Sofa by David Hicks, 1969

Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale one of two, very rare and important original 1969 David Hicks Paire De Canapes, Vers sofas in the original ticking fabric . What a find! These are the finest quality, rivalled only to the original Howard & Son's in my opinion, they are simply put the most comfortable and stylish sofas you will ever sit on The sofa retains all the original features, the coil sprung base, the factory ticking fabric all over, the hessian base cover, feather filled cushions and so on, these will be the most original examples anywhere in the world for sale today This sofa is a must have for any fine English furniture connoisseur, it screams country house style charm and charisma. Howard & Son’s are simply put the finest chair makers in history, the Queen even has a private collection. Condition wise, considering the fabric is 54 years old and a light colour, its actually pretty exceptional, there are some light general discoloration marks all over and very lightly frayed around the edges, honestly for the age though these are classed as super fine order! David Nightingale Hicks, the great English decorator, started his career in interior design in 1954, after his mother’s London house was successfully publicised in House & Garden magazine. He became the most wanted interior designer in London immediately after and revolutionised interior design in the 60s and 70s. Without doubt, he was the most famous British designer of his day and probably is still today. He was the rebellious prince of English decor, who broke away from the traditional English style with his bold geometric prints, adventurous colour combinations and eclectic mix of antique and contemporary furnishings. In his own words, “ (his) greatest contribution as an interior designer has been to show people how to use bold color mixtures, how to use patterned carpets, how to light rooms, and how to mix old with new.” The English were blown away by his unexpected and quirky look and his daring style became associated with modernity and fun-loving hedonism, also-known-as the ‘Swinging Sixties’. No wallpaper, fabric or rug was good enough for Hicks’s taste so he started designing and producing his own products, all of which stayed iconic until this day. 16 years after his debut, he became one of the most famous and sought after interior designers in the world and opened offices and boutiques in eight different countries. One of his speciality was bedroom interiors with his unique and spectacular canopy beds. As opposed to traditional canopy beds with bedposts, Hicks’s bed canopy and curtains were attached directly to the ceiling, resulting in interior masterpieces. He crowned his masterpieces with strong colour combinations and bold patterns, solidifying the Hicks look throughout the house. He advocated “the more shades of a particular colour you put together the better the result will be” and proved his point with many successful design projects over the years including the Long Room at his own house in Oxford. In addition to his undeniable talent, he had a massive ego and self-confidence, to the point that he revealed his favourite decorator was himself - can anyone blame him? I mean he is still one of the greatest interior decorators and his patterned rugs and fabrics are still going strong today. Fun fact: He worked as an art teacher in the British army before starting his career in interior design and he was the one who introduced the term ‘tablescapes’ - carefully arranged compositions of objects and artworks. Sofa dimensions Height:- 82cm Width:- 183.5cm Depth:- 95cm Please note all measurements are taken at the widest point, if you would like any additional or specific measurements please ask .Condition Please view the very detailed pictures as they form part of the around condition Please note vintage period and original items such as leather seating will always have natural patina in the form of cracking creasing and wear, we recommend regular waxing to ensure no moisture is lost, also hand dyed leather is not recommended to sit in direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time as it will dry out and fade.