Reading about Kelly Hoppen's life is a bit like dreaming about another interior galaxy far far away from the one I inhabit; the closest I got to her life this week was finding a lush chocolate brown paint in B&Q called Rum Caramel 1 to paint 2 Ikea shelves and a lack coffee table. She does a lot of dark laquer, for those of you who aren't familiar with her style, a luxurious East meets West fusion.
She was interviewed for the Fame & Fortune section in The Sunday Times this week, and I was really surprised. Yes, there was all the stuff about spending £160, 000 on a boat for a birthday week's trip with Sol Campbell, and her six day master class being a snip at £2,921, but there was also more honest answers about mistakes and finances than I expected from a notoriously private woman.
Interesting, if you are into interiors, and you can read it here:
According to the Telegraph, here are her top design tips
KELLY'S HOUSE RULES
• Create balance on mantelpieces and other surfaces by juxtaposing one overscaled object with two or three miniature ones
• Beware colour as classic Kelly is a yin-yang scheme of dark and pale, using a palette of neutral colours and contrasting textures.
• Mix old and new antique and vintage, against the clean lines of stark contemporary pieces
• Introduce texture as without it, a neutral scheme will look flat and dead.
• Start with linen as your first choice of fabric: without it, a scheme will never feel quite right.
• Unblock energy within the home using crystals, colour, candles, music and chainmail curtains made of small metal balls.
• Create symmetry, if a fireplace is off-centre in a room, make sure you line the sofa up with it.
Kelly's web-site is http://www.kellyhoppenretail.com/
