Tabulous Design

Tabulous Tastemaker: David Nightingale Hicks

March 25, 2015

By Tab Byrum

Use of bold color, mixing antiques with modern furnishings and using contemporary art, these are just some of the hallmarks of famed British interior designer David Hicks. Born on this day in 1929, Hicks is most well known for his design work but also lived his life in the spotlight royalty adjacent, Hicks was married to Lady Pamela Mountbatten, a first cousin to Prince Philip and a great-great granddaughter of Queen Victoria. David Hicks began his creative work designing cereal boxes for an advertising agency in London and gained his first fame for interior decorating in 1954 when a British design magazine featured the apartment he had decorated for his mother and himself.

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Hicks went on to gain more fame for his design work when he partnered up with a restauranteur, Hicks would design and decorate the interior and his partner took care of the restaurant part of the business. David Hicks had many well known clients, from royalty to captains of industry and Hollywood types.

March 15, 2016

By Tab Byrum

I have to admit something, I may have a crush on today’s blog subject, India Hicks. Hicks was our second keynote speaker last Monday at Design Bloggers Conference and she was amazing, she was very easy to listen to and she told stories and spun tales of her life of growing up in England as an extended member of the Royal Family and her life today as a mother of 5 living on a “secret” island in the Caribbean. India Hicks is the daughter of Lady Pamela Mountbatten and designer David Hicks and the granddaughter of Lord Louis Mountbatten.

During her talk, Hicks shared photos with us of the English home she grew up in as well as the secluded island she calls home today. As the daughter of a world famous designer she was always surrounded by beautiful things and colors and today she has taken those life experiences and funneled them into her new business venture, India Hicks Collection of London & Harbour Island, a company that specializes in beautiful luxury goods but does it all through direct sales where the merchandise is brought to your home, you host a party and invite your friends.

February 1, 2017

By Tab Byrum

I honestly can’t believe today is February 1st, we are living in a crazy, crazy world right now and the days are flying by. Of course, when February arrives we all begin to think about Valentine’s day and one of the most fun and bright color combinations is used around this holiday, Red and Pink. If you’ve read the blog for long you know red is one of my favorite colors, it’s just a fun, bright color and can be used with so many other colors to create great looks. I also like pink and while I don’t really have a lot of pink in my own home I do like wearing a nice pink shirt, most everyone seems to look good in pink. I have done some decorating with pink for clients over the years, mostly having to do with little girls, but pink is a color that can be very sophisticated when used in the right way and amounts and that’s what we’re going to look at today. Red and Pink combine for a very sophisticated and at the same time fun look, you get the drama of red and cheeriness of pink, that’s enough talk about it let’s take a look. Enjoy!!! (above image via)

June 22, 2018

By Tab Byrum

I was just in New York City last week on a trip with friends and because of that, I’ve been focused on all things New York. I’ve always said if I won the lottery and had unlimited funds I would have a place in NYC, a place to call my own in the Big Apple and not have to worry about hotel reservations ever again. I love looking at the apartments and townhouses of people who live in NYC and of course, many celebrities are more than willing to open their doors to newspapers and magazines like Architectural Digest, the place today where we get a tour of Brooke Shields’ beautiful townhouse. The home was originally built in 1910 and by the time Shields and her husband purchased the home she says it needed a complete gut job. Shields ended up using an NYC architectural firm to redesign and update the home and turned to a friend to help with the decoration. She asked David Flint Wood, partner of designer India Hicks, to help make the home as beautiful and comfortable as the Caribbean getaway where he and Hicks lived. Today the townhouse is a direct reflection of Brooke Shields’ life and work with antiques that had been in storage now being used and loved. Shields’ mother, Terri, was a great collector and often visited flea markets, Brooke has managed to incorporate a lot of her mother’s finds from over the years in her home. Join me today for a tour of Brooke Shields’ beautiful home and Enjoy!!!