Your Home Needs To Fit You Like Clothes Do, So Don't Rush It

Interior designer Kelly Hoppen, 57, talks to Nathalie Whittle about unlikely inspirations, having to walk out of meetings, and what she’s learnt over the course of 40 years in the business...

Kelly was born in Cape Town, but moved to the UK with her family as a young girl. She has one daughter, the author and chef Natasha Corrett, as well as two stepdaughters – fashion designer Savannah Miller and actress Sienna. The author of nine books, Kelly has designed homes, yachts and jets for A-list clients like Victoria and David Beckham. One of her most recent projects is the LUX* Belle Mare resort in Mauritius (see page 158 for more on this destination). Kelly lives in London with her partner John Gardiner.

I always knew I wanted to be an interior designer, but I’m not going to pretend I am – or ever have been – particularly crafty. I can’t sew to save my life. In fact, one time at school, we had to make a pair of shorts and I made them back to front! All I wanted to do when I was growing up was look inside other people’s homes and buybooks and magazines on interiors. I suppose I was a rather strange kid!

The first room I ever designed was hideous. I was 16 and a friend of my stepfather’s wanted his kitchen done. It was as simple as me ordering it and having it installed. I recall everything being hung the wrong way round – it looked awful. After that, I got my first ‘proper’ design job kitting out a four-storey townhouse. I asked an interior designer to make all of the furniture and it was very taupe, which quickly became my design signature.