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One of the (many) great design books released this fall is aptly called More Beautiful and showcases the work of Los Angeles-based decorator Mark D. Sikes. Highly anticipated and well received, it continues the story of Sikes’ first book, Beautiful, published in 2016. With less text and more images to study, the book is a published catalogue of Sikes’ most recent and relevant projects. It was published by Rizzoli, with photography by Amy Neunsinger. Let’s have a peek!
The launch of the book coincides with the 10th anniversary of Mark D. Sikes’ firm and is a very fitting display of the designer’s growth and style evolution. The range is definitely greater than in his previous book, which was dedicated almost entirely to traditionally-flavored interiors. However, this only increases its appeal, making it interesting to a vaster audience.
There’s a lot to take in and the decor varies greatly – from mid-century modern to country farms, traditional beach houses and Spanish colonial cottages – but the common thread is beauty expressed through color, pattern and great furnishings. Most of the projects featured are an ode to that Californian lifestyle we all love so much – homes and rooms with a strong indoor-outdoor connection that hint to clear blue skies and sandy beaches nearby. Correspondingly, the surroundings permeate Sikes’ color palettes. There is a lot of blue and white, sand, beige and taupe, each time interpreted with a fresh, contemporary lens.
Overall, I love this book and highly recommend it to anyone interested in looking at beautiful rooms that have the ability to instantly transport us, from Alabama to the Golden Coast. If you haven’t gotten it already, More Beautiful is currently on sale on Amazon, available here. His first book, Beautiful, also on sale here, remains one of the most hardworking volumes in my design library.
I really liked his first book much better. Thought the second book was very over decorated and styled…..too many prints, plates on the wall, etc.
Author
Hi, Kris! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment! xo, Eva
With a few notable exceptions, I liked the projects featured in his first book much better. I prefer his “signature style” – floral and striped fabrics, blue and green, wicker, traditional furniture, blue and white porcelain, etc. He did “pretty” so well.
Author
Thanks so much for commenting! I think Mark Sikes has definitely set the bar very high with his first book and the fact that his decorating style has evolved to include more modern elements (which I’m sure reflects the taste of his LA clientele) may be surprising to some. I personally found his second book equally valuable because it shows interesting ways to mix modern and traditional elements. What I did not like was the lack of personal objects, but this is not a critique of his designs. Magazine shoots always hire a photographer and a really good STYLIST to create a narrative that will appeal to their readers. So the job of the stylist, often under appreciated, is supremely important. He or she brings to life pristine interiors that no one has lived in before, and makes them feel personal, warm and lived-in…
xo, Eva
More beautiful photos of Mark Sikes’ work there. Warm winter rooms are so comforting, but now that we live near the coast, I gravitate to a more summery feel. I’m in the process of working on our dining room. It has taken a while & I’m not there yet. But I have taken much inspiration from the 3rd photo from the top – the white, sand & beige colored living room with natural fibers. So, maybe I’m not totally messing up? Thank you for the motivation to keepgoing, Eva!
Author
Hi Cindy,
Thank you so much for your kind comments, and good luck with decorating your dining room! I’m sure it will be beautiful…
xo, Eva
I agree with Kris – I much preferred his first book. Sikes does blue and white best – his other attempts are not so successful. And the traditional look just always works. I do get the sense in this second book that he’s jumping on the mid-century bandwagon to acquire more clients. Personally, I loathe mid-century modern with a passion – ugly, uncomfortable and cheap-looking. And to a European eye, accustomed to real antiques, all those over-shiny reproduction pieces really spoil some of the interiors. Furthermore, why would the master of blue and white do such bland rooms? There are a couple that are really unattractive – the all-white one and the “family room” with not one personal item in it, for example. So all in all, I found this book a bit of a let-down, although of course there are some lovely rooms – like the Kips Bay bedroom, which is gorgeous!
Author
Hi, Toby!
Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting. I do believe that Mark Sikes set the bar really high with his first book and it was going to be very hard to top its massive success. Personally, I love what he did with his second book, but I think the styling of some of the photographs could have been better, resulting in images that are less pristine and more warm and lived-in.
xo, Eva