Designer Focus
An overview of the design style of the glamorous socialite interior designer Kelly Hoppen MBE
Kelly Hoppen has developed a highly distinctive signature style for her use of taupe, ivory and chocolate tones and her orderly, and utterly restrained, way of creating ranks of plants, flowers, books and other decorative items. Here we look at how she has become sought-after by furniture and yacht designers to lend her brand to their products and how she has influenced countless interiors.
A review of the life and work of the great and influential interior designer Mario Buatta, The Prince of Chintz
Gloriously indulgent and over-the-top in terms of colour, form and collation, Mario Buatta has been famous in America for his work for equally exuberant pop stars and celebrities. Yet, despite the costliness of his interiors Buatta’s “undecorated look” shimmers with the style and serenity of classic design elements.
Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen – lighthearted, foppish TV presenter, serious businessman or talented interior designer?
This celebrity interior designer is undoubtedly charming and very watchable on screen but is Laurence Llewellyn Bowen known more for his personality than his prowess with interiors? We peruse his activities in the world of design and have a look at some of his business pursuits.
An account of the life of interior designer Elsie de Wolfe, famous for saying "I am going to make everything around me beautiful, that will be my life"
Elsie de Wolfe was born plain and as a result hated everything that was ugly and mediocre. She flew into a tantrum as a child when her mother painted their family home sitting room a hideous colour redolent of William Morris (whom Elsie loathed). Here we look at her career and signature style which incorporated Chinoiserie and Palladian touches with lots of white and light colours – in direct opposition to Morris’s “dingy style”.
A short biography of the design in the life of the socialite and trailblazing interior designer Dorothy Draper
Despite the glamour of her life and her own personal style Dorothy Draper was a tough and powerful force. In the days when women, especially not in her milieu, did not “go out to work” she set about creating a business and a brand that has lasted to this day.
Achieving a luxurious look in a small space – how interior designers have created glamorous or sophisticated bedrooms, bathrooms and sitting rooms.
The less an interior designer has to work with, whether it be budget or space, the more effort it takes to produce something memorable. Defying the confines of physical space and creating desirable and comfortable interiors is a particular skill – here we look at a few success stories.