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In one line, and in similar words from both tools. On 22 October 2026 we asked ChatGPT and Perplexity what five well-known interior designers are known for, and asked for one line each. ChatGPT showed no source for three of the five, and some of the words were not on the pages that were cited.
This reports what two AI tools wrote on one day. It isn't our view of these designers or their work, and we can't vouch for the answers.
What did we ask?
One question for each designer, for example: "What is Kelly Wearstler known for as an interior designer?" We asked the same about India Mahdavi, Pierre Yovanovitch, Vincent Van Duysen and Studio KO. Each question went once to ChatGPT, with web search on, and once to Perplexity. That makes 10 answers.
We added one instruction to each question: "Answer briefly, as a short ranked list of studio names with one line each." So the short lines come from how we asked. If you ask yourself, you will get a longer answer, possibly in other words.
What did they say?
| Designer | ChatGPT wrote | Perplexity wrote |
|---|---|---|
| Kelly Wearstler | "bold, eclectic luxury interiors" | "bold, maximalist interiors" |
| India Mahdavi | "vibrant color, comfort, elegance, humor" | "Her iconic pink, playful restaurant interior" |
| Pierre Yovanovitch | "refined French luxury: sculptural spaces" | "sculptural, refined spaces" |
| Vincent Van Duysen | "serene, tactile minimalism" | "serene, timeless interiors" |
| Studio KO | "refined, minimalist interiors" with "earthy materials, Moroccan craft influences" | "raw natural materials, artisanal craft" |
For each designer, the two tools reached for similar words. Most of those words describe how the work looks and feels. India Mahdavi was the exception: both tools led with one project, The Gallery at Sketch in London.
One ChatGPT answer also named a famous client for one of the designers. We couldn't check that, so it isn't here.
Which pages did they cite?
| Designer | ChatGPT | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| Kelly Wearstler | None | Wikipedia, Designers Today |
| India Mahdavi | Wallpaper, 1stDibs, Architectural Digest | CLAD, Architonic, Michelle Ogundehin's newsletter |
| Pierre Yovanovitch | His own about page | Est Living, his own site |
| Vincent Van Duysen | None | Molteni, Architonic |
| Studio KO | None | Essential Home, 1stDibs |
ChatGPT had web search on, but three of its answers showed no link at all. For Perplexity, we could only trace its first 8 pages, so its list is a minimum.
Were those words on the pages?
Partly. We read the cited pages on 7 November, so some may have changed since the answers were written.
- Kelly Wearstler: "bold", "eclectic" and "maximalist" are all on Wikipedia's page. Designers Today refused our request, so we couldn't read it.
- India Mahdavi: Sketch is on all 6 cited pages, colour on 5 and pink on 4.
- Pierre Yovanovitch: "sculptural" is on none of the 3 cited pages, and "refined" is on 1.
- Vincent Van Duysen: "tactile" is on both cited pages, and "serene" is on neither.
- Studio KO: "craftsmanship" is on both cited pages, "raw" is on 1, and "natural materials" is on neither. Essential Home is a list, so there we read only the part about Studio KO.
So we can't say these tools copied their words from the pages they showed. Some words match and some don't appear at all. A list of sources doesn't tell you everything about where an answer's words came from.
Did the tools name them when asked for a designer?
Mostly, but that test says little. We also asked one question per designer such as "Best interior designer in Los Angeles for a bold, luxurious home". They were named in 8 of those 10 answers. We wrote each question with words close to that designer's reputation, so this isn't a fair test of how often they come up.
What about a studio that isn't famous?
We can only show our own. On 6 November we asked both tools what fioel specialises in, this time without the instruction. ChatGPT wrote that we are "an Amsterdam-based design studio specialising in websites for interior designers and interior architects". Perplexity wrote much the same. They cited our own site, and Perplexity also cited our Clutch profile.
Asked what past clients say, both reported that Clutch lists us as "Not yet reviewed". So in our case, the description came largely from what we wrote ourselves, and the tools said plainly what they couldn't find. That is one example, and it is ours.
What can a studio do?
- Ask. Type "What is [your studio] known for as an interior designer?" into ChatGPT and Perplexity, in a clean chat, a few times. Note the words and the sources.
- Write the words you would want repeated. Say on your own site, in plain sentences, what kind of projects you do and where.
- Use the same words elsewhere. Your Houzz profile, your directory listings and your Instagram bio should describe the same studio.
- Keep your press findable. A press page with the publication, the date and the project gives every reader, and every tool, more to go on.
None of this guarantees the words an AI tool will use. It does give it accurate words to read.
To see which studios come up for your city, run the free AI check: it asks ChatGPT and Perplexity three questions, live.
03 questions
Questions this piece answers
Q01How does ChatGPT describe well-known interior designers?
In our check of 22 October 2026, which asked for one line each, ChatGPT and Perplexity described five well-known designers in similar words. For example, ChatGPT wrote "bold, eclectic luxury interiors" and Perplexity wrote "bold, maximalist interiors" about the same designer.
Q02Does ChatGPT take its description from the pages it cites?
Not in any way we could see every time. ChatGPT showed no source for three of five answers. Some words were on the cited pages when we read them on 7 November, and others were not on any of them.
Q03Is this a ranking of interior designers?
No. It reports what two AI tools wrote on one day. It says nothing about the designers or their work, and we can't vouch for the answers.