A Tactile Touch

Award-winning designer Kelly Hoppen brings her iconic East-meets-West design philosophy to Malaysia for the first time through KSK Lands 8 Conlay project

- Lily Ong

Our personalities couldn’t be more different than each other, but when it comes to our philosophy on interior design, we share the same values,” says property entrepreneur John Hitchcox about his long-time friend Kelly Hoppen. It is because of these common ideals that Kelly—who has styled the homes of Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and the Beckhams—makes time to commit to John’s UK-based bespoke property company, YOO. In an interview with Malaysia Tatler at YOO’s office in London, Kelly gives us an insight on how she styles a space—using her first design stint in Kuala Lumpur, for KSK Land’s YOO8 Residence Tower B, as a reference point.

Tell us about yourself, Kelly.

As a child, I was fortunate that my parents would take me to their friends’ homes for social visits. I would meet with people like artists, poets and chefs. The way they used their homes as a means to communicate their passions struck a chord with me and sparked my curiosity. I started developing an interest in visiting apartment showrooms, imagining and dreaming of how people lived their lives behind four walls and a door.

Plus, I was dyslexic as a child and hated school. So, I started my interior design business in my teens. Today, four decades after I began my business, I still bounce out of bed every day wanting to design.

What drew you to design for Yoo and work with John Hitchcox?

Kelly Hoppen Interiors rarely does collaborations but we did for YOO because of the similar values we share. John and I have known each other a long time. He’s the business mind of YOO, while his co-founder Philippe (Starck) drives the creative side of things.