A straight man who sells antiques and runs an Interior Design company? Hey it’s the 21st Century! Based in San Francisco, Will Wick is founder of Wick Designs, as well as a product designer, antiques dealer and will be rolling out his own line of furniture soon. That is one half of his life, the other is parenting. “I have four kids and my wife works for Restoration Hardware so we are pretty busy,” Will told us over the phone.
Will went to college for environmental design but ended up in Chicago in investment management. This was not his thing so he moved back to San Francisco and landed a commercial interior job that he loved. “I had aspirations of becoming an architect, so it filled the gap,” he explained. As he was working for a residential designer and finding his groove, 2008 happened and the company shuttered. He wanted to continue designing but as his friends asked, “Are you really going to be a junior designer at 30 working for a 25 year old girl?” So he started his own company, Wick Design, and he was lucky enough to design a friend’s home and the rest is design history. He landed a House Beautiful story and that put Wick on the map. He ended up flying around the country working on wealthy clients’ multiple homes and quickly learning what works and what doesn’t.
As if that didn’t keep him busy enough, he then dove into the antiques trade when a friend brought him a pile of antiques and he sold them all in a heart beat out of his car. It was too easy and clearly Will has an eye, so he went to France and began collecting his own piles to sell. He now has a shop called Battersea and he stocks everything from 18th century lighting to Mid-Century chairs and Italian motorcycles. Restoration Hardware really liked what he was doing and what he was buying so now he is selling his designs to them, which has been a third business in the mix (and remember the four kids!).
Next up for Will is a collection of furniture he has been developing for a while now. It’s sexy, bespoke, one of a kind pieces for his clients. As he explains, “ The aesthetic of a lot of these private clubs and boutique hotels that are opening up is very rustic but elegant so I am working on developing a collection of that style of furniture. It is affordable so clubs can order say 12 of these sofas and not break the bank. It also saves them from buying vintage ones that fall apart.” Smart man.
We asked Will about his personal style and here is what he had to say:
I guess overall I have a mix of Double RL meets Paul Smith meets Billy Reid. I love American.
Jeans- I have about 25 different pairs of jeans from every obscure LA shop- Jean Shop, Raleigh, Stevenson and Double RL.
Shoes- John Varvatos is a go to and I am a big flip flop guy – the cheap grocery store ones or Havianas and Rainbows. Also leather ones from Jutta Neumann are awesome.
Suits – I have four – a black Prada one that is one of the best suits I have ever owned and ones from Paul Smith, Etro and Dolce & Gabanna.
Shirts – I wear a lot of white or solid button downs. John Varvatos, James Perse, Billy Reid, and Isaia for more formal occasions. I have to say Zara is great for me. I got married in a pair of Zara pants!
Outerwear – I am obsessed – I have several Belstaff leather jackets as well as a Beretta that has an amazing cut and great fabric. I found both of them at a store in Nantucket called Pollacks. That place is amazing! I love Freemans Sporting Club and a little puffer from Patagonia– it’s a nod to my preppy college past!
Accessories – I have my fair share of baseball caps but don’t wear hats too often. I don’t really wear watches and I have a leather Gucci bracelet my wife gave me and some Tahitian pearl necklaces from these crazy French gypsies in St Barts. I’m not afraid of jewelry!
Sunglasses- Oliver Peoples, Prada, Histoire de Voir, Tom Ford, Ralph Lauren and Persol.
Favorite tech item-100% my phone! I drain my battery in a heartbeat. A close second is my new jam box.
Favorite app – Voxer. I use it all the time. Although I don’t have Instagram yet, I’m just too busy. Can’t do it all!
Next Tech Purchase-a new iPhone with hopes the battery life lasts longer!
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