AROUND HOME : Notes on Laundry Space, Dipped Candles, Tiffany Glass and Movado Watches : David Hicks’ Style and Design BY DAVID HICKS (Little, Brown & Co.; 1988)

DAVID HICKS, a London-based interior designer with an international clientele, appears in this handsome book to be a refreshingly practical professional. While indicating a personal preference for a historic classical style, Hicks nonetheless emphasizes a methodical design process devoid of stylistic prejudices. The result is more a guide than a narrative, well organized and well illustrated and brimming with practical information to aid the reader to deal with a variety of spaces, clients and budgets or simply to better appreciate interior design. That craft is defined by Hicks as “essentially the process of maximizing the potential of space and what it contains.” He adds that “the best rooms also have something to say about the people who live in them, telling a story in colour, shape, texture and pattern, that others can appreciate and enjoy.” ($29.95)