Customer Reviews

India Hicks Island Life

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am very interested in both the tropics and interiors, so could not believe my good luck in finding this book. It illustrates perfectly a timeless elegance in the islands and has been well written, with a charming personal touch.

I enjoyed this book because it was full of accessible and affordable ideas, unlike so many interiors in magazines and design books that require you to be a millionaire before you begin to try and copy some of the ideas.

The cover was very appealing. First impressions etc;. The inside photos even more so. The writing however sounded like the ramblings of a spoiled child living in an unreachable reality sometimes and at other times, the snobbery of an aristocracy only appreciated in the mind of the writer and those who really believe that paradise can only be created by the writer.

I live in the Bahamas and so yes I have a paradise of my own, but does anyone really care about 'my personal paradise' so much that they would read about it. I think not. The thing that makes simple beauty, well simply beautiful is simply leaving it alone.

Final thot; Nice to look at.....PERIOD.

other books I own - CARIBBEAN STYLE; CARIBBEAN ELEGANCE; ISLAND STYLE.

I'm an interior design student and am working on building up the library in my home studio. I purchased this book because of India Hicks' reputation and because I was looking for some inspiration for Colonial Island style for a home I'm working on. While the photos are beautiful, there are very few of actual home interiors. I would reccomend it as a good photography book that captures a beautiful Carribean spirit, but that's it.

I saw India Hicks on Larry King, so I got this book. Unfortunately, her decorating and style sense is a lot more dull than her personal life as a member of England's royal family. The island mood comes through in this book but the photos could have been taken ten or twenty years ago. I assumed the book would feature something newer.

I couldn't wait to get this, and now I'm sorry I wasted my money on it. There are no new ideas here, and the book is simply dull. Given India Hicks' pedigree, I expected more spark and flair than this.

I bought this book hoping it was the same book about island homes that I enjoyed so much at a house I rented on Maui. WRONG. Photo after photo of white bedrooms, white dining rooms, white living rooms with model sailboats with white sails and white shells in shadow boxes, white walls, white paintings. Some photos of the white houses from outside show grass and green palms. The Hicks' office has RED walls (oooh so daring).

Somewhere there must be an outside place for guests to scrub themselves with very strong soap and change in to a white bathrobe before entering the house. If you visit, be prepared for all white food.

Gets my vote for "Most Boring Decorating Book Ever" award.

I found this book an absolute dream. The pictures are superb and the text is so unpretentious and simple. I loved the way the family has created such a simple and beautiful house (or houses) unlike so many of the gaudy mansions of the rich that inhabit the Bahamas.
I have visited Harbor Island and the lifestyle appears so slow and easy that it really appears to be a paradise. India points out though that there is a price to be paid. The climate does make it difficult to maintain property.
In summary, I loved the book, the words and the pictures and I read it from cover to cover in a little under two days. It left we wanting a simpler, more balanced life and sunshine!

Island Life bring you fantastic, inspiring ideas to create an environment that is tranquil, calming, soothing, along with outstanding ideas to incorporate the serenity and soothing interiors into your own home, inn, and even for a unique and tranquil office design.

Over 200 fantastic photos are worth the price of this book alone. If you are looking to re-do your interior to bring balance, harmony, and beauty into your surroundings, then this book is the one to get. It is a truly breathtaking book , and will help you enliven your environment. Highly Recommended! Barbara Rose, author of `Individual Power' and `If God Was Like Man'

Got this book today. My expectation was high since I saw the images online beforehand. Unfortunately I got this book almost a decade late. The images looks a little dated. There are good elements of design and ideas to inspire, however due to the poor quality of the printing, the images looks faded. Its not a bad buy maybe its about time for a new version of india's projects compiled in a new book.