Back in early February 2020, I met with the interior designer Kelly Hoppen for tea at her London home. I’ve always been impressed by Kelly’s passion and her unstoppable drive and creativity. It’s infectious, and after every encounter with her I’m left with a sense of optimism and the idea that anything is possible. That occasion was no different. We discussed everything from new ventures and possible collaborations to this strange virus that was making the news and starting to impact on Kelly’s operations in China. She also excitedly showed me pictures of a barn that
she had recently bought in the Cotswolds, a personal project she was about to start working on…
Fast-forward over 12 months and Covid-19 has turned into something far more impactful than we could ever have imagined. Things seem to have been at a standstill for a very long time. So,
imagine how pleased I was to receive the photographs of Kelly’s completed barn, which we reveal in this magazine issue for the very first time. It’s a beautiful space that she has tackled with her usual aplomb and considered approach to detail and texture. But – more than that – to me, it represents a new beginning and proof that real creativity can’t be stifled. It has been going on, undaunted, behind closed doors during the hell of the pandemic.
Kelly’s not the only designer embracing positive change. Lee Broom, another talent often championed on these pages, welcomes us into his new duplex apartment in New York City,
showing how his modern British aesthetic translates seamlessly to the other side of the Atlantic. We also meet a group of inspiring entrepreneurs who, when faced with lockdown hardships,
chose to launch brand new home ware businesses. Each and every one is proof that adversity can fuel creativity and I applaud their resolve and spirit.
Call me a naive optimist, but with the onset of spring, a huge number of us with vaccines in our arms and the prospect (no matter how vague) of some sort of summer holiday on the horizon, I’m bursting with excitement. As ever, I channel all my emotions, my hopes and joys through my home. It represents who I am and how I feel and so, as the sun comes out, I find myself wanting to pack planters full of bright blooms, paint surfaces in vibrant shades and deck windows with sheer, floaty fabrics.
The Guardian newspaper’s slogan ‘Change is possible. Hope is power’ sums up my mood. Embrace both and move forward.

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• Photo Insights – April 2021
• Custom PC – June 2021