David Hicks- On Flower Arranging

Some of you may not realize that David Hicks was not just an accomplished decorator; he was in fact a keen gardener too. Hicks was an authority on many matters pertaining to design and decoration (perhaps at times a self-proclaimed authority?), so it's no surprise that Hicks had strong opinions on flower arranging. In fact, he wrote a book on the subject: The David Hicks Book of Flower Arranging.

In the book , Hicks suggests arranging flowers in a bit of a haphazard way. That way, it keeps the arrangement from looking too hard or forced. In terms of color, Hicks liked to use bright pink and orange flowers in a beige or neutral room. And should you choose to create a dried arrangement, make sure to use a mass of dried flowers rather than a few stems. Just a few tidbits of David Hicks wisdom.

But really, when it comes to flowers, a picture is worth a thousand words. Here are a few of the more striking images from the book.

Striking Tablescapes II

Aren't weekends a great time to rearrange your tchotchkes and bibelots? Of course, you could also rearrange the furniture, but that's an awful lot of heavy lifting! So, in honor of today being Friday, here are some terrific tablescapes that might inspire you to fluff away the weekend. (Does anyone else regret that the word "tablescape" has been adopted by Sandra Lee from the Food Network?)

(You may also be interested in Striking Tablescapes I)

A classical tablescape designed for a New York apartment by David Netto


A chic, steel gray tableau designed by Barclay Fryery


A bar is perfect for weekend tablescaping! Design by Joe Nye.

Image at top: No post on tablescapes would be complete without a vignette from the maestro himself David Hicks.

Captivating Color

Continuing with the color theme.... Today's post is all about riotous red, pulsating pink, and outrageous orange. If you really want to make a statement in your rooms, these are your go-to colors. You can go as bold or as subtle as you want- if you're afraid of fuschia, then why not go for a ballet slipper pink? Does bright orange give you hives? Then perhaps you should steer toward a terra-cotta shade. Whatever your preference, these three colors are beautiful ways in which to bring some sizzle to your home.

The photo at top is of the New York apartment of legendary decorator Mark Hampton and his wife Duane. While the room is quite evocative of that time, I do think the vivid red outlined in bright pink is quite striking. (Note: in my original version of this post I incorrectly stated that David Hicks had decorated this apartment, but an eagle-eyed reader told me that Hampton had in fact decorated this apartment in 1968. Thank you poster for correcting me!).




This entryway in Sheila Bridges' apartment is a bold statement in clear, bright orange (photo courtesy of New York Social Diary)


This living room, decorated by Miles Redd, is a "subtler" shade of orange, which is perfect for this traditional apartment.


Miles Redd's living room in a deeper shade of pink- very cosmopolitan.


OK- so this is not someone's home. It's a shot of Chapman Radcliff, the shop owned by Ruthie Sommers. This is a very feminine shade of pink.


Shiny, bright lacquered red! I love this room by Barbara Uzielli. Yes, it's very traditional, but the shiny red makes everything seem slicker, so to speak! (photo courtesy of New York Social Diary)

A Well-Stocked Bar

I love glamorous bars in a home, and I'm not talking about a small tray with a few bottles of liquor laid out on it. I like a bar that is both well-thought out and well-laid out. There are so many fun things you can add to your bar: a nice variety of liquor, a great array of mixers (Canada Dry or Schweppes anyone?), beautiful glassware, and chic bar tools. Of course a bar should first be utilitarian, but the "look" of it is important too. Perhaps that is why so many designers choose to put out glass bottles of Coke on the bar rather than plastic ones! While it may not always be practical to give up precious real estate in a house to a bar, they can be a sign to your guests that they're in store for a fun evening! (For ideas on bar tools and accessories, see my post "Glamorous Imbibing" from last year.)


Miles Redd's stylish bar in his Manhattan home (image courtesy of House and Garden, Sept. 04)


Eugenie Niven designed this apartment for her father, who is the son of actor David Niven. The photo of David Niven on the bar is quite apropos (image courtesy of House Beautiful).


