The world's most googled designer, Philippe Starck.Photo by Jimmy Baikovicius on Wiki Commons
Cover The world's most Googled designer, Philippe Starck (Photo by Jimmy Baikovicius on Wiki Commons)

Once less fêted than architects, interior designers are now celebrities in their own right with coffee table books, popular home collections and hit TV shows. Find out who are the 10 most Googled interior designers

Known as the original enfant terrible of design, Philippe Starck is the world’s most Googled interior designer, with nearly 500,000 yearly searches, according to creative resource Design Bundles.

The study analysed 100 interior designers across the globe to discover the 10 most sought-after in the world. It also ranked the top 10 by their Instagram followers and earnings, to find the most powerful social media star among them. Starck, known for his eclectic transformations of hotels, yachts, and bars, rakes in 41,000 searches a month—five times more than the 10th most Googled designer, Eric Kuster. 

 

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Photo 1 of 2 Asahi Breweries headquarters building with the Asahi Flame designed by Philippe Starck (Photo by Basile Morin on Wiki Commons)
Photo 2 of 2 Juicy Salif lemon juicer by Philippe Starck. Designed for Alessi (1990) (Photo by Niklas Morberg)

The 72-year-old Starck, who was born in France but now resides in Portugal, has never had any qualms being provocative whether in his public persona and his work. His Gun collection for Italian lighting brand FLOS, featured 18k gold replicas of machine guns and handguns as the lamp bases while his Juicy Salif juicer for Alessi has been panned as being all style with no function.

The designer is also the king of the pithy quote, saying that he can design a chair in two minutes and a hotel in a day and a half, or preferring to work alone, sometimes “naked in the bedroom.”

See also: What Makes Kartell A 360 Degrees Lifestyle Brand?

 

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Nate Berkus at Showtime's 2010 Summer TCA. Photo by Greg Hernandez on Wiki Commons
Above Nate Berkus at Showtime's 2010 Summer TCA (Photo by Greg Hernandez on Wiki Commons)

The world’s second most Googled interior designer is Nate Berkus. The US-based designer and TV personality pulls in 32,000 searches per month—well above the average searches for all designers on the list (20,990), including husband Jeremiah Brent.

Berkus who became a household name after debuting on Oprah Winfrey's show in 2002 went on to star in his own TV shows, pen best-selling books, creat coveted retail collections, and design countless interiors.

His work has been featured in Architectural Digest and Vogue and has been included on Elle Decor's “A-List” of the world’s top designers and was on the AD100 list in 2018.

 

 

Bobby Berk is also among the world’s favourite designers. The Queer Eye star, who has a net worth of over US$4 million, has the third-highest average searches at 31,000 a month. He also has the most powerful Instagram following on the list, earning US$7,500 per post. 

Jeremiah Brent, who co-hosts reality TV show Nate & Jeremiah by Design with husband Berkus, saw some of the world’s highest average searches. The interior design guru rakes in 24,000 searches a month, making him the fourth most searched designer in the world. 

 

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Kelly Hoppen recently designed a collection for heritage wallpaper and textile brand, De Gournay
Above Kelly Hoppen recently designed a collection for heritage wallpaper and textile brand, De Gournay

Celebrity designer Kelly Hoppen—based in the UK and famous for her classic East-meets-West style–saw an average search of 22,000 a month. Her sleek, signature neutral colour palette, which earned her the title Queen of Taupe, was appointed an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II for her services to interior design in 2009.

In her four decades plus career, Hoppen has penned several coffee table tomes, became a design favourite among A-listers like the Beckhams and Sienna Miller, and launched a wildly popular furniture and accessories collection reflecting her aesthetic.

See also: Home Tour: Kelly Hoppen’s Country Home Is Rustic Yet Modern

 

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Lobby of the Santa Monica Proper Hotel. Designed by Kelly Wearstler. Photo by Roberto Nickson on Unsplash
Above Lobby of the Santa Monica Proper Hotel. Designed by Kelly Wearstler (Photo by Roberto Nickson on Unsplash)

Coming in closely after Hoppen at 21,000 searches is Kelly Wearstler, who has crafted interiors for stars including Cameron Diaz and Gwen Stefani.

Wearstler cut her teeth in the hospitality industry but nowadays, her trademark sumptuous and vibrant interiors may be found in grand residences and luxury hotels internationally, from Beverly Hills to the Caribbean.

See also: 7 Korean Furniture and Interior Designers To Know

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Design Bundles list of top 10 most searched interior designers
Above Design Bundles list of top 10 most searched interior designers

When it comes to ranking the 10 most googled interior designers in the world by Instagram followers, Berk leads the charge, with the biggest Instagram following (2.8 million) on the entire list. Berk commands an estimated US$7,498 per sponsored post—nearly triple the average Instagram earnings of all 10 designers.  

Wearstler has the next highest number of Instagram followers (1.6 million), making an estimated US$4,408 per post.  And while Berkus may be winning when it comes to Google searches, his partner Brent has a higher Instagram engagement rate (1.88% to Berkus’ 1.07%), meaning he makes slightly more from the platform at US$3,106 per post.  

A spokesperson for Design Bundles, which commissioned the research, said: “When you look at search data, it’s fascinating to see who comes up as the world’s most in-demand interior designers. While we have iconic American and British favourites such as Nate Berkus, Kelly Wearstler, and Kelly Hoppen, the presence of designers like Philippe Starck and Axel Vervoordt show a clear, continental influence.”

See also: Mood Board: Bocci Co-founder Omer Arbel Discusses His Lighting Designs and His New Book

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