I have been searching for the perfect interior design book for a while and this book couldn’t have arrived at a better time. I generally use Internet (google, houzz, pinterest, instagram etc) and magazines for inspiration until about a month ago I got the Kelly Hoppen Design Masterclass as a birthday present.
This book is amazing! I am currently only half way through but I could not resist writing a review already as I am so impressed. I recommend it for any home decorator who wants to get some new ideas, guidance and inspiration. The book explains design concepts in a very easy to understand way and reveals some industry secrets. Why to hire an interior designer when you can become one, right?!
This book particularly appeals to me because I love Kelly’s elegant style. She combines luxury with simplicity very well and introduces ideas that I had never even considered before. She really does have immaculate taste when it comes to design and even though she uses strong contrasting colours the end result looks warm and inviting (to my liking anyway). This is something I really struggle with and often the room can look too plain and clinical.
I’ve picked few of my favourite pictures from her book that showcase her impeccable style (Photographs by Mel Yates).
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As you can see Kelly’s signature style is very elegant. She mainly uses black and whites combined with more earthy colours such as taupe and beige. The end result is dramatic and very stylish. I love the way she uses textured wall paper and how she combines Asian influences in her design. She also seems to share the same passion for art deco as I do! The book showcases her previous projects and the pictures are really inspiring although not always most helpful because the houses are huge open-plan mansions. One can always dream…
I must admit that I am reading this book in a random order (although it is helpful to read at least the first chapters depending on your previous knowledge of course). I usually read whatever I am currently working on whether it is the lighting, kitchen or accessorising the room and I have to admit it has been very easy to just jump from one chapter to another. The advice Kelly gives you is very varied from the floor plans down to the very last detail. She also encourages you to have your own personal style which is so important.
As we are just starting with our plans for our extension, I am hoping this book will help me to make the right decisions (along with an architect of course). I don’t want to copy her style because I think that would be pretty unimaginative but the idea is to take a few design tips from her and implement those in our house. Even though my style is similar to hers with the strong contrasting colours, I think she uses a lot more beige/taupe that I would personally go for. A lot of the advice in this book is very helpful as it is not as easy to create a monochrome look that actually works than you would think. Plenty of thought needs to be put into planning when deciding which colours compliment each other and how lighting changes the outlook of a room. Her style can look pretty impersonal at times as well but I would say her simple and minimalist style should be used as a backdrop to which you can add some personal items such as photos/accessories (clearly her clients didn’t want to reveal their most precious family photos or identities either).
Kelly Hoppen has also launched an online store which sells products she has designed (www.kellyhoppen.com) and they are affordable too! There are definitely a few items which I am considering for our bedroom and by taking just a quick glance I found some of her products very similar to the ones that Next or Dwell are selling. I haven’t seen any of her products in real life so I cannot comment on the quality but I did notice that Debenhams are also selling them and they are on sale at the moment (some up to 50%). Have a look at www.debenhams.com.
Whilst I am enjoying reading her book, I am hoping that with time I will be able to see some changes in our house that will take it closer to our dream home. This book is certainly helping me to be more organised and it will hopefully help me in my decisions making process that always seems to be the tricky part. Another reason for getting this book is the stunning photography by Mel Yates. The photograps are truly inspiring and a piece of art on their own.
Images credited: Jacqui Small Publishing
