Kelly Hoppen CBE is no stranger to large scale collaborations, having previously worked with the Beckhams, Disney, Celebrity Cruises and many others. Established as one of the most influential interior designers in the United Kingdom, Kelly Hoppen continues to push the envelope.
Her most recent collaboration is with with SV CASA for the brand’s first collaborative collection of home & bathroom accessories and sculptural objects. We caught up with Kelly to talk about her journey.
How did your love for design start?
While I was always blessed to grow up surrounded by my family and their creativity, my real interest in design came about when I spent time at my grandparents’ wonderful home and when my mother took me with her to various countries and friends’ beautiful homes.
How would you describe your design style?
At the core of my design philosophy is always a delicate merging of East Meets West, striking a balance between the calming orderliness and traditional hints of Eastern design with the more contemporary, opulent luxury of the Western style.
However over the years my style evolved to be more inclusive and incorporate the ways in which people are now living since the pandemic. While I love classic and vintage statement pieces, I have incorporated more multifunctional and modular design.
Tell us about your SV CASA collaborative collection of home & bathroom accessories and sculptural objects
My love of organic shapes, textures, and geometric details formed the foundation for the SV Casa collection, and I wanted a clean and sophisticated aesthetic. It was so great to collaborate with the team at SV Casa – they understood exactly what I wanted to achieve in order to make the collection very organic; all of the pieces are set in high-quality liquid stone resin, and the range features home and bathroom accessories, sculptures, and occasional tables.
Tell us about the work you do with Celebrity Cruises
Since our first collaboration on Celebrity Edge, it’s been an explorative adventure of building on what we’ve previously created to push the boundaries of luxury travel and create an otherworldly experience aboard their ships. The latest launch, Celebrity Beyond, is our greatest feat yet, combining state-of-the-art luxury design with a whole world of wellness, entertainment and unparalleled fine dining. Having changed the face of the industry with Celebrity Edge, it was a great honour to be asked to take it one step further on Celebrity Beyond and create even more luxury. Once again everything is about the experience.
You are an ambassador for organisations like the Prince’s Trust. Can you tell us about some of the work you’ve done with them?
I really do love working with the Prince’s Trust as these groups do incredible work that’s really close to my heart, and they’re run by truly inspiring people. As well as a collaborative product line and a limited-edition candle released to raise funds for the Prince’s Trust, I recently judged a coffee tin designing competition that they did in with Nescafé who donated a large sum to the cause, which was great.
How does it feel to be a Commander of the Order of the British Empire and how did you find out about it?
It really is a huge honour; I was so overwhelmed and thrilled when I found out. I’m genuinely passionate about all of the work that I do, and being awarded a CBE for my work on the GREAT campaign was really amazing. Pushing the British creative sector even further and promoting our entrepreneurial spirit internationally is something I’m very committed to.
What is the future of interior design?
Innovation in all forms! We’re increasingly in need of new technologies to advance sustainable practices, so I think there’ll be a lot more to come from these subsects of the industry if we’re to continue growing at the scale we want to, from energy and waste efficiency systems to the development and manufacturing of new sustainable materials and products. The industry is thriving and I feel grateful to have been a part of this for 45 years, supporting thousands of businesses around the country and world with my designs.
What top three tips would you give to people who want to become designers?
- Start with a blank canvas and from this, find what really personally moves and excites you.
- Do your research, travel if you can — even just around local markets and antique stores — and gather inspiration from all directions, not just the internet.
- Trust your natural instinct and try not to compare yourself to other people on social media — follow your own path, connect with like-minded creatives, and give your journey all that you’ve got.
What’s next for you?
We’re super busy at the moment working on lots of exciting new projects including many projects across the world in Asia, Australia, the Middle East, USA, Europe and here in the UK – we haven’t stopped throughout the pandemic.
I’m really happy and exciting about my new work including the launch of LUX* Grande Baie in Mauritius and my product collaboration with SV Casa.
Also, this summer, I am launching a collection with Fired Earth, a new collection with Lick and also a ceramics collection that I am super excited about amongst other things. I’m also working on a yacht for Pearl Yachts and I’m really loving the opportunity of delving more into hotel design at the moment; the experience of travelling to new places and immersing yourself in a change of culture and scenery provides endless inspiration for future projects.
To discover more, visit: kellyhoppeninteriors.com
All imagery courtesy of Kelly Hoppen CBE.
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