Designer And Author India Hicks Shares Her Favourite Haunts For Buying Homewares
Designer, style icon, entrepreneur and author India Hicks opens her little black book …
The greatest lesson my father, interior decorator David Hicks, taught me about style? When I was a child, he wrote something in my little autograph book that has stayed with me all my life: good taste and design are by no means dependent upon money. I think about that surprisingly often.
The most treasured object in my home is … My father always said that if the house were on fire, he would grab his scrapbooks first and the family bible second. For me, it would be the little Ukrainian motanka doll necklace I was given in Ukraine, a small symbol of protection that now carries much more meaning than when I was first given it.
My favourite city is … London. I always return to it with fresh eyes and there is always something new happening. I’m involved with a new club on Charles Street, which is going to be very beautiful.
The interiors store I could happily lose an afternoon in … Hudson Grace in New York where you’ll find black church candles and beautifully simple household things – proof that almost anything can be made desirable if someone has edited it properly.
The designer whose work I admire … Ralph Lauren. He understood long before most people that you weren’t simply designing clothes; you were creating an entire way of life.
The restaurant I recommend without hesitation … Bar Finch in London’s Mayfair is polished but not stiff, with a distinctly transatlantic glamour.
My preferred weekend escape … The English countryside with dogs, muddy boots, a fire, card games, a lot of chocolate biscuits and people I love.
My favourite place to buy a gift … Abask, a beautifully edited rabbit hole of extraordinary makers, craftspeople and objects from all over the world.
The market that left the biggest impression on me … Wallingford Antiques Arcade. You can come home with a beautiful third-hand Wedgwood teacup or some medieval armour.
The hotel that completely won me over … Urso in Madrid. High ceilings, beautiful old bones, an antique lift, rooms that feel more like elegant apartments and a swimming pool hidden away underground.
The independent fashion boutique I always make time for … TWP store on Bruton Street, London. What makes the space particularly interesting is the collaboration with Lisa Perry’s Onna House, where works by women artists and designers sit alongside the fashion. I love the idea that you might go in looking for a jacket and come out having discovered a female artist you had never heard of before.
TO READ: India Hicks:Entertaining With A Side Of Chaos, Rizzoli, €44.
READ MORE: Time To Retreat: Restorative Retreats At Home And Abroad
