Went Up Rapidly08: Inspiration David Hicks

David Hicks - Timeless Chic

David Hicks (1929-1998)was the superstar designer of the 1960s and 1970s – sought after by royalty and the privileged. Though it's been many years since his last projects were center stage in the design world, David Hicks' influence is still felt today. David Hicks built the bridge connecting the formal classical styles of the past to the current modern style of today. Many past and present day interior designers, such as Billy Baldwin, Mark Hampton and Vicente Wolfe, got their inspiration from him. When you look at a room with a harmonious mix of classical and contemporary pieces, you are seeing an echo of the David Hicks style.

(Notice the painted antler head over the fireplace)

David Hicks was born in March of 1929 in Essex, Great Britain, surrounded by great country manors and sweeping formal gardens. He trained at the London Central School of Arts and Crafts, and through visiting the homes of some of his school friends started to explore the rest of Europe. His career was off to a great start when he was published in 1954 in House and Garden.

David Hicks' styling and color schemes blew in a fresh wind to the stale design environment. He would juxtapose a modern abstract painting with classical urns or vases. Antique sculptures would stand on plexiglass bases. Period French fauteuils would be upholstered in bold modern patterns. Expensive objets d'art would sit in a tablescape next to ordinary found objects from a beach or a ruin. Striking colors of vermilion and scarlet contrast against the dark woods.

He discovered unused printing blocks from Colefax & Fowler and commissioned new wallpaper prints with striking colors – blacks and yellows, scarlets and khakis.

Then by 1960, in typical whirlwind fashion, David Hicks met and married Pamela Mountbatten, the daughter of the Earl of Mountbatten and Viceroy of India.

Besides working in interior design, David Hicks designed furniture, jewelry, textiles, carpets, wallpaper, and even gardens. He opened several shops to showcase his products. His obsession with decorative details and extensive exposure to beautiful homes provided a constant source for creative ideas. His trips abroad to India and Middle East inspired his geometric designs for his carpets. Recognizing his popularity, the American textile company, JP Stevens, commissioned him to create designer linens for the American market. His daughter, Ashley Hicks, has also recently re-released editions of his fabric and carpet patterns. They can be seen on the David Hick's Web site.

David Hicks' melding of yesterday's designs with modern works has proven timeless (excerpt from Dezignare)

Timeless Chic

Definition of 'chic' (shēk)
1. The quality or state of being stylish; fashionableness.
2. Good form; style; elegance.
All of these rooms are by David Hicks from the David Hicks Archive and date from the 70's & 80's. They are remarkably and undeniably just as Chic today as they were 30 years ago. I am adding David Hicks to the dictionary definition of the word 'chic'...................
3. Timeless as in interiors by David Hicks