Villa Verde, a Palladian 'palace' in Portugal

DAVID HICKS, my father, found excitment in design projects in the way I do in bungee jumping, but the Villa Verde was the leap of all time— a free-fall assignment that never stopped. Amin and Nahid Ghani allowed his imagination full flight and in this, the most comprehensive project of his career, he became the architect, interior designer, and landscaper. He commissioned the paintings and drawings and designed the furniture for specific positions.

In 1980, after my father had decorated the Ghani's apartment in London and they had established a firm friendship, Madame Ghani invited my family to stay in her family villa in Portugal. On the second day she said, "David, I don't think you like my house," and he replied, "I could design a really beautiful one for you." 

The next day the house was up for sale. My father and the Ghanis found some land overlooking the sea on a hill with orange trees; there was no other building in sight.