We love taking a moment at this time of the year to reflect on our most important milestones, achievements and memories, wrap up 2021 and set our sights on the year ahead.
January
Lockdown wasn’t quite behind us as we entered the year, but we – and you it seems – made the most of spending more time at home. Our top post of the month “How to Make a House a Home” reminded us of the importance of making a home feel cosy and warm. Among other things, this post talks about how to make a space feel unique but restful.
February
The cat was out of the bag in February as we announced Kit Kemp’s fourth book, Design Secrets.
It is here we plant that creative seed to give readers a new way of looking at their interiors and the confidence to be bold in their designs. We love the variety this book offers from Do’s and Don’ts and Meet The Maker to a series of fun, creative projects to do at home. A perfect gift for yourself or someone else, buy a signed copy through our website.
March
Our Rockin’ Robin light collection for Porta Romana launched in March with six whimsical designs, available in exciting colours and a chic plain white. We designed this collection during lockdown so in hindsight it seems quite fitting that a Robin signifies hope and ‘good things to come’. Each design has a branch-like frame, softened with organic twine, accompanied by a beautifully crafted funky robin and a glorious warm glowing egg.
April
We appreciate the importance of physically feeling and seeing things, and in April we pushed the boundaries and opened Shop Kit Kemp in Ham Yard Village.
This curated space includes Kit Kemp’s own designs, from the vibrant orange hand applique ‘Rhino Chair’ to the three-plank oak coffee table. These pieces sit alongside what Kit considers the pinnacle of extraordinary craftsmanship including the hand carved and locally sourced ‘Skipping Table’ and an organic hanging basket installation.
We also saw Kit star as a guest judge on BBC Two’s ‘Interior Design Masters’ with Alan Carr and Michelle Ogundehin. The show follows aspiring designers competing to win a life-changing design contract.
Head over to BBC iPlayer to watch the episode.
May
You all seemed to love our ideas for Creativity at Home, as it was our most popular post in May. We absolutely love to keep our hands busy and are continually thinking of new crafty ideas.
We would love to see what you have been up to since then. Don’t hesitate to tag us and show us your creations using @Kitkempdesignthread and #DesignThreads
June
Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall unveiled a plaque to commemorate the re-opening of the historic Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Captured in a rather delightful photo, we had the pleasure of seeing them enjoy Afternoon Tea on our ‘Mythical Characters’ china we designed specifically for The Lane’s reopening. The collection celebrates the rich history of the theatre, with a bespoke tea service fit for a modern day King.
October
At the end of October we hosted Ham Yard Hotel’s inaugural Craft Workshop Weekend. In this special two day workshop we delved into the world of two inspiring makers, Natasha Hulse and Melissa White.
The weekend began with a personal welcome and art tour from Kit, before learning how to use fabrics, paints and appliqué to create your own three dimensional floral design, ready to be framed the next day.
Everyone returned home with their own framed masterpiece to treasure forever more.
November
Over in New York, a brand new restaurant designed by Kit Kemp popped up on the lower level of the iconic department store Bergdorf Goodman. As you step through an entry way with our “Ozone” fabric on the walls and “Starry Sky” wallpaper on the ceiling, you are transported into the fantastical world of ‘Palette by Kit Kemp’.
As you move through the restaurant, marvel at the abundance of artworks. See something you can’t live without? Everything in the restaurant is available for purchase.
August
We had the opportunity to be interviewed by Women of the City and be on the cover of their magazine. In this inspiring interview we spoke about the different parts we play in the business and the advice we’d give to our 21 year old selves. You can hear all about it in the podcast, available here.
September
Kit Kemp Design Thread is not only about what goes on behind the doors of the studio but also about all of you. We love to see how you feel inspired to use our fabrics and wallpapers in your homes and so it seemed you loved our Home Away from Home blog post.
View this post on Instagram
I was also honoured to have been awarded The Society of British International Interior Design’s ‘Master of Design’ at the annual SBID Awards in London.
December
We teamed up with our close friends at Fine Cell Work to create a show stopping wreath design to help raise money for children’s mental health charity Place2Be. We are over the moon to announce that our wreath raised over £300 in raffle tickets and it’s now settled in its new home in East London.
July
The Thomas Lavin show room at the Pacific Design Center in LA was having a revamp and we were asked to create a pop up boutique in collaboration with Christopher Farr Cloth. Our jewel box came to life with a mix of small and large pattern repeats, trims, cushions, lighting and more. A riot of colour and fun, we loved designing this space.
So there we are, 2021 Wrapped. 2022 is just around the corner and we have lots in store – including the launch of a new rug collaboration with Annie Selke!
We have many more things up our sleeve which unfortunately must remain a mystery for now, but don’t worry we will keep you updated every step of the way.