Decorating & Design
Designer Spotlight: The Eclectic Style Of British Designer Kit Kemp
Updated on October 22, 2021
If you’re a fan of statement upholstered headboards, you can thank English designer Kit Kemp, who popularized the look. The London interior designer and decorator writes books and teams up with brands including Christopher Farr Cloth, Porta Romana, Anthropologie and Wedgwood to design textiles, fragrances and homewares.
Kit is co-founder and creative director of Kit Kemp Design Studio and Firmdale Hotels, which includes London’s Ham Yard Hotel, Charlotte Street Hotel, The Soho Hotel, Covent Garden Hotel, and The Crosby Street and Whitby Hotels in NYC. A lover of British art, craft and sculpture, she uses these elements to make her hotels feel unique and personal — the antithesis of anonymous, bland decorating.
Scroll down to read our interview with Kit Kemp and see some of her artful, highly personal designs!
“Often the historical aspect of the area is the starting point for my hotel design. For example, for Crosby Street Hotel, we wanted art inspired by the written word. The Whitby was more of a craft-inspired project in New York. In Ham Yard, I had to do a bowling alley, so we displayed a collection of bowling shoes because they’re so beautiful! Custom-made articles in a room say something about the homeowner, and if they can’t make it themselves, get somebody else to do it!”
Kit’s Mythical Land wallpaper, available through Andrew Martin, enlivens a London home. “I’m doing a mural in a playroom inspired by an image from a book with a moon and little creatures with lanterns. I’m a complete romantic,” says Kit of an upcoming project.
A trio of plates by English ceramicist Robina Jack are displayed in plexiglass boxes next to a collection of books. Libraries are Kit’s favorite rooms to design. “Books always make a room feel cosy and ageless,” she says.
“Our hotel rooms are like couture outfits, so every room is different. There’s always something that gives it character, whether it’s one of my fabrics, a chandelier or a headboard,” says the hotel maven. In London‘s Covent Garden Hotel (above), one of Kit’s signature gabled headboards is upholstered in Jim Thompson’s Heliconia Dreamin’ fabric. “I love a sharp green, as well as chrome yellow contrasted by white or a red earth colour,” says Kit.
“Creativity at home has tripled this year. I included a section in the book on projects such as painting frames and making shell mirrors and appliqué cushions, all things that we’ve made in our design studio. They’re not perfect by any means, but they’re actually better because of it,” says Kit. Here an inspiration board comes to life around a fireplace, with designer reference materials stored in the hearth.
Kit likes to hang these vibrant beaded pendants in clusters to emphasize their bright hues and interesting textures.
The sitting room in Kit’s 1930s country home in the New Forest, Hampshire, which she’s owned for more than 20 years. “While I change the hotel schemes every few years, I’m nostalgic about my own home,” she says. “When you fall in love with a place, you arrive at a point where you don’t want to keep changing it.” Kit suggests starting with a focal point and the more unexpected the better. “If you love something from the outdoors like a weather vane, bring it inside and put it on your coffee table.”
Discover more of Kit’s design insights and DIY projects in her latest book, Kit Kemp Design Secrets: Adding Character and Style to an Interior to Make It Your Own.
Simon Brown
Kit Kemp