Top left: Mark in his garden in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, California / Top right: Mark's garden in the Hollywood Hills / Bottom left: A cozy corner of a family room in Palm Beach / Bottom right: A corner of Mark's library in his home in Los Angeles

Artsper caught up with Mark D. Sikes, the esteemed interior designer who has cultivated a distinguished career rooted in the timeless elegance of Classic Californian design. Inspired by the seamless integration of indoor-outdoor living and casual sophistication, Sikes infuses his projects with a blend of classic and contemporary elements.

1. Hi Mark! Thank you for speaking with us today. Could you start by telling us about yourself? How did you launch your career as an interior designer?

I'm Mark D. Sikes, an interior designer based in Los Angeles, California, and my firm is known for timeless, all-American style. I've always loved design but didn't know I wanted to be a designer until someone asked me to decorate their home after seeing my personal home featured in House Beautiful. That was in 2012, and I haven't looked back!

2. You've worked on iconic projects across the country, from The White House to Malibu. How does location affect your design process or style? Do you approach each project similarly?

The location and exterior environment of a home always inform the interior design choices we make, especially the colors and fabrics we use. Regardless of location, our creative process remains the same. We strive to create rooms that have a timeless quality, meaning they would look great 20 years in the past or future. It's also important that no two projects are the same. We achieve this authenticity and originality by working with our vendors to create unique, custom designs for each project and client. Sometimes this includes working with new-to-us vendors that are local to our projects!  

Left: Mark's Kips Bay New York dining room, “Up in the Villa." / Right: A Montecito living room.

3. Which art or design movements do you feel have impacted your work the most?

As we are based in Los Angeles, I'm greatly inspired by Classic California interior design. To me, Classic California design is all about casual elegance and indoor-outdoor living, both of which are exemplified in all of our work. We work on projects all over the country and all of our clients want that feeling and sensibility no matter where they're located.  

4. What role does contemporary artwork play in your design process? Are there any artists that you have your eye on at the moment?  

Our designs are very classic, timeless and lean traditional, so it's always fun to incorporate contemporary art into our projects. I love the mix of modern and traditional. I greatly admire the work of William McClure and my longtime friend Kit Reuther, both of whom are incredibly talented contemporary artists.

Left: The guest room in Mark's home, swathed in an iconic Pierre Frey Braquenie fabric. / Right: Kips Bay Dallas 2020, “Casa Fiorentina," inspired by La Fiorentina on Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, one of Mark's favorite homes.  

5. If you could host your dream dinner party, who would you invite–from the past or present? Plus, how would you set the table?

I always say if I had a dinner party and could invite whomever past and present I would invite Jackie Kennedy, Grace Kelly and Oprah Winfrey. Oprah mostly because she would probably ask the best questions! For the table, I would just do ivory table linens, lapis linen napkins, my white china with silver and crystal. Candlelight. Silver cups with cut lilacs for flowers. I'd probably sprinkle lilacs around the house, too.  

Mark in his garden in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, California.