Back in the 1960s, most young designers were shopping in the delights of the
newly opened Habitat, where, for the first time, you could buy an array of
contemporary furniture, fabrics, lighting and kitchenware all curated with
design consistency at a reasonable price, thanks to the vision of Terence
Conran.
Terence Conran (centre) in the window of the Tottenham Court Road store in the late 1960's
Meanwhile, other far more seriously well-heeled folk were calling on the
services of one David Hicks,
David Hicks 1928 - 1998
the interior designer to the aristocracy and to the big spenders of the time: Earl Mountbatten, Helena Rubinstein and Douglas Fairbanks Jr., as well as the monarchy. His work was a fusion of classical and modern often set against a backdrop of startling colour.
Above Hicks and a selection of his interior work
David Hicks’ graphic identity was a simple arrangement of the letter H…
This was incorporated into the cover designs of a number of books on his
approach to interior designs, and I think those covers were rather good…
You could also buy the boxed set (above)