Adding the star quality to spaces

Hyderabad: Kelly Hoppen was only 16 when she started out as an interior designer for a family friend. She has completed 30 years in the field and today, her clientele boasts of names like the British royal family, Madonna, Elton John and the Beckhams, to name just a few.

A potent combination of talent and confidence, Kelly says, “My mother always tells me that as a child I was constantly shifting furniture around our home, displaying everything at its best. To pursue my dream, a lot of hard work went in and I had to be confident to take the next step in order to achieve more. It was very important to keep an open mind.”

She’ll soon be India bound — her first visit here. “It’s a country I have always been keen to explore and experience. I hope to visit as many places as I can and absorb as much as I can,” Kelly says.

The designer has a few fundamentals she abides by. “Firstly, I think a home should be emotive, the place where you retreat to recharge. A home should also be timeless; it should always look chic. One must also not overdo trends and try to be too clever; there can be too much of a good thing. Your home is there to say how happy you are and comfortable you are, not how much money you have,” she says.

Neutrals form the basis of all of Kelly’s designs. “They are harmonious and calming, which is important especially since colours can have a very evocative effect on your emotions. You can then add splashes of colour, texture and art etc.,” she says. She defines her design ethos as “timeless elegance” and likes to follow the design philosophy of fusing East and West: “The Eastern principles of simplicity and western taste for luxurious finishes,” she explains.

She feels fortunate that her clients understand her approach to her work. “They understand that I start with a neutral palette, design with texture and then accent with colour. However, every home that I design is couture for my client, it is designed around how they live, the fabrics and colours that they like as well as the feel of the rooms that they are looking for. Clients are involved at every stage of the process, it is their home after all,” she says.

While talking to someone who rubs shoulders with the rich and famous, it’s hard not to be keen to know more. But a client’s privacy is of utmost importance to Kelly. “Designing for well-known clients is the same as designing for any of my clients — people want their homes to be a perfect reflection of themselves. Discretion is certainly key with many well-known people as their homes are the only things private about their lives and I respect that they do not want to have their homes talked about or photographed,” she says.

Parting with a tiny nugget, Kelly adds, “The Beckhams like to keep the details of their home private but they were great clients to work with and also very grateful. The deadline for their home was very tight, but we managed to complete everything on time, which was a great feeling.” The part that she enjoys most about her job is the handover. “I love to watch their faces as they see their dream home complete for the first time.”

And who would be next on her client wish list? Kelly says, “I am a very big fan of Pharell Williams and would love to work with him.”