A whirlwind design tour of Oxfordshire

Unimaginable fun! We were welcomed into India Hicks warm and stunning home, America Farm, where I learned some new design tips- like it’s perfectly appropriate to place a photo of your Godfather in your Bahamian loo (only if it’s Prince Charles).  I gushed mouth agape over the preserved Royal bridesmaids dresses (India was Princess Diana’s, her Mum was Queen Elizabeth’s) and marveled over the original Federal style eagle base console table and the Louis XVI swan chairs, the perfectly placed tablescapes (David Hicks would be proud!), and the antique paintings of Mountbatten relatives.

We later enjoyed afternoon tea in a whimsical tent outside India’s gracious Mum, Lady Pamela Hicks home.  She regaled us with stories of her time spent with Ghandi and Cornelius Vanderbilt (among other witty gems!).  We toured the inside of David Hicks red library and Lady P’s robin’s egg Wedgewood room.

A wonderful tour of The Grove gardens by Ashley Hicks followed, who told many captivating stories about his famed designer father, David. We ended the night at Lord Nelson Pub, across from the cemetery where David is buried. It was an overwhelming day of design and history.