David Hicks is acknowledged as one of the most
important interior designers of the late twentieth
century, in the company of Albert Hadley and Billy
Baldwin. Known for his bold use of color, eclecticism,
and geometric designs in carpets and textiles, Hicks
turned English decorating on its head in the '50s and
'60s. His trademark use of electrifying color
combinations, and mixing antiques, modern furniture, and
abstract paintings became the ''in style'' for the chic
of the day, including Vidal Sassoon and Helena
Rubinstein. By the '70s, David Hicks was a brand; his
company was making wallpaper, fabrics, and linens and
had outposts in eight countries, including the U.S.
where he worked with the young Mark Hampton, and where
his wallpaper was used in the White House. ''My greatest
contribution as an interior designer has been to show
people how to use bold color mixtures, how to use
patterned carpets, how to light rooms, and how to mix
old with new, '' he stated in his 1968 work, ''David
Hicks on Living--with Taste,'' the last authoritative
book on his work. Written by his son Ashley Hicks, who
has unprecedented access to Hicks's archives, personal
photos, journals, and scrapbooks, this is a vibrantly
illustrated celebration of a half century of stunning
interiors. |
|