Decorating & Design
Take A Peek Inside Veteran Designer Kelly Hoppen’s Latest Book
Updated on May 15, 2022
Her clients include the famously exclusive David and Victoria Beckham, but designer Kelly Hoppen isn’t snobbish. Kelly was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and moved to London when she was two years old. Since the age of 16 when a family friend let her design their kitchen, she’s logged over 40 years of experience, managing her own design studio in London (Studio Hoppen) and an eponymous decor and home accessories brand (Kelly Hoppen Interiors). Her democratic approach wants to solve every design dilemma with her ninth book, Kelly Hoppen’s Essential Style Solutions for Every Home. Scroll down for her best tips!
“More so than ever before, our home is our sanctuary,” says Kelly. “We live in a world that is constantly changing and very different from what we have been used to during the past few years, but we all still want and need to be surrounded by beauty, warmth, luxury and practicality.”
“When I bought my London home, a former auction house, it was an empty shell, with a towering ceiling supported on a series of structural columns,” says Kelly. “Remember that emphasizing the horizontals — such as with floating shelves, oak skirting boards and picture rails — can make a space seem longer or wider, while defining the verticals – for instance, with runners or panels, tall furniture, doors or door-to-ceiling curtains — will make the ceiling seem higher.”
In an elegant interior decorated in neutral tones, a pop of bold, bright color on the inside of a cupboard or cabinet is a joyful surprise every time the doors are opened. “Think about what you love and what makes you uniquely you,” she says. “What colors make your heart sing? What textures can you not resist running your fingers over? Do you find minimal spaces appealing or love the intrigue of collections that tell a story?”
“Contemporary interpretations of the iconic mid-century Bubble chair by Eero Aarnio are some of my favorite pieces of furniture for adding organic curves and light-reflecting transparency,” says Kelly. Translucent materials diffuse light softly, blurring the edges and creating a feeling of warmth, whereas opaque surfaces deflect light, acting as a barrier to it and casting shadows. Using a balanced mix of transparent and opaque, weightless and solid, can breathe life into a scheme, as it allows energy to flow freely.
A Baltus chair with an unusual black frame and embroidered silk upholstery is an object of beauty against a pale taupe carpet, smoky glass and cream walls. Using unusual fabrics in unexpected ways — perhaps parachute silk for curtains, or metal studs, chain mail or webbing as a trim — can give your furniture and furnishings a unique spin.
The in-line hob is set into a stainless-steel counter that runs at right angles to the main worktop, with a breakfast bar on the other side. At one end of an open-plan space, this kitchen was designed to echo the decor used elsewhere. “Thorough research, planning and preparation from the outset really is time well spent,” says Kelly. “I often equate kitchen design with a complicated jigsaw puzzle where precision is everything. One size most definitely doesn’t fit all, so it can prove invaluable to enlist the skills of a professional kitchen designer to help you achieve the result that works well for you and the way you live.”
The dark wood table and white leather chairs from Modénature tie in with the monochrome scheme. “If you won’t be seating 12 for dinner on a regular basis, those empty chairs will dampen the vibe,” she says. “If you want your guests to relax and linger a while, choose chairs that are comfortable and supportive.”
Reflective surfaces that play with light and add a sense of glamour. The focal point of the room is the nickel-framed replace set high in the wall like art. The sleek marble table with cream leather and nickel chairs is lit from above by a row of cylindrical glass pendants. “Low-level lighting that washes the floor and makes units appear to float,” says Kelly.
Silk and velvet add tactility to a mix of glass, brass and high-gloss lacquer in this bedroom. “Generously padded and upholstered designs — often in leather, suede, velvet or linen — add a feeling of comfort and are a great opportunity to introduce a new texture,” she says.
This bedroom is a mouthwatering mix of linens, velvets, specialist plaster, wood, shell and crystal. “I’m a big fan of oversized headboards, which add drama and always give beds a real sense of presence,” she says.
“The sculptural bathtub, which I designed for Apaiser, is in prime position to take in views of the city skyline while enjoying a relaxing soak,” says Kelly. The walls and oor are clad in Calacatta marble with accents of brass for added opulence. Kelly advises not skimping on fixtures. “They are the works of art in bathroom design, and a beautifully designed tap in whatever finish you desire — from cool chrome to statement brass — will set the tone of the bathroom and make it feel instantly more luxurious and special.”
Generously padded and upholstered designs — often in leather, suede, velvet or linen — add a feeling of comfort and are a great opportunity to introduce a new texture. “I often cover the bed base in the same material as the headboard to unify the design,” she says. “Then I might anchor the bed on a silk or wool carpet edged with the same material to tie it all together.”
The roomy glass shower enclosure allows views of the striking linear shower head and boldly patterned marble wall. The towel rail is conveniently located on one side of it, with the TV on the other, at the perfect height to be viewed from the bath. “I often set a runner into the floor leading from the door to the basin, or from the basin to the bathtub,” says Kelly. “You could then extend this up the wall behind the bath, or add a backlit panel — the possibilities are endless.”
A runner of glass mosaic cuts centrally through the Calacatta marble floor between the egg-shaped bath and the rectangular sink, which has floating oak shelves on either side of it to create balance. “Scent is an essential ingredient for a relaxing bathroom, whether in the form of diffusers, room sprays, bath oils or scented candles, which give the added bonus of soft, soothing light,” says Kelly.
Kelly Hoppen's Essential Style Solutions for Every Home (Frances Lincoln, 2021)
Kelly Hoppen