Kit Kemp, the award-winning founder and creative director of Kit Kemp Design Studio, is world-renowned for the colorful, eclectic, and artful narrative she weaves through her interiors. Her greatest fans are the regular guests of Firmdale Hotels, a collection of properties that Kemp has developed with her husband, hotelier Tim Kemp. The Dorset Square Hotel, which opened in 1985, was followed by seven other hotels in London, and now, New York has three of its own. The most recent addition is Warren Street Hotel, in Tribeca, which is infusing new life into the neighborhood. Herewith, she shares the key components of the good life. —Fiona McCarthy
Airline: British Airways.
Airport: Grantley Adams International Airport, in Barbados. I relax as soon as the Caribbean Sea coastline comes into view.
Alibi: “Gone blogging,” “Do not disturb,” or “Sorry, I was just working on a new design scheme.”
Bike: A bright pink and yellow Serotta lightweight bike, made to measure to help me go faster.
Bedtime: With a great book, later than everyone else.
Birthday: Always the next one. Don’t wait for the big numbers—celebrate every year!
Breakfast, weekday: Lemon-and-ginger tea and a slice of toast, ideally somewhere outside with a view.
Breakfast, weekend: Indulgent, with the papers.
Car: Horse riding would always be my preferred mode of transport. Perhaps I’m living in the wrong era?
Child: I couldn’t possibly answer. I’d never hear the end of it. Whoever is being the loveliest, usually my granddaughter.
Cocktail: A great martini.
Color: Never just one. It’s combining colors that excites me.
Drive: The drive down to our house in the New Forest, in southern England, on a Friday night with the weekend stretching out ahead of us.
Enemy: Time.
Escape: Never spend time anywhere you need to escape from.
Fitness Protocol:
Yoga on the balcony, come rain or shine.
Hideaway: My shepherd’s hut at the end of the garden, although it’s not much of a hideaway, as everyone knows to find me there, cup of tea in hand.
Hotel: That’s a tough one. It’s a tie between Dorset Square, our first hotel, and Warren Street, which has just opened. It has been a family affair, 10 years in the making, with Tim, Willow, and Minnie, who are two of our three daughters. An incredible family achievement.
HUSBAND: I love being married to you, Tim.
Indulgence: A tart lemon tart.
Jacket: One made by Moloh in the Mythical Land embroidered fabric we designed for Chelsea Textiles.
Last Meal: A very long one, surrounded by family, friends, and fun.
Movie: Snuggled up with my granddaughter discovering the magic of cinema. I spend more time watching her enjoy a film than watching the film.
NonFiction Book: The Art of Colour: The History of Art in 39 Pigments, by Kelly Grovier.
Novel: The Lady and the Unicorn, by Tracy Chevalier.
Pets: My Cavalier King Charles spaniels are some of my greatest joys. Dogs have a special gift for making any space feel like home.
Piece of advice: “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.”
SAYING: “Let’s do it.”
STORM: One that delays you in your favorite place.
TELEVISION SERIES: Poldark. I am an incurable romantic and love the books of Winston Graham.
TIME OF DAY: Morning, when the to-do list is still achievable.
VIEW: Out over the Beaulieu River in the New Forest.
Wake-up time: Early, so I can have a wander in the garden before the day begins for everyone else.
Weekend Bag: Anything expandable. I like to collect things on my travels, so a weekend bag needs to be roomy enough to squeeze in anything from a postcard to a huge ceramic dish!
Work of Art: The latest find, whether well known or newly discovered. I’m currently obsessed with the work of Terence Maluleke, whose Unwaveringly Strive now hangs in the lobby of Warren Street Hotel. It brings a sense of dynamism and anticipation of moving forward in life.
Writing implement: Pencil, every time!
Kit’s Essentials
