Kit Kemp Design Studio

What Kit Kemp Design Studio does

Kit Kemp Design Studio is a London-based interior design practice founded by Kit Kemp MBE, generating revenue across four interlocking streams: (1) professional interior design services for luxury boutique hotels and high-net-worth residential clients, with the Firmdale Hotels portfolio (11 hotels and 8 restaurants across London and New York, co-founded with her husband Tim in 1985) functioning as a flagship anchor and live showroom; (2) direct-to-consumer e-commerce through Shop Kit Kemp (launched 2017), which sells furniture, lighting, wallpaper, cushions, dining products, bath and body, bedding, and home accessories under the Kit Kemp aesthetic; (3) book publishing, with five titles including A Living Space (2012), Design Thread (2019), Design Secrets (2021), and Design Stories (2026); and (4) licensing and co-development royalties from a portfolio of heritage British and American partners including Wedgwood, Spode, GP & J Baker, Andrew Martin, Christopher Farr, Chelsea Textiles, Annie Selke, Wilton Carpets, Fine Cell Work, and Blithfield Fabrics.

The studio's product and IP portfolio is built on a distinctive storytelling methodology centred on bold colour, pattern, texture, and craft-led design, expressed through proprietary fabric and wallpaper collections (e.g., Harvest Moon, Mythical Land, Bunty, Jellyroll, Lily Pad), bone china (Mythical Creatures, Sailor's Farewell), embroidered fabrics, and Made-to-order furniture. Distribution combines the owned Shop Kit Kemp storefront, Firmdale Hotels' retail units, partner-brand showrooms, pop-up installations during design festivals, and event-driven presence at London Design Week, Paris Deco Off, Focus/18, and the Kips Bay Show House in New York.

The business is family-run, privately held, and operated with a 7-person core team including founder Kit Kemp and her two daughters, Willow and Minnie. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and many products appear to be quote-based. The company serves markets in the UK, US, and Australia/New Zealand, has no external institutional investors, no public stock listing, and no disclosed funding rounds or M&A activity.

Name

Kit Kemp Design Studio

Legal name

Kit Kemp

Website

https://kitkemp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

London-based interior design studio of Kit Kemp MBE serving luxury boutique hotels and high-net-worth residential clients, with e-commerce, five published books, and licensing collaborations with heritage British and American brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Interior Design Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (54141), Industrial Design Services (541420)

SIC

Household Furniture (2510)

akta.pro primary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)

Keywords

• Interior design services
• Luxury hotel design
• Fabric collections
• Home furnishings
• Brand collaborations

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. E-commerce Product Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of furniture, lighting, wallpaper, cushions, dining products, bath and body, bedding, home accessories, artist's corner works, stationery, gifts, and collaborations through Shop Kit Kemp
2. Interior Design Services: Bespoke hotel and residential interior design services for hotels and private residences
3. Book Sales and Publishing: Published books including A Living Space (2012), Every Room Tells A Story, Design Thread, and Design Secrets (2021)
4. Licensing and Collaborations: Licensing partnerships with brands including Wedgwood, Spode, Wilton Carpets, Andrew Martin, Christopher Farr, Chelsea Textiles, Annie Selke, and GP & J Baker creating collections of tableware, rugs, fragrances, giftware, furniture, fabrics, trimmings, wallpaper and lighting

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kit Kemp Design Studio is a London-based interior design studio offering bespoke hotel and residential interior design services led by founder Kit Kemp, alongside an owned-brand e-commerce platform (Shop Kit Kemp) selling furniture, fabrics, lighting, tableware, bath and body, and home accessories. The studio also develops licensed product collections with heritage manufacturers (Wedgwood, Spode, Andrew Martin, Christopher Farr, Chelsea Textiles, GP & J Baker, Wilton Carpets, Annie Selke, Fine Cell Work) and publishes design books documenting its work.

Product overview

Kit Kemp Design Studio operates as a design studio and e-commerce platform offering a diverse portfolio of interior design services and lifestyle products. The core offerings include interior design for hotels and residential spaces (as Creative Director of Firmdale Hotels), authored books documenting design philosophy (A Living Space, Every Room Tells A Story, Design Thread, Design Secrets, Design Stories), Shop Kit Kemp e-commerce platform featuring furniture, lighting, wallpaper, cushions, dining products, bath & body items, beds & bedding, home accessories, and Artist's Corner featuring works from independent artists. The studio also maintains extensive brand collaborations including Kit Kemp for Annie Selke (rugs, pillows, bedding), Kit Kemp for Wedgwood (Mythical Creatures, Sailor's Farewell tableware), Kit Kemp for Chelsea Textiles (embroidered fabrics), Kit Kemp for Christopher Farr (rugs and fabrics), Kit Kemp for Wilton Carpets (hospitality carpets), Kit Kemp for Andrew Martin (fabrics and wallpapers including Harvest Moon), Kit Kemp for Fine Cell Work (upholstered furniture), and Kit Kemp x GP & J Baker (prints, embroideries, stripes). The Patchwork Toys sub-brand creates handmade toys from recycled studio fabrics. All collaborations are available through Shop Kit Kemp or partner brand showrooms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Design Thread: Kit Kemp's blog featuring design stories, collaborations, podcasts, and articles about interior design
• Shop Kit Kemp

