Advance Information Sheet
alidad: The timeless home
Introduction by MINN HOGG
Text by SARAH STEWART-SMITH
Photographer JAMES McDONALD
Award-winning London-based interior designer Alidad is renowned for creating interiors of great comfort, elegance, richness and colour. His work is associated with the exacting use of richly patterned antique and modern textiles, upholstered furniture and a high quality of craftsmanship.
This book will present – in a refreshing fashion –
his unique philosophy and a rich visual survey of his completed projects. It will be particularly timely when
so much interior design is dominated by modish,
impersonal Modernism. Length to be 20,000 words, around
250 images.
Biography
Alidad – known universally in the design world by his first name – was born in Persia (now Iran) but left aged 14. His family lived for a year in Switzerland before settling in London. He studied at University College, London, before working in the Middle Eastern antiques and textiles department of Sotheby’s.
Alidad entered the world of interior decoration with no formal training, and has been immensely successful with an elite wealthy client base, including American, English, Middle Eastern and European clients in London, and throughout Britain, Europe and the Middle East. He carried out an acclaimed refurbishment of the Saloon and Morning Room at Buscot Park for Lord Faringdon. He has lived for 30 years in London’s fashionable Mayfair, and his studio is in World’s End, Chelsea, popular with London’s leading designers and antique dealers.
This book will explore Alidad’s philosophy as a designer, which provides an exciting and intelligent alternative to the ubiquitous and thin-blooded Minimalism of recent years, and then will give a tour of some of his top commissions, on a project-by-project basis.
These will illustrate different aspects of his philosophy and practice; one chapter will be devoted to his fundamental philosophy of the importance of the five senses to the creation of an elegant home, and the more elusive sixth sense of the designer’s intuition, which is linked the importance of relating design to the individuality and personality of the client.
This will be illustrated with examples and details from his work. A final chapter will illustrate Alidad’s approach to the practical issues of interior decoration, from architectural alteration, to furniture design and choosing appropriate textiles.