When your dad is one of history’s most celebrated interior designers, many would choose the easy way out and enter another profession, but we’re glad that Ashley Hicks followed in his father’s footsteps.

Instead of becoming a clone of his father David, Ashley developed his own style, which marries his training in architecture to a wonderful sense of humour and boldness – an approach that we think you can learn a lot from!

We’re all influenced by the world in which we’re raised, and that’s definitely true of Ashley Hicks. Born into British aristocracy (his godfather is Prince Philip), Ashley’s design philosophy is unashamedly grand and uncompromising, but also very personal and down-to-earth. He may incorporate expensive antiques in his high society designs, but he’s also a big fan of up-cycling what you already have with, say, a lick of paint.

His rooms often use strong geometric patterns to lift more sensible and conservative furnishings - for example, a colourful abstract canvas print hung above a grey sofa can lift it to new heights - and he loves to use a coffee table as a design feature.

Overall, his work expresses confidence in his ability to see what works, and that’s the biggest take-home for you, as you’ll see below...

Many of the interior designers that we feature encourage you to take some risks and step out of your comfort zones, as you’ll see from some of these little gems of advice:

Mix old and new – use old things to add character to a modern design, and new items to humanise a classically designed space.

Be bold! – too many people are afraid to use colour: don’t get stuck with boring magnolia when there are so many other options.

Go abstract – jazz up a ‘boring’ wall with an abstract design of your own – it’s easy, cheap and a fantastic way to personalise a room.

Use all of your space – don’t place your furniture in the middle of the room; instead, use every inch of space available by pushing your sofa right up against the wall.

Mirrors are your friends – a mirrored wall can make a small room look massive, but don’t overdo it, and only use simple mirrors for this.

We think that following Ashley Hick’s advice is a great way to end up with a stylish interior full of character, and something to be truly inspired by, so why don’t you give it a go?!