Products and services

• Bespoke Hotel and Residential Interior Design Services Bespoke interior design services for luxury boutique hotels and high-net-worth private residences, covering full property scope including lobbies, guest rooms, suites, restaurants, bars, and public spaces. Delivered by Kit Kemp as Founder and Creative Director with the design studio team.
• Shop Kit Kemp E-commerce Storefront Direct-to-consumer online storefront at shop.kitkemp.com offering Kit Kemp-designed furniture, lighting, wallpaper, cushions, dining products, bath and body items, bedding, home accessories, books, and collaboration products. Ships internationally with USD and GBP pricing.
• A Living Space (Book) First book by Kit Kemp published in 2012, documenting the spaces she has designed and outlining her design philosophy for consumers and design enthusiasts.
• Every Room Tells A Story (Book)

Quantifiable outcome

• CN Traveller's Best Hotel in the World for Design recognition
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Annie SelkecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 March 2022Lifestyle collection inspired by Kit's favourite destinations: New York, London, and Barbados. Features rugs, cushions, and bedding available from Shop Kit Kemp and Andrew Martin in UK, and Annie Selke in US.
• GP & J BakercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRenowned British fabric and wallpaper house; Kit Kemp has created multiple collections including prints, embroideries, stripes, and custom designs such as Bunty fabric. Ongoing collaboration with Ann Grafton at GP & J Baker.
• Andrew MartincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerModern range of fabrics and wallpapers with one eye in the past and one in the future. Comprising five wallpaper and six fabric designs in painterly colourways. Kit won Andrew Martin Interior Designer of the Year in 2008.
• WedgwoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIconic British company; created Mythical Creatures and Sailor's Farewell china collections featuring folkloric characters and patterns applied to bone china. Products used at The Whitby Hotel in New York and Ham Yard Hotel in London.
• SpodecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeritage British ceramics brand; Kit Kemp for Spode collection featuring specially designed china pieces.
• Christopher FarrcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRange of rugs and fabrics available for commercial sale. Worked closely with Michal Silver in design process. Products feature artistic and intellectual design threads.
• Chelsea TextilescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollection inspired by Kit's love of whimsical, lyrical designs and animals. Features characters and patterns with primitive, folkloric feel. Jenny Simpson at Chelsea Textiles helped perfect the intricate embroidered fabric designs.
• Fine Cell WorkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBritish social enterprise and charity training prisoners in paid, skilled, creative needlework. Kit is a Trustee. Collaborated on upholstered furniture collection including embroidered lampshades, cushions, headboards, footstools, trays and mirrors.
• Wilton CarpetsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospitality, Travel and Home carpet collection for traditional and modern interiors. Nine innovative designs drawing from Folklore, Architecture and Botanical motifs. Woven with British wool and nylon mix.
• Porta RomanaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLighting collections distributed through Porta Romana showrooms and retail partners.
• Blithfield FabricsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Blithfield Fabrics to create special collection for Fine Cell Work, featuring upholstered furniture with embroidered elements.
• Firmdale HotelscoreOthersKit Kemp is Co-Founder and Creative Director of Firmdale Hotels, established with husband Tim in 1985. Acknowledged as pioneers in the hotel industry with 11 luxury hotels and 8 restaurants across London and New York.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Nicky Haslam Studio: British interior designer with a personal brand spanning residential and hospitality commissions, fabric and wallpaper lines, and books. Closely comparable founder-led luxury interior design model with similar London heritage positioning.
• Kelly Hoppen Interiors: UK-based luxury interior designer with a personal brand spanning residential commissions, product collections, books, and licensing. Directly comparable founder-led model with crossover into home furnishings retail and licensing.
• Martin Brudnizki Design Studio: London-based interior design studio focused on luxury hotels, restaurants, and private members' clubs (e.g., Annabel's, The Ivy). Comparable to Kit Kemp on luxury hospitality interior design, similar scale, and parallel design-week presence in London and New York.
• House of Hackney: British design house known for bold-print wallpaper, fabrics, and homeware with strong DTC e-commerce and licensing collaborations. Comparable on pattern-led, storytelling-driven design language and direct-to-consumer distribution.
• Tom Dixon: British designer-led brand operating across furniture, lighting, and home accessories with flagship retail and global wholesale distribution. Comparable on designer-driven product licensing, e-commerce DTC, and international hospitality project work.

Others

• Andrew Martin: British heritage fabric and wallpaper house and longstanding licensing partner of Kit Kemp (2008 Interior Designer of the Year). Functions as both supplier/distributor for Kit Kemp collections and as a comparable UK heritage design brand in its own right.
• William Yeoward: British designer brand producing crystal, tableware, furniture, and home accessories with a luxury hospitality client base. Comparable on British heritage home brand licensing and parallel customer segments (Wedgwood/Spode-adjacent positioning).
• Firmdale Hotels: Sister-company hospitality group co-founded by Kit Kemp and Tim Kemp, operating 11 luxury hotels and 8 restaurants. Not a competitor but the studio's anchor enterprise client and primary showcase for its design portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Restoration Hardware (RH): Large US luxury home furnishings brand with galleries, design services, and hospitality partnerships (RH Guesthouse). Comparable at category level on luxury home furnishings, design services, and gallery/showroom retail, though much larger scale.
• Soho House: Global hospitality and members' club operator with an in-house interior design team that defines a distinctive aesthetic across hotels, restaurants, and residences. Broader incumbent in luxury hospitality design and lifestyle product lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kitkempdesignstudio
• Instagraminstagram.com/kitkempdesignthread
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kit-kemp-design-studio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kit Kemp Design Studio