger than an encyclopedia and he immediately chimed in that it was actually a Buattapedia.

So I now have a signed Buattapedia showcasing fifty years of the designer’s work and a wonderful encounter with a big cat.