Dining room with bar in the Paris home of Mathilde Agostinelli, designed by Jacques Grange (image courtesy of House Beautiful, Sept. 02)

Image at top of the "ultimate" home bar by David Hicks

Striking Tablescapes

Creating the perfect tablescape can be a difficult task. It takes a certain amount of skill to create the "right mix" of objects. There are many things you need to take into consideration when creating a tablescape: Do you have objects of varying height? Do you have a mix of colors that is pleasing to the eye? Is there visual interest in your combination of accessories?

The godfather of tablescapes was of course David Hicks. In fact, it was Hicks who coined the term "tablescape". Hicks was a master of the art of arranging. His tableaux usually included interesting flowers, artifacts, and bits of his collections. Below are a few photos of tablescapes that I find to be pretty close to perfection!


Tablescape by David Hicks

Design by Anne Coyle Interiors

Design by David Netto

Design by Miles Redd

(Tablescape at top by David Hicks)

Geometric Print Rugs

If you're looking for a geometric print rug that is a little tamer than those David Hicks patterns, you may want to consider one from Elson & Company. The company, which weaves Tibetan and dhurrie rugs, has a very sophisticated collection of rugs. The colors tend to be soft, and the patterns are not at all jarring. What is most exciting, though, is that Oscar de la Renta and Lulu de Kwiatkowski have both designed rugs for Elson. And for those of you who adore Lulu DK's "Chant" (myself included), you can now purchase a rug in this pattern (see image above)!

"Madison" in Sky by Lulu DK

"Manisalez" Dhurrie by Oscar de la Renta

"Pasajes Blu" Dhurrie by Oscar de la Renta

"Caceres" Tibetan by Oscar de la Renta

(All images courtesy of Elson & Company)

Design Your Wall

The new issue of Domino refers to a website called designyourwall.com. This online wallpaper site sells a wide variety of traditional and contemporary wallcoverings. It appears to be a great source for moderately priced wallpaper. I've found a few patterns that are reminiscent of those of some higher-end lines. Of course the proof is in the pudding, and I haven't seen any of their papers in person. You can, however, order samples which would be highly advisable if you're ready to take the plunge.

Yesterday's New York Times mentioned that flocked wallpaper is making a comeback. Personally, I'm not crazy about flocked wallpaper, but this site has many options, such as this black damask on silver background paper.


This purple Royal Damask Wallpaper is a digital design wallpaper designed by David Wien of Vermont. It comes in purple, green, red, and white colorways.


For a little bit of David Hicks style, this Honeycomb wallpaper just might do the trick.

This Blue Bird wallpaper is a little reminiscent of that great de Gournay wallcovering, don't you think?

Bamboo prints might be ubiquitous (although I adore them), but here's one that's silver mylar on a white background. A little disco chinoiserie?

(All photos courtesy of designyourwall.com)

Classic Carpet

Have you ever noticed that there are design elements that pop up over and over in interior decoration? Certain books ("Cabinet of Natural Curiosities" and "Best of Flair" ), fabrics (Lulu DK's "Chant" and Clarence House's "Tigre Velours") and furniture (Frances Elkin's Loop Chairs and Billy Baldwin slipper chairs) have all joined the pantheon of classic design.

There are also classic carpet patterns, too, that are favored by many decorators. One such pattern (and also one of my favorites) is "Antelope" by Stark Carpet. The combination of the subtle animal print and the neutral colors makes it a winner. Todd Alexander Romano learned about the pattern from C.Z. Guest, who told him it was perfect for hiding muddy paw prints.

Room by Todd Alexander Romano



Room by Jan Showers

Leopard print carpet is another classic. Stark makes a great one, although other carpet companies have leopard prints as well. Makes me think of Elsie de Wolfe!

Worn leopard print in C.Z. Guest's estate.

And finally, no post about carpet would be complete without including David Hick's designs (such as those at top). These geometric prints have graced many a floor and are always the focal point of a room.

David Hicks rug in a Steven Gambrel room