Repost: First Posted to All the Best Blog in 2011 —
It is difficult to pigeonhole Nicky Haslam; both the man and the designer. And, having now met him, my guess is that he likes it that way. Nicky's legacy, talent and influence as one of Britain’s ultimate interior designers is undeniable. Not to mention, in his spare time he is an actor, artist, cabaret singer, book reviewer, art editor, memoirist, literary editor and he features on both Vanity Fair and GQ’s best-dressed lists.
Possessing a conspicuous flair and an inherent aesthetic, Nicky has been casting a spell on the design cognoscenti since 1972, when he first started practicing as an interior designer. In the late 1980’s he founded his London-based architectural and design firm, NH Design.
Nicky, along with his Creative Director Colette van den Thillart, has designed projects all over the world including London, New York, Morocco, New Orleans, Denmark, Montreal, Barbados, St Jean Cap Ferrat, Monaco and Moscow, Klosters, Grasse, Mallorca, Los Angeles and Paris.
Q&A with Nicky Haslam
How would you describe your personal style?
Scintillating, Unlaborious, Unlaboured
What is your most prized possession?
A fan letter from Nancy Lancaster
What is your idea of earthly happiness?
Keeping one's figure
What is the one thing in life you cannot live without?
White peaches
What is your favorite luxury in life?
Being able to sleep easily and listening to Lee Wiley
Past or present, who has most influenced your direction in life?
Simon Fleet, Diana Vreeland, Diana Cooper and Colette van den Thillart, my Creative Director at NH Design
What inspires your creativity and designs?
Travel and lying in bed thinking
Who are your style icons?
Madame du Barry, Emilio Terry and Jean-Charles Delafosse
Who would you most like to collaborate with on a project?
Cy Twombly and John Richardson, the art historian who wrote all the Picasso books
What books are currently on your bedside table?
Wait for Me! by Deborah Devonshire
Honky Tonk Parade by John Lahr
What to Look for in Winter by Candia McWilliam
My own autobiography Redeeming Features
Profile by Ronda Carman | Portrait of Nicky Haslam by Christopher Pledger
All other imgaes from Designers at Home by Ronda Carman (Rizzoli) - Photographer Simon Upton
A Designer’s Life by Nicky Haslam is out now Rizzoli $55