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FLOWER JAN• FEB 2022

HOUSE l GARDEN l LIFESTYLE

India Hicks INSIDE THE WEDDING OF A STYLE ICON

A LWAYS &

After 26 years and five children together, India Hicks and her partner, David Flint Wood, were married in a storybook setting surrounded by friends and family By MARGOT SHAW Photography by DAVID LOFTUS

FOR EVER

nown for her work as a lifestyle entrepreneur and philanthropic activist, India Hicks is the granddaughter of Lord Mountbatten; the daughter of the late design icon David Hicks and his bride, Lady Pamela; and the godchild of Prince Charles. In pondering their wedding, India and her partner, David Flint Wood, arrived at a clear and soulful mission statement. “After 15 months of lockdown, with the world upside-down and a future that looks rather turbulent, particularly for my kids who are between the ages of 13 and 24, I wanted to do something very grounding, something very anchoring, something that would feel completely normal and traditional and safe and secure,” she says. “Standing as a family in church and making some lifelong vows seemed the right answer.” India and David envisioned an unfussy affair that would be driven primarily by family considerations. The wedding party included their daughter, Domino, as the chief bridesmaid, along with

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January•February 2022

RIGHT, TOP TO BOTTOM:

Three generations—India’s daughter and chief bridesmaid, Domino; India’s mother, Lady Pamela Hicks; and India—gather before the ceremony for formal portraits. A vintage photo of Lady Pamela’s wedding to interior designer David Hicks includes her bouquet of lilies of the valley from Pulbrook & Gould, the same London floral firm that conceived India’s wedding bouquets. OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: The night before the wedding, India and David welcomed guests for dinner and dancing. One of India’s hosting trademarks is a long, narrow banquet table (which makes for easier conversation) with understated, tailored motifs, such as the hurricane cylinders and candles interspersed among the lush greenery of the table runner. Juliet Bennett of Babylon Flowers, a local and environmentally thoughtful floral designer, foraged greenery and sourced flowers locally for the table and hanging installation. Plant materials for the lush, naturalistic installation included magnolia foliage, hydrangeas, garden roses, and hops. A prenuptial dinner dance in the field adjacent to the couple’s Oxfordshire house, America Farm, set a celebratory tone for the festivities. PREVIOUS SPREAD: India’s wedding bouquet, created by Pulbrook & Gould, included roses (‘Iceberg,’ ‘Winchester Cathedral,’ and ‘Susan’), phlox, Japanese anemones, rosemary, lavender foliage, tuberose, hydrangeas, lisianthus, love-in-a-mist, eucalyptus, abelia, and clematis. Guests celebrated India and David with confetti immediately after the ceremony.

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f l o w e r m a g .c o m

Stylish Sophisticate

With a tight deadline, Atlanta designers Don Easterling and Nina Long took a historic home from dated to dazzling while highlighting its innate architectural beauty By ALICE WELSH DOYLE Photography by LAUREY W. GLENN Floral Design by KIRK WHITFIELD Styled by ELLEN S. PADGETT

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: The bar opens to the family room.

• A bold lantern from Urban Electric brings a modern touch to the antiques-filled foyer. • Don Easterling and Nina Long of Mathews Design Group OPPOSITE: In the bar, Schumacher grass cloth wallpaper offers a textural contrast to the sleek cabinets painted Benjamin Moore’s Newburyport Blue.

Talk about trust. With less than six months

to complete a top-to-bottom makeover of a large historic Atlanta home, these homeowners asked Don Easterling and Nina Long of Mathews Design Group to take the reins, knowing that the pair could pull it off with great aplomb. “They bought this house and wanted to have it ready before the school year started,” says Nina. “That gave Don and me only a short window to make it happen.” Since the designers both had the design prowess to do just that, as well as an existing relationship with the family, they saw the project as an exciting challenge rather than a stressful undertaking. “It was certainly helpful that we had worked with these clients before, so we knew what they liked and how they wanted to live in the house,” says Don. While the homeowners went abroad, the designers rolled up their collective sleeves and got down to business. Fortunately, the house already possessed plenty of character and some f l o w e r m a g .c o m

ABOVE: The main bedroom is a subtle symphony of icy blues and neutrals. Armchairs

and a bench, all from Hickory Chair, offer space for relaxation after a long day. The bedside tables and bed are by Alfonso Marina. LEFT: Original to the house, the Greek key tile floor in the master bath offers timeless appeal. OPPOSITE: With velvet armchairs and a patterned rug, the paneled study conveys a rich tone. The art over the mantel is by Brian Coleman from Anne Irwin Fine Art.

custom settee with decorative fringe serves as an ideal place to hang out during meal preparations or to linger over morning coffee. For the bar, the designers went bold with glossy blue cabinets and soapstone countertops. “We were channeling a little Miles Redd by infusing this striking color in an unexpected, small space,” says Nina. “It draws people in, which you want when entertaining.” The large living room reveals a more subdued yet still engaging mood, with various seating areas to bring down the scale of the room. “We wanted it to seem cozy but still be usable for a crowd,” says Don. “You can comfortably welcome

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January•February 2022

30-plus people in the space and not feel crowded.” The soft green wall color provides a quiet backdrop for the art, along with a bold chandelier and a gold Asian-inspired mirror over the mantel. Hits of blue in pillows, lamps, and cocooning armchairs unite the room with the others on the main floor. The vibe throughout the interiors is thoughtful, stylish, and collected. Only those privy to the process would ever suspect that this well-appointed home was designed, updated, and installed in less than six months, all of which speaks volumes for this dynamic design duo. For more information, see Sources, page 68

Celebrating Camellias Designer James Farmer hosts a luncheon every year to honor the women who raised him on the birthday they all shared. Their favorite flower, the camellia, is the featured guest. By LYDIA SOMERVILLE Photography by EMILY FOLLOWILL

‘Frank Houser’ camellias are one of James Farmer’s favorite varieties and feature prominently in a pair of tulipieres on the chinoiserie sideboard (opposite), as well as in a silver bowl on the living room coffee table.