KELLY HOPPEN
The design diva, who has glamourised the luxe neutral palette in interiors, on what makes her work tick

British designer Kelly Hoppen has had a whoppingly successful career with her simple, yet stunningly luxurious style. Apart from designing high-end interiors for apartments, homes, hotels, restaurants, offices, yachts and jets across the world, she creates a range of home accessories – furniture, lamps, rugs, fabrics, paints, bed linen and candles. With her opulent, layered beige and taupe palettes, she has made neutral themes glamorous. The Murmuri hotel in Barcelona, the One Shenzhen Bay, the first-class cabin for British Airways, The Royal Mougins Golf Club in France… are some of her most famous projects.

The ‘Kelly Hoppen look’ is a template for designers and ordinary people alike across the world. How does it make you feel?
I am of course extremely flattered by this. I am entirely self-taught and have worked for over 40 years to build up my business and to get to where I am now, so to be a source of inspiration for people when it comes to their own projects and homes is incredibly humbling and pushes me to keep on growing and to always bring something new to the table.

Talk about your East-meets-West design philosophy and how it has evolved over the years.
I came up with the East meets West concept and it has remained a pivotal focus of mine that you will find in each of my projects. I adore the contrast between the simplicity of the Eastern style and the comfort and texture of the Western culture. My style is constantly changing, but I always follow that same philosophy of creating a harmonious, timeless and elegant environment.

How did you resist the colour-heavy influence of the East?
The neutral palette is part of my design philosophy. I do love to add pops of colour which, I’ve found, is a fantastic way of combining the East and the West. When I’m designing products, I’m often heavily influenced by the beautiful, vibrant colours and patterns of eastern cultures.

You have expressed the desire to design for films, theatre and opera – is that happening soon?
I would love to design a theatre and film set – it would be fascinating being involved in bringing a story to life with performers and actors interacting with my designs.

What new things can we expect from your products line?
I am always designing for my e-commerce store, www.kellyhoppen.com and also have a fabulous collection of over 100 pieces in collaboration with Resource Décor. My designs are a mixture of statement and staple pieces. It’s amazing to be able to design and create pieces that are reminiscent of my own personal style.

You are the author of many design books. Have you given away all your secrets or holding on to some?
I love sharing everything that I know. I stick to what I know and what I am good at, and have a very classic way of designing the interior of a home so I suppose a lot of people appreciate this and wouldn’t mind giving it a go in their own homes. My books contain simple explanations and talk about every aspect of a room, down to the very last details. People like how in-depth they are, and how much time and effort I put into writing them.

Talk about your experiences on working on TV shows…
TV is a tremendously exciting experience and such good fun. I’m very fortunate to have been able to take my career onto a whole new platform which I adore.

Where do you derive inspiration from?
Everywhere and everything. Traveling is something that never fails to inspire me. I love visiting markets and taking in the rich cultures; the crescendos of colour, sights and smells can sometimes be exactly what the doctor ordered!

You have worked in India too (Lodha Estrella, Mumbai), talk about your experience.
India is a tremendously exciting country, and presents an incredible canvas for modern design. Mumbai brings together the best of all worlds, the cutting edge in technology, design and the best in luxury – for the discerning individual who makes this thriving metropolis his or her home.

You have talked about the struggle of being dyslexic; how has that aided creativity in you?
I am severely dyslexic. However, I am very creative and have an ability to see a space in a way that many cannot. I use a grid system to analyse space, delineate vistas, impose structure and establish order and this is paramount in my design process. As you can imagine, there is a fair bit of reading and numbers involved in my business. Luckily, I have a wonderful family,
and I am supported by a great team!

Published in:                        Livingetc                              November 2017