Design Inspiration: India Hicks

With most of the U.S. covered in mid-January gray gloom, it's time to start thinking about something a lot more fun: the beach! This time of year, as the "resort" bikinis make their way onto racks at the store, visions of Caribbean jaunts, complete with sunny days and balmy evenings dance in our heads.

We want a pina colada.

This is also the time of year when we look around our houses and think, "Why can't I be more like India Hicks?" Hicks, the host of Bravo's Top Design, creative collaborator with Crabtree and Evelyn, young mom, and former model, is the embodiment of cool, beachy style. The daughter of celebrated designer, David Hicks, India has twisted her dad's style a bit to make it her own, outfitting her Harbour Island, Bahamas home with lots of white, plus splashes of color and patter. She mixes comfortable furniture with heirloom pieces and her one concession to living a the beach is wood floors.

In short, she's great design inspiration, especially during the gray days of winter.

This shot of Hicks' Harbour Island living room shows off her commitment to white mixed with interesting pieces and little shots of pattern. We love those chairs in the back of the room on the left. They provide just the right amount of action in a mostly serene room.

In our own houses, we like the idea of simple chairs, covered in a fun, but understated fabric, like Giraffe in Chocolate and Sand Dollar:

In one corner of the room, Hicks added a bright pink chair. We love the way it contrasts with the lime green plant life (we love that dog, too!) and the shot of color it adds to the space.

At home, it's easy to add that shot of color with throw pillows. We love the Maven pillow in Cream, Pink Berry, Classic Pink, and Tutu:

We love the sunny pink color - it always makes us happy!

In the bedroom, Hicks continues the serene, beachy palate with white linens, white accessories, and a pretty upholstered headboard. We love the addition of bright red flowers, too. Wouldn't they be great to see first thing in the morning?

That gorgeous headboard might be out of our league, but we'd create the same feel with accessories, like the Pamda pendant in Ochre and White. The clean pattern is calming and the simple colors are all about the sandy beach.

We're still waiting for India Hicks' personal invitation to visit her family on Harbour Island. Until that day comes, we'll relax ourselves by incorporating bits of her style into our own homes.

[Photo credits: Hicks home: Domino magazine courtesy of Mimi and Meg. Fabric, lamp, and pillow from Alluminare.]

How to Go Crazy with Patterns

Occasionally, when I'm feeling sentimental, I'll dig deep in my my pile of home magazines to read something from the past. Last week, I ran across an issue of the late, oh-so-great magazine Domino from February 2008.

What were we dreaming about just two years ago? Lots of stuff we're still dreaming about, actually - like exuberant color and energizing patterns.

One of the better features from the magazine was a profile of three rooms, each covered head-to-toe in an aggressive pattern. The rooms were accompanied by a few tips on how to decorate with serious patterns without overwhelming.

The room at the top right, covered in Vivienne Westwood-inspired red and white wallpaper and matching black and white upholstery, is in the London town house of lingerie magnate Serena Rees (she owns Agent Provacateur). Rees' advice for decorating with pattern? "I just keep adding, adding, adding!" She explains that when the room was wallpapered and filled only with furniture in the same pattern, it felt hard, but with the addition of a couple of rugs, it evolved into an unusual sort of calm chaos.

If you like the look, why not try it with Pearl District fabric and wallpaper in Classic Red and White:

On the much more feminine side, Domino contributing style editor Chassie Post went wild for butterflies in a Manhattan loft. She covered the walls (and doors) with a busy butterfly wallpaper, then topped that with large artwork. On the advice of her childhood friend Miles Redd (also a favorite designer of ours) she also painted the floor and ceiling a delicate robins-egg blue, offering a bit of a respite from the pattern:Her advice is this, "If you are using a small pattern, consider the background carefully, because that dominates. The white behind the butterflies is calming - purple would have really changed the feeling."

She's right. We also love how she balanced the busy, sweet pattern with accessories in black and white geometric patterns, like her fabulous zig-zag rug. We'd add a pillow or two into the mix - maybe the Linoak on Second pillow in Cream, Black, and Hampton Blue:

The third space featured is the animal print haven of LA decorator Mary McDonald. She's outfitted her home in floor-to-ceiling leopard. The tiny print covers the walls, the curtains, the furniture -everything. With small spots and gradual variations in color, the print is positively hypnotic.

McDonald says that one of her big design influences is Scarlett O'Hara - she loves how the character would "get knocked down, get up and just keep trying." She points to Scarlett in her own home, saying she's still got plans for the ceiling, and to paint some cream-colored columns ebony so they sink into the background a bit more. She recommends that no matter what, you just keep going!

We love animal prints and would like to see a room designed around this Flinstones-meets-Rock Star pendant in Sand Dollar, Chocolate, and Croissant Tiger:

Of course, every space, every pattern, and every personality require slightly different treatment. How do you go crazy with patterns? Any tips?

[Photo credits: Rooms from Domino magazine (February 2008). Fabric, pillow, and lamp from Alluminare.]

What's New at Alluminare

1. We've brought down our ship times. Our longest ship time was once up to 6 weeks for items fabricated from custom fabrics.  Now, due to major adjustments in our processes, our longest lead time is now 4 weeks from start to finish.

2. We've updated our home page with a smashing new design.  We've given it a brighter look and more dramatic style.  You can preview new colors and patterns right there on the home page in room views!  (Your saved and recently viewed items did, however, move down the page a tad.)  We do nearly all development in-house, so it was a fun project for us all to take on!

3. We added a color browser on the home page.  One click, and  you can browse all of our custom patterns by color, then once you've found a pattern you love, you can view all products in that pattern and color combination.  

4. And finally, we have updated our phone system. In short, we've made it easier to give us a call - our staff is small and well-versed in our products.  So while you may need to leave a message because we're busy working with other customers, we will call you back straight away and can help in detail.