Kelly Hoppen - Kelly Hoppens Essential Style Solutions for Every Home

More so than ever before, our home is our sanctuary. We live in a world that is constantly changing and very different from what we have been used to during the past few years, but we all still want and need to be surrounded by beauty, warmth, luxury and practicality.

Having designed interiors for more than 40 years, I am as passionate about it today as I was when I first started. I live and breathe design, and am constantly thinking about the way we live and how we interact in different spaces. With my knowledge and years of experience, I have learned that it isnt just about the way things look how we feel, the experiences we have, the understanding of what we need and what we crave, and how we share all this with whom we live is just as important. The beauty of design is that you really do have a blank canvas, even if your vision is not always possible to realize immediately.

With more and more people needing to create multifaceted spaces under one roof, I hope this book will encourage you to question yourself and your needs, as much as it will inspire you to push all the boundaries to create the timeless interiors you desire.

I have created this small-format book so its easy to carry around and use when youre choosing designs for your home, wherever you are.

Always take time to create these spaces, and shoot for the stars with whatever you desire. Then budget and plan as much as you can before you begin. I am so excited to share my passion, knowledge and secret tools with you.

Most of all, have fun!

Love always,

Everyone has the ability to create a home thats right for them. The first step is to ask: what does home mean to you?

Ive been designing homes,

as well as other spaces, for

more than 40 years now.

Early on in my career I was

given some great advice by a life

coach: the one thing that helps

you learn and grow in business is

to share your knowledge. Ive never

forgotten that, and its why I wanted

to write this book. I truly believe

that anyone can create a home that

is both beautiful and practical,

whatever size budget and space

theyre working with. Theres no real

mystery to it, but you do need to do the

groundwork and plan carefully to avoid

making expensive mistakes. Over the

following pages Ill share my top tips and my

tried-and-tested design techniques to help

you make your ideas come to life and create

the home youve only dared to dream about.

COMING HOME

Home should be your ultimate haven, a space that feels inviting and welcoming, comfortable and secure. Wherever you live in the city or country, in an apartment or house when you open the front door and step inside, you will want to feel like you have left all your worries behind and can breathe again.

I dont think anyone would argue with that. So how do you capture that wonderful feeling and create a space where you can close the door on anything thats making you feel stressed, and just relax and be yourself?

HOW DO YOU WANT YOUR HOME TO FEEL?

A home is a highly personal space and what works for one person or family wont necessarily suit another. When I work on home designs with clients, one of the first things I ask them is how they want their home to feel. Its so important that a home works for whoever lives in it on an emotional level as well as a practical one, and this is something that often gets overlooked. For it to truly feel like home whatever that means for you the ambience and style of a space must feel right. This means that every choice you make from the colour of your walls and the materials you choose for your floors to the style of your furniture and even the way your home smells should make you feel uplifted and energized, relaxed and peaceful, comfortable and safe.

Another aspect to consider is the impression your home makes on others, especially if youre someone who likes to entertain. In this case, you might prioritize creating that wow factor, to blow the minds of your guest when they step inside.

WELCOME HOME!

This collection of panama hats makes a simple but unusual display on an otherwise plain white wall. This was in a beach house in Barbados and the hats were all sourced locally. Its a great idea for an entrance hall, as its both practical and full of impact.

A home should be individual to whoever lives there, so personal displays that reflect character are everything.

BE TRUE TO YOURSELF

Once you have considered the impression you want your home to make on yourself and those you live with, and on others who come to your home as guests you can start to build up your scheme from there. The key principle to remember is that your home is your personal space and should reflect your lifestyle and personality. Your needs and priorities will depend on whether you live alone, with a partner or a friend, or a large family or a pet but try to be realistic about this so you design a home that works for you and how you live now.

Think about what you love and what makes you uniquely you do this exercise as an individual, a couple or a family. Take inspiration from your travels and your passions. What colours make your heart sing? What textures can you not resist running your fingers over? Do you find minimal spaces appealing or love the intrigue of collections that tell a story? Are you drawn to light, white, open-plan and breezy spaces or do you like cosy rooms that are moody and dramatic?

Once you have jotted down some key words that sum up the general mood and feel you want to create for your home, you need to look at each space in detail and think very hard about what you want from it and how best to achieve it. If knocking down walls and changing the layout isnt an option, you need to be realistic about what you can do with the space that you have. Really get acquainted with each space in turn and make a note of its good and bad points. Some things to consider are: