AD PRO - Mark D. Sikes’s Manual for Success

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AD100 interior designer Mark D. Sikes has his signatures—timeless blue-and-white palettes, natural fiber rugs, and of course, a classic stripe. But the well-established routines within his Los Angeles–based firm deserve just as much attention. On the cusp of the release of this third monograph with Rizzoli, the interior designer shares an inside look at the well-oiled machine that powers the world of Mark D. Sikes—design studio, fashion label, product lines, and books included. Consider it your manual to success.

—Mel Studach, Senior Editor, AD PRO

Behind the Design

Mel Studach: Your third book, Forever Beautiful, is now available for pre-order. When comparing it to your first two, how have you seen your work evolve?

Mark D. Sikes: Lots of the things from the very beginning have been consistent. I’ve lived in different places, and that’s reflected in our work across the board. I grew up in the Midwest, and I think [the region] really understands what a home feels like—the sense of feeling welcome, comfortable, at ease. Then I lived in the South, where there is more of a concentration on the interiors themselves, on traditions, entertaining, gardening. The finer aspects of living. Now, having been in California for 25 years, there’s this ease of indoor-outdoor living and a little bit of the bohemian. You combine all of those experiences, and I think that really defines our work, within the nutshell of being timeless, classic, and all-American beautiful. Over the years, there’s more of an artisanal and customization aspect to our work that you'll see in this book. Each project tells the story of the house and the client’s individual identity and authenticity.

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