Kit Kemp believes experiences are an integral part of the surprise , fascination and fantasy of travel .
THE DESIGN DOYENNE BEHIND FIRMDALE HOTELS SHARES HER VERY SPECIFIC IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO CREATE AND SELL A LUXURY EXPERIENCE .
By JEFF WEINSTEIN , EDITOR IN CHIEF
Kit Kemp believes experiences are an integral part of the surprise , fascination and fantasy of travel .
To that end , along with husband-partner Tim Kemp , they create their London-based Firmdale hotels with whimsy , bold colors and commissioned art pieces and accents to create memorable experiences . She says it ’ s important that their hotels are not a pastiche of the past but live in the now .
This approach has led to much critical acclaim and success ( GOP at 39.9 % through July 2019 ) for a portfolio of 10 luxury boutique properties predominantly around London and with a third New York City project , Warren Street Hotel in Tribeca , about two years in the offing .
She doesn ’ t define luxury as shiny fabrics , or monochrome . “ And to me , it ’ s not gold and ormolu ,” says the company ’ s co-owner and creative director . “ It ’ s actually more like a tailor-made suit . Everything is designed and made for that particular room . It ’ s like a couture outfit , really . That ’ s how I define luxury .”
DEFINITIVE STATEMENTS Known for detailed storytelling in her design , signature in-room mannequin adornments and tall headboards with collages , embroideries and appliques , Kemp asserts each room needs a focal point . “ Whether that is a large painting , a piece of marble work , a mobile or whether it ’ s some other sort of art form , there usually is something that you hang your hat on ,” she says .
“ Within people ’ s homes , they want to feel that they ’ ve designed the cutlery or some element within it , and I think we have to pull that across into hotels ,” she continues . “ It ’ s that custom-made piece , really .”
A textile , fragrance and homewares designer , author and champion of British art , craft and sculpture , Kemp says a mistake hoteliers make is having too many designers involved in a project because it often “ doesn ’ t create a harmonious whole .”
“ There has to be a congruent flow throughout , whether you decide that you want to go to 1960s pop art or reference particular architects ,” she says . “ But then there ’ s that fun . There should always be that quirky , fun element , as a lot of interiors should actually make you smile . The problem is that lots of them are terribly serious and once something gets serious , it also gets instantly forgettable .”
Another Kemp signature is bold color . “ It ’ s the easiest way to make people happy ,” she says . “ We ’ re talking about that miserable gray day when you ’ ve had a really heavy meeting and you come back and you put your key in the lock and you actually want to feel something slightly joyous , something which takes you out of the ordinary . And that ’ s what color does . It ’ s not really what gray does .”
Lately , Kemp says , she has been using lots of blues , then adding bolts of raspberry or even tangerine . “ But really , it ’ s how you use color , how you contrast color and how you color block ,” she says . “ I just like plain colors if the contrasts are really beautiful , but it ’ s also textures . It ’ s getting those textures and actually making them feel as
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