Monday, January 10, 2011

India Hicks...Island Living inspiration of a more Tropical sort

Needing a tropical-inspired sunny-sky virtual reality break lately.....?
Ah, then, here's an island "tropical-clime getaway" drawn from the pages of India Hicks' book...




India Hicks' interiors are as always, gracious, elegant and "real-life-scaped".

Even her line with Crabtree and Evelyn is oh, so elegantly understated...



Thank you India for being a cheerful inspiration to us all this winter month...

All over the globe there are a myriad of ways in which "island living" is interpreted, imagined and inspired...

...here off the coast of South Carolina, it is a Deep South Coastal-driven "Lowcountry" style that hopefully a few of my blog posts have illustrated somewhat thoroughly for readers in not only decor' and dress descriptives but also history, social setting, gardening, cultural aspects, cuisine and so forth. Out in Hawaii, it is another kind of styling for islanders of course, over off the coast of Scotland, still another rendition and in the Caribbean, still another and so it goes around our world.

I find wonderful inspiration within just about any ole' island I either visit myself or visit virtually via others' experiences, films, books and so forth and one of my favorite ways is to "visit" via a well-written and photographed interior design book.

India Hicks' "Island Life" is one of my all-time favorites and this legendary designer, (descended from another legendary designer as well as English royalty) is as well one of my favorite individuals to see out within the public sphere mainly due to the very casual, laid-back yet still so proper and elegant bearing she exudes. Yes, she's stunningly beautiful, incredibly talented, well-pedigreed and no doubt has advantages to her life galore' and yet... there's a beautiful naturalness and calm to her that fits right on into what us-islanders like to term, "island living" or, "living on island time." Days and nights graced with the tides, starlight and the gentle rustle of palms....at its best of course. Like anything in life as we know it, there's always flip-sides to any shiny copper coin but with her book and the actual life she leads as a residential islander in tropical climes, India Hicks can bring us all some much-needed warmer weather joy as we peruse a few pages from her book, her island house and her life...
India Hicks' well-edited eye reminds us that yes, actually less-is-more when it is rendered from within parameters consisting of: classical styling, scattering around well-loved items many of which are obvious sentimental pieces and family photographs, an indoor-outdoor approach to daily living, graciousness enacted through simple luxuries being available to owners and guests alike, utilizing natural elements within one's decor' and bringing a sunny demeanor into one's atmosphere.
In the previous post, I talked about bringing in more "sunny yellow" into my room, my current situation of convalescing and I must remember that this is also very much a part of what "island living" is all about as well even when it's winter, a wet and gray and cold winter, here off the coast of South Carolina............











6 comments:

  1. India Hicks has a tremendous amount of style, a real tastemaker. Thanks for featuring her, she is not often in the mainstream of "the designer brigade" but as you said so well, is a low key example of classic elegance.
    Thanks.......have a great day.

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  2. You're welcome :) She's one of the few designers whose interiors I feel I could just move right on into...nothing overdone, too-trending or over-thought... I love both the London, etc various projects she's done and definitely this aesthetic of island-style she'd enacted for her family and for this book, other projects.

    Once when I needed a get-away break, I rented a nearby beach condo for a few weeks and stayed out there all by myself...pure biss! It was styled much like Hicks' book with a bit of Bali-inspiration added in from the owner's travels and what a wonderful, simple yet still elegant retreat it was.....

    This winter, I'm thinking sunny-tropical quite a bit eh? But tomorrow I'm going to try to get out and actually drive my car, do an errand and such so hopefully this house-bound recovery's at its end, wheh.

    Best, Lachlan

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  3. My husband gave me her perfume and I really haven't worn it... Maybe I should take another whiff!

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  4. Hey bevy! Please tell me what you think about it when you do wear it... :) I like her Island Living scents but I'm not sure about Island Night just yet; it may have not suited-me when I sprayed it on at a store, hmm. I am such a Floris fan that I don't know what I'll do when my various bottles of it, in different scents of English garden flowers, run out. I purchased some while in England with my late mother years ago and then bought-out what Saks Fifth Ave had of it when that store changed into an "Off Fifth" out on HHI.

    Best to you, Lachlan

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  5. Even though this books 10 years old it still stands the test of time - that's the real beauty, island style never dates. If you like and are inspired by these interiors hop over to my blog where I celebrate island style everyday.

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  6. Hi zoe! I agree...never dated, always classic and always so refreshing :) Some years ago I began collecting what I think are fashion style, decor' style, garden style and general lifestyle classic tomes and it's great how these remain ever-inspiring. I'll definitely hop on over and check out your blog- thanks! :)

    All the best, Lachlan

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