Hoppen has designed in an impressive number of different types of design styles. One look at the list on Hoppen’s website and you can see represented traditional, modern, architectural, loft, eclectic, city, country, rustic, opulent and luxurious spaces. Even more impressive is her ability to design in such a variety of spaces and still have the result be instantly recognized as her own.
Her most recognizable design trait is her use of neutrals like beige, cream, taupe, khaki and more. Never boring or overly simple, Hoppen uses neutrals to assault the senses with sophistication, clarity of design and texture. This approach has the happy result of often letting forms, shapes and volumes in interiors stand out, like the shapes of gorgeous furniture pieces, or the volumes created by interesting architectural details. The use of neutrals doesn’t always mean light or bright spaces: many of Hoppen’s interiors also stand as proof that dark colors like blacks and browns and the many tones inherent to materials like wood and metal can also become lovely neutral palettes when used together. Don’t think she never uses color, though; you can often find a pop of color as an accent in her spaces, like bright pops of green from plants, warm tones from fruit or other fun colors gently incorporated into rooms.
Born in 1959, Hoppen is originally from Cape Town, South Africa, and comes from a very creative family. Her father was in the fashion industry and her mother an expert in antique Africa maps and books. Having got an early start in the interior design industry (at a surprising age 16), it’s no wonder that her business, Kelly Hoppen Interiors, has become so successful (it’s rumored to make over 20 million dollars a year).
As mentioned, it’s not just her design skills alone that have made her famous; she’s also well-known for helping share her design secrets with others. Along with an inspiring online portfolio full of tips next to each photograph of gorgeous spaces, Hoppen has a thriving retail business with her own lines of fabric, furniture, accessories, bathroom hardware and even paint, to help others create her signature style even easier. One of our favorite parts of her website is if you’re looking at a photo that you really love, you can click on a button that says “get the look” and it’ll show you all the elements to purchase to transform your own space! She’s the author of numerous design books, among them: Close Up, In Touch, Kelly Hoppen Style, Kelly Hoppen Home, East Meets West and Table Chic. As if all of that weren’t enough, Hoppen also offers an exclusive Kelly Hoppen Design School, an intensive five-day design workshop offered in England where Hoppen dispenses all her trade secrets in person.
Since many of us probably won’t be able to attend the Kelly Hoppen Design School (either due to distance or price), we recommend instead checking out the advice in all of her books, and browsing through her online portfolio for inspiring photos and tips! *These photos weren't photographed by us! They were taken from the Kelly Hoppen website and we regret to say we couldn't find a photo credit.
