John Dickinson was truly a designer’s designer. He went to Parsons and started out creating department store displays in New York before ending up in California, where he made a name for himself as a decorator whose whimsical sophistication always had just a touch of the surreal.

Left: Portrait of the designer in one of his interiors. Right: This plaster table is one of the most Dickinson’s most iconic designs.

In the 80s he even designed an entire line of furniture for Macys.  We’ve started to see his name and work pop up again in the last few years and his work still looks fresh.  He loved to experiment and twist things around – one of his most famous pieces is a white plaster table with legs and feet.  It definitely has an African tribal look to it and yet because it’s done in white plaster instead of rustic wood it feels completely different!

This Pine Trestle Table was designed in the 70s but is still relevant today.

Left: A typical Dickinson interior – layered and mixed. Right: This plaster twig lamp may seem ubiquitous today, but that’s because it was ahead of it’s time since it was designed more than 30 years ago.