David Hicks: A Life of Design [Hardcover]

Ashley Hicks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 20, 2009

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Hicks book is THE book of the season."
—Stephen Drucker, Editor in Chief, House Beautiful

"[A] lavish illustrated survey of the renowned British decorator’s work by his son...plenty of dish on Hicks’s glamorous life and times..."
—The New York Times Magazine
 
"[A]n elegant volume that showcases Hicks' power to conjure up an entirely new atmosphere and transform a space into an enchanting oasis. With 700 breath taking illustration this gorgeous book will be an instant classic…!"
—Le Petit Blog
 
"If you are a Hicks fan, or if you collect monographs of great designers, I think this book will be a worthy addition to your collection."
—Peak of Chic
 
"If you can't get to Paris to experience David Hicks designs in person then I recommend the new book, David Hicks: A Life of Design by his son Ashley Hicks."
—Habitually Chic 
 
"[A]n intimate portrait of the ultimate designer...a technicolor biography..."
—Design New England

About the Author

Ashley Hicks is a designer of interiors, furniture, carpet, and fabric. He has designed private homes in the U.K., New York, Italy, and Switzerland, as well as retail stores for his wife, Allegra Hicks, in London and New York. He lives in London.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli (October 20, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847833305
• ISBN-13: 978-0847833306
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 1.4 x 12.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #319,047 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars biographical, October 29, 2009

By 

Carlos Raffo (Lima, Peru) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: David Hicks: A Life of Design (Hardcover)

This book is more about Hick's life than about his work or style. I am glad I bought it, but expected more: better glossier pictures, bigger pictures instead of so many small ones....I guess it's a book a son would write about the father he admires, but as a reader, I am not interested in his marriage, his private life, etc. For that I could buy a biography. I expected more about his work, better pictures, less about his life.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars david hicks a life of design, November 12, 2009

By 

Jennifer J. Doyle "jd" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: David Hicks: A Life of Design (Hardcover)

many thanks to his wonderful son for writing this book. so much information. just about the best book in a long time

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive, August 4, 2010

By 

Kate Rees (Adelaide, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: David Hicks: A Life of Design (Hardcover)

This a beautiful book on several levels. Ashley Hicks has provided an unsentimental and insightful overview of his father's career and masterfully edited a lifetime of designing and jetsetting into one gloriously rich weighty tome.
The book is layered with personal fragments of Hick's life...family phtographs, cherished heirlooms and notes from his sketchbooks. It really is an intensely readable combination of biography/design history.
Predictably, there are several previously published examples of his work (notably, from "Living with Design"), but this in no way diminishes the relevance of what is on offer here. For anyone interested in this great designer, this book is a must.