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.]

Meet Designer Libby Unwin

We're proud to have Libby Unwin as one of our first World-Class designers. Her work is fresh, bold, and with an inimitable style that is unmistakeably modern.

More of Libby's favorites and her bio statement can be found on her profile page.  She's generously created a few colorways for us that she thinks you'll enjoy.

We recently had a chance to sit down with Libby, and discuss her design influences. We think you'll fall head-over-heels for her work like we have!

What designer has inspired you most and why?
I have loved Abigail Borg's work for quite some time, and really admire that her work is hand-drawn. I get really excited about Patty Young's designs, especially her colorways. It seems like I discover someone new every day - someone who is pushing the bounds of pattern design, someone who is creating work that astounds and inspires me.

Who do your designs appeal to most?
My designs appeal to people looking for something new and versatile, and who are wanting to meld several themes together in one room. I try to leave room for that one extra color, so the pattern can work with other things going on in the same area.

Where do you see yourself, as a designer, in the upcoming year?
I plan to push on my own boundaries: do more hand-drawn work, venture into high-detail designs, create collections of patterns with innovative colorways.

Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
Everywhere! I was watching TV last night, and a baby was in a high chair with dots on the seat. My brain quit watching the show for about 30 seconds while I was rearranging the dots, adding other shapes, sneaking in a very hot pink, mapping out another pattern, and then another, and then another. All from a couple of dots. It's endless! Sometimes I sit down and draw something that's been percolating for awhile; other times I'm drawing with no direction, no ideas, just a pencil.

What is your favorite room in your home/apt. and why?
We just moved into our first house and lately I am obsessed with the living room. I have plans to fill the room with Moroccan-esque colors and fabrics. I love texture and color working together, and of course, patterns. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

What are your favorite colorways and products?  How do you see them being used in people's homes or businesses (like restaurants and hotels)?
Lately, I'm in love with purple, so I think this purrple colorway is gorgeous.

I can see it in an office as wallpaper, and/or as throw pillows in a purple room. Because it's two very versatile colors, the pattern would provide a good backdrop for other accents and decor touches.

I also am drawn to colorways that feel soothing and refreshing at the same time. I would use this colorway as a fabric in a spa's window coverings, in a reading room's lamps, or in an indoor garden's lounging furniture.

The colors are so gentle, but punchy enough to add a "fun" element to the room. Because the colors are earthy, but fresh, you could use rich browns to make the room feel warm and cozy, or add a coral or a blue and make it feel bright and alive.

This lampshade would look killer in my home office.

I've got grass green and bright sky blue with browns and blacks working together. Bright and poppy! I like to see colors bouncing off each other. I love overhead lighting for reading or drawing, and I love the circles in the Stop Drop #4 pattern working with the rounded shade, especially since everything else in the room has very straight lines.

In setting up our dining table last night, I realized I need to make covers for the chairs. The room is gold and red with black dishes, so I am thinking this fabric would look great on the chairs.

I love that on Alluminare's site, I can change the colors of the patterns not only to create new colorways, but even change the pattern itself by using two of the same color. This fabric is Linoak on Seventh with Classic Red on two of the three color options, isolating the small background squares.

Pep up your room with color

Does your room feel drab and uninspired? Plain gray walls are common in modern homes; while you could spice them up with a fresh coat of paint, adding too much color can be dangerous.

According to the 1961 Better Homes and Gardens Decorating Book (one of our favorite Eames-era guides), "A little bit of bright color may look alluring, but on your walls it will just jump at you. The larger the amount, the more intense it will seem.... You're probably be more comfortable and 'at home' with your color scheme if you select soft neutrals or grayed tones for the largest areas in your home -- the walls and the floor."

Where bold, vivid color can best be used is in accent pieces, such as your lighting fixtures. This can add life to your room and help to pull a color scheme together. Bold colors will sharply contrast with the gray wall, emphasizing your lighting as a focal point; if you use them in a pendant over your dining table, your family and guests will be subconsciously pulled to gather around it.

If your room is sunless or the primary source of light during the day is your pendant fixture, add warmth with red and orange; these suggest "the friendliness of a campfire, the warmth of the sun, the natural 'belonging' or rich soil and rock and sand... these colors will give you the same comfortable feeling of warmth and friendliness." If, on the other hand, your room is already sunny, you may want to cool it down with blue and green, the color of water and trees. In either case, don't be afraid to be bold!