Mark D. Sikes is an esteemed interior designer and taste-master working on projects throughout the United States and abroad. He is known for all-American sensibilities and a fresh take on classical aesthetics. Mark has a talent for creating beautiful and timeless interiors that embody an indoor/outdoor lifestyle. His rooms have been much celebrated, and his work has been featured in numerous magazines and show homes. Mark seeks to create beautiful interiors and, above all, a more beautiful world. Beauty is everywhere. It surrounds us each and every day; all we have to do is to look.
Mark D. Sikes, Chaddock Furniture Designer
Mark, your designs use such powerful color, particularly of your famous blue tones. Where does this inspiration of color come from?
Ever since I can remember, my favorite palettes have been blues and greens. These colors are everywhere around us in nature — the sky, grass, oceans and forests. Inspiration is all around us.
Your portfolio covers a wide range of home products; from custom furniture and fine fabrics and rugs, to lighting and tabletop. Can you give our readers some insight into how you view each of these categories and how they complement one another? Is there one particular product category you like to start with in a room project?
I always look at the environment outside the house. The exterior environment informs the interiors. From there, I start with fabrics. Some designers start with rugs, but for me it will always be fabrics.
Our readers are very interested in how you approach the layering of color, texture, and tone in your rooms. Can you give us some insight on where you like to begin with color, and how you use layering of tones to bring dimension to your rooms?
Something always inspires the color palette whether it’s a hero fabric, a piece of art, or an antique textile.
Where is your favorite place in the world to gather design inspiration, and why?
My library in my home in Los Angeles. It is filled with books and magazines and every inch is covered in blue and white stripes — my favorite. I love to sit in there and peruse.
“We get to be inspired by new places, people, and perspectives.” Mark D. Sikes
What types of projects are you working on now, and how do you see the interior design industry right now?
We’re lucky to be working on projects all over the country because we get to be inspired by new places, people, and perspectives. It pushes us creatively to work in new landscapes, each with their own different light, sensibilities, moods and feelings. It is also a great exercise in pushing ourselves to find amazing new vendors local to these projects and building relationships in new places.