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One of the most important and influential interior designers and tastemakers of the late twentieth century, David Hicks turned English decorating on its head in the 50's and 60's with his bold use of color, eclecticism, and geometric designs in carpets and textiles. His trademark use of electrifying color combinations, combined with mixing antiques and modern furniture and abstract paintings, became the in style for the chic of the day, and earned him a prominent place in the history of interior design. This definitive volume, part personal history, part stunningly, illustrated compendium of his work, traces the entire arc of his life and career, from his childhood in Essex to his early commissions, marriage to lady Pamela Mountbatten, and the increasingly glamorous circles in which he socialized. Making a purposeful splash with his own London home in 1954, Hicks went on to design fantastically stylish rooms for Mrs. Douglas Fairbanks Jr.; Vidal Sassoon, Helena Rubinstein, and the young Prince Charles and Princess Anne, as well as a yacht for King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, and a nightclub on the QE2. The book also traces in detail his commercial interiors and product designs, and his branding efforts in the 70's with his company that made wallpaper; fabrics, and linens, among other things, with outposts in eight countries. Also included are all of Hicks's homes, including his grand estate at Britwell; successive London bases; the Irish castle, Classiebawn; the Caribbean retreat, Savannah; and his final country house, The Grove, with its magnificent gardens of his design. Always, Hicks's work made a bold statement. There was no prettiness; no chintz — it was pure theater and the world took notice, «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. 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 half a century of stunning interiors work and the equally stylish — man behind it.
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