THE BRITISH ARE COMING: ANTHROPOLOGIE'S NEW KIT KEMP HOME FURNISHINGS COLLABORATION, FOLKTHREAD
Photo courtesy of Firmdale Hotels
If you've stepped foot in Soho's fantastical art-filled Crosby Street hotel, or experienced one of the nine Firmdale Hotel group properties like the new Ham Yard Hotel in London, then you are familiar with the wonderfully creative world of British boutique hotel designer Kit Kemp. Known for her new British style interiors that includes bold use of color and pattern, hotel designer Kit Kemp has just launched a home furnishings collection for Anthropologie. Debuting online today, the Folkthread assortment includes upholstered chairs, rugs and small tables, each with a character and personality that suits the designer's brand. Her other collaborations, done early on with Christopher Farr and more recently with Chelsea Textiles and Wedgewood china, capture the sense of whimsy and a global eclecticism that she does so well. The Anthropologie assortment features a tightly edited mix of standout pieces that can work on their own or when used together, depending upon how much pattern play you are after. I attended the launch event for the collection, held in a suite she designed at the Crosby Street Hotel. Her textured dhurrie covered chairs and tribal-influence patterned rugs looked so at home there it was hard to tell what was for Anthropologie and what was part of the room scheme. Take a look at her nicely priced pieces that offer a lot of individuality and style.
It has been such a harsh winter seeing gorgeous fresh blooms by candlelight at the launch party was extremely uplifting
This seating area captures the chairs, rugs and coffee table layering well together. Always comfortable and inviting, the spaces Kemp creates inspire and uplift through an individualized, creative fusion
Using a dhurrie as a throw, the pattern on pattern effect is stunning, and I love the addition of a bunny rabbit to the design
Tiny blown glass vases filled with all of my favorite flowers were displayed in the new mirror-backed shelving piece
Photos courtesy of Anthropologie
Kemp uses wool for upholstery all the time and it stands up to high use areas. How charming is this orange chair, Fauntastique, with embroidered cats and a flying Rhino?
For those that prefer a toned-down solid upholstered chair with just a pop of color, the Piped Armchair in navy wool with red trim is classically handsome and includes the adorable jumping cat pillow.
The hands down winner of this collection are these dhurrie-upholstered, button-backed Dining Chairs. Their quality and detail is amazing, from the Oak frame to the turned leg. How is this chair only $398? Around a dining table, a random assortment would look great.
Making storage and display pretty, the Mirror Shelf has Gothic tracery details hand-carved out of Mango wood
Another great category- tables! From a rustic plank coffee table to Brancusi-esque side tables in blond Oakwood.
Hand-carved curved legs and a random plank edge-top on the Oak Coffee Table provide a nice imperfect look
The round base and square top support a curvy pedestal of the Circlestack Side Table
The rugs so capture the essence of Kit Kemp's individualized world
Pairing primary colors in a diamond striped pattern, the Multi-Stripe Rug has me smitten
No detail was overlooked, as you can see with the Falcon Rug, a webbed fringe and tassels make the pattern-rich border interesting too
Pairing bright pink, minty green, yellow and black, the Rabbit Rug shows her fresh, whimsical design sense