Desig House: Kit Kemp's Dos and Don'ts of Decorating

Decorating advice from the hotelier and designer known for joyful, colourful interiors

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The best of home decorating should be applied, lavishly, to hotel design.

People are looking for a certain homeliness in a hotel, a fact that a lot of hotel designers miss.

I can't bear interiors that follow a theme.

For example, making a room look like a school gym or a gentleman's club; it is often generic and unoriginal.

Avoid too many synthetic fabrics.

Natural fabrics have an authenticity and atmosphere that synthetics have yet to achieve.

Designs that are, or look, handcrafted add life to a room.

I use a lot of folk art in my designs. And Chester Jones has a great skill for combining classical influence with tribal art - as seen in this French sitting room. (3)

Designing your own furniture and textiles gives your spaces originality.

I love the textiles that I've designed myself, such as 'Ozone' with Christopher Farr Cloth, and 'Suzani' with Chelsea Textiles.

Kit designed 'Ozone' for Christopher Farr Cloth.

Never overlook, or feel above, the practical details.

I once bought an armoire that wouldn't fit through the bedroom door. We had to take it to pieces and put it back together - not ideal.

Use directional lighting and keep it at low level.

Don't accentuate bald patches on the top of people's heads.

Don't forget the function and point of a room.

My favourite room of ours is the drawing room at the Covent Garden Hotel. It has wood-panelled walls and feels comfortable in every season. It's big enough for receptions but still cosy enough to sit by the fire and read a good book.