The Island of India (Hicks)

Chances are, if you subscribed to Vogue in the ‘90s, you'll recognize India Hicks’ aristocratic face from the many ads she appeared in as a model, most famously for Ralph Lauren. Hicks, the daughter of legendary interior designer David Hicks, granddaughter of the last Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten, and sister to designer Ashley Hicks, who we also wrote about recently, has since left the whirlwind of high fashion. Today, she and her partner, David Flint, live a fairy tale life with their four young children on a small island in the Bahamas.

The gorgeous couple (Flint, too, was a model) built two plantation style guesthouses and refurbished a building from the 1800s, The Landing, which is now a restaurant and hotel, complete with a shop where Hicks sells clothing, bed linens, and eccentricities that she discovers in her travels around the world. She is also a Creative Partner with the beauty brand Crabtree & Evelyn, which whom she has collaborated in the development of two India Hicks signature collections, India Hicks Island Living and India Hicks Island Night.  She’s also the new host of Bravo TV’s reality show “Top Design.” 

Intrigued more than anything else by the dreamy island lifestyle Hicks has chosen for her family and how it has impacted her creatively, we asked her to pick out some eBay treasures that reflect her well-honed design sensibilities.

The Inside Source: What’s a typical day like living on a sun-drenched island?
 

India Hicks: A day on the island starts by waking up to the sounds of my squawking parrot, followed by my noisy children. We get dressed, and then we’re on the golf cart and off to school. I spend the morning working in my seashell pink office on various projects—buying for the shop, completing a book, designing products for Crabtree & Evelyn—then have a quick lunch before collecting the children from school. I help them with homework and then we might go to the beach. We have supper together at the kitchen table; I give them a bath, and then tuck them in for the night. Somewhere in this daily routine, I carve out an hour to run on the 3-mile pink sand beach with my two dogs, Samson and Olympia.  Each night before I go to bed, I gaze at the clear starry sky and appreciate life on the island. 

 

TIS: Did your kids have input into the decor of their rooms?  What kind of suggestions and/or feedback did you get from them?
 

IH: We have always taken as much pleasure in decorating our four children’s bedrooms as our own. We take care not to make them too childish. They have interesting pieces of art on the walls—something inspiring for young eyes. I try to order the chaos as they grow.

TIS: Your father, of course, was a legendary designer. What did your bedroom look like when you were a child?

IH: Designed by David Hicks himself, it was a geometric universe of bright green and pink. Bright green and pink?  Only David Hicks could have thought that up.  I upset my father by insisting on hanging a plastic sign on the door saying ‘Welcome to Miss Messy’s Room.’  Anyone who knows me as an adult would be surprised by this, as I am anal retentive now!

TIS: How did your father's taste influence you as you developed your own aesthetic? 

IH: When my father was offered the chance to build and decorate a house in the Caribbean, he choose to design an Egyptian Mausoleum with a dramatic modern interior, complete with floating ceilings and basins. When I had the same opportunity, I built and designed an entirely classic home in British West Indian style. At first glance, there seems to be little influence. But in fact, everywhere I turn there is a David Hicks influence: antique chairs painted white and upholstered in shocking pink, a library bound in matching papers, tablescapes on every surface, collections of objects gathered together, old mixed with new and the strong belief that good taste and design are by no means dependent upon money. 

 

TIS: Other important design influences?

IH: Travel, experiencing different cultures, and seeing life from a new perspective. I am heavily influenced by my curiosity for the world that surrounds me, whether in the bubble of my backyard or exploring a continent 3,000 miles away. For instance, when designing India Hicks Island Living and India Hicks Island Night for Crabtree & Evelyn, I immersed myself in the creative process, from the formulation of fragrances to the packaging.  I drew upon an eclectic mix of influences: local flora and fauna, natural island wisdoms, materials and craftspeople, and history.

TIS: Do you have any collections?  

IH: I love all sorts of collections. Collections are a wonderful statement, whether it’s a collection of Smythson scrap books filled with photographs or a collection of chagrin boxes. Recently, I hung a collection of Anish Kapoor paintings in my office.

 

TIS: What are you favorite shops or hunting grounds for treasures?

IH: There’s a bizarre collection of vintage, thrift and antique stores in North Miami on 123rd street that I love. And eBay, of course, is the perfect solution to remote island living.

 

India Hicks is lucky enough to luxuriate in the Caribbean year round. By emulating her style, you can create a beach house atmosphere in your home, no matter where you live. Hicks has turned up some island style pieces on eBay and offered us a glimpse of how she uses such elements in her own home.

 

**Photos of India Hicks and her home provided by India Hicks.**

Marni Elyse Katz is a Boston-based writer and editor who covers style, art and design for a variety of publications, including the Boston Globe Magazine, Boston Home and her own blog, Style Carrot.