Every room tells a story: The interior designer behind Firmdale Hotels reveals how to create an inviting space in a stunning new photographic book

  • Kit Kemp, Design Director for Firmdale Hotels, has revealed what goes into creating rooms that draws guests in 
  • She says storytelling is at the heart of everything she does and fabrics and colours are a great way to achieve this
  • Her new design book uses stunning photography to demonstrate the key features she has used in her hotel empire 

By BECKY PEMBERTON FOR MAILONLINE

Published: | Updated:

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According to interior designer Kit Kemp 'every room tells a story' from the origin of its fabrics to the artwork on the wall. 

And nothing captivates her imagination like the travels she has undertaken, which she aims to translates in the textiles, colours and installations within the guestrooms and public spaces she creates. 

Conjuring colourful boutique hubs beloved by celebrities and fashionistas alike in New York and London, Kemp is the creative vision behind the Firmdale Hotel empire which she co-owns with her husband Tim. 

Dorset Square Hotel - Sloping walls in a room in the eaves at Dorset Square Hotel have been lined with paisley denim, teamed with a dark-blue headboard with light border, allowing the shadows through the shutters to dance around the room

Dorset Square Hotel - Sloping walls in a room in the eaves at Dorset Square Hotel have been lined with paisley denim, teamed with a dark-blue headboard with light border, allowing the shadows through the shutters to dance around the room

Wool House at Somerset House: Willow in black and white was used for the curtains, highbacked His and Her chairs were covered in Book End, and an Egg & Dart rug sits by the fireplace. Mirror from Talisman and candlestick holder by Lynn Chadwick

Wool House at Somerset House: Willow in black and white was used for the curtains, highbacked His and Her chairs were covered in Book End, and an Egg & Dart rug sits by the fireplace. Mirror from Talisman and candlestick holder by Lynn Chadwick

The Ham Yard Hotel - A large table and a mud-bead chandelier fill the space with grandeur and colourful exuberance. Paintings with blocks of colour to the far right are by Terry Frost

The Ham Yard Hotel - A large table and a mud-bead chandelier fill the space with grandeur and colourful exuberance. Paintings with blocks of colour to the far right are by Terry Frost

Kemp has added her creative flair to the hotel group's impressive portfolio which includes Ham Yard, The Soho, Covent Garden, Charlotte Street, Haymarket, Number Sixteen, Knightsbridge and Dorset Square hotels in London and Crosby Street Hotel in New York.

Noted for conjuring a bold and unique aesthetic at each address, Kemp explains her design method. 

She said: 'Storytelling is at the heart of everything I do – the stories behind a fabric or an artist are what pique my curiosity to know more, to weave their meaning into the stories I try to create in a room.' 

The Ham Yard - Hotel Neon signs illuminate the vast Dive Bar. My Rick Rack design was over-scaled for the walls by de Gournay

The Ham Yard - Hotel Neon signs illuminate the vast Dive Bar. My Rick Rack design was over-scaled for the walls by de Gournay

The Library at Ham Yard Hotel - Above the fireplace hangs a Leonora Carrington painting, lit by an alabaster chandelier which has arms enmeshed tightly with twine. My Suzani fabric for Chelsea Textiles, used for the curtains, has been recoloured to match the colour palette. A 19th century oak centre table displays an assortment of humorous domes of toadstools and the Queen, surrounded by soldiers, by the artist Mimi

The Library at Ham Yard Hotel - Above the fireplace hangs a Leonora Carrington painting, lit by an alabaster chandelier which has arms enmeshed tightly with twine. My Suzani fabric for Chelsea Textiles, used for the curtains, has been recoloured to match the colour palette. A 19th century oak centre table displays an assortment of humorous domes of toadstools and the Queen, surrounded by soldiers, by the artist Mimi

The Soho Hotel -  In the Terrace Suite at The Soho Hotel, autumnal hues that work throughout the year play out with a Carey Mortimer painting. An embellished headboard of cut-out felt and fabric leaves against a background of denim. Leather-topped chairs stitched with the initials SH. Above the doorway to the bathroom is an artwork of a lounging woman made from a Monopoly board

The Soho Hotel -  In the Terrace Suite at The Soho Hotel, autumnal hues that work throughout the year play out with a Carey Mortimer painting. An embellished headboard of cut-out felt and fabric leaves against a background of denim. Leather-topped chairs stitched with the initials SH. Above the doorway to the bathroom is an artwork of a lounging woman made from a Monopoly board

Inspired by her travels, Kit explains the essence of her bespoke rooms is using contrasting and complementing tones along with keeping a connecting design thread throughout.

'It’s what makes a space intriguing beyond being just lovely to look at – it draws you in, captivates your imagination, makes you become a part of its narrative rather than standing on the outside, simply looking in.'

Using stunning photographs and captions of the rooms she has created, Kemp reveals in step-by-step detail in her new book 'Every Room Tells a Story' how to bring a room to life in a way that’s both warm and inviting. 

The Orangery, Ham Yard Hotel - A carpet of bricks, York stone and pebbles leads you through the tall Crittall doors into the Orangery. Camel tables from Soane, an old stone fireplace (with wood stored underneath) and a carving encased in Perspex lend a soothing mood

The Orangery, Ham Yard Hotel - A carpet of bricks, York stone and pebbles leads you through the tall Crittall doors into the Orangery. Camel tables from Soane, an old stone fireplace (with wood stored underneath) and a carving encased in Perspex lend a soothing mood

Number Sixteen, South Kensington - At Number Sixteen, a gazebo at the foot of the garden, set amongst trees shaped to look like umbrellas, provides another room outside

Number Sixteen, South Kensington - At Number Sixteen, a gazebo at the foot of the garden, set amongst trees shaped to look like umbrellas, provides another room outside

Every Room Tells a Story by Kit Kemp (Hardie Grant) is now available for purchase for £30
Every Room Tells a Story by Kit Kemp is now available for purchase for £30

Every Room Tells a Story by Kit Kemp (right) is now available for purchase for £30. (Right) Kit Kemp sits in one of her eclectic properties

 

 

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