Marfa Muse

WILLOW KEMP

We are delighted to introduce interior designer Willow Kemp as our latest Marfa Muse.

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Willow first discovered Marfa Stance when she was working on the new-build project of Firmdale’s Warren Street Hotel, which sits just a few doors down from our Tribeca pop-up residency. Later this month, Willow brings her popular Private Art Walks from London to NYC, where you can privately view the art collections of the hotel itself and discover neighbouring gallery exhibitions. Discover more information here.

Tell us about your background and talk us through your career journey so far.

My parents started Firmdale Hotels 40 years ago and now have 9 hotels in London and 3 New York, with my mother, Kit Kemp, founding her eponymous Design Studio.

I was born and bred into the design world, I have always been surrounded by creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit. It’s just something that seeps into your bones subliminally. I have always been creative from when I was an art scholar at school. I studied architecture at Cambridge University and then did a Masters in Sculpture at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. I don’t think you can separate the different elements of design as they are all inextricably linked.

My work as Design Director at Kit Kemp Design Studio and Art Ambassador for Firmdale Hotels is very varied. I’ve worked on new-build hotels such as the Ham Yard Hotel in London and The Whitby and Warren Street Hotels in New York, also collaborations designing fabric collections for Andrew Martin, Christopher Farr, GP & J Baker, Chelsea Textiles, a rug collection for Annie Selke and dinner services for Wedgwood and Spode. I design our products, such as lighting and furniture as well as product packaging and hotel logos, so I’m constantly working between 2D and 3D on all different scales. My work is diverse and such fun!

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What is it like to work in the family business with your mother and sister?

It feels very natural. We all have our strengths and our own areas within the business. We also work on different floors in the Design Studio, which helps. The design studio is a townhouse near the V&A Museum in South Kensington in London. It’s a vibrant and buzzy creative hub and I feel inspired as soon as I walk in the door.

Tell us about the Private Art Walks you host in both London and New York in your role as Art Ambassador at Firmdale Hotels?

I’m passionate about art. I feel it is what gives a room character and soul, and it is often the starting point for my design. I catalogue all our artwork and help curate our art collection. I love telling people the stories behind the art in our collection, weaving in the design of the spaces, which is what I do on my private art walks. I’ve been running Private Art Walks in London for a while now and they are so popular that we are launching a New York Art Walk at Warren Street Hotel in October. You can book to join us. We visit galleries nearby to see exhibitions too, so each art walk is different.

What advice would you give to individuals wishing to pursue a career in art and design?

Go and experience what is out there in galleries, hotels, restaurants, showrooms and keep a sketchbook of the things that speak to you. In this way, you will really find out what you like and it will help you find your own style, your handwriting or signature. Find a mentor and shadow them. Do what you love and keep at it every day.

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Shearling Close Fit Hood - Tan / Natural - Layer 4

1 Cashmere Quilt Parka

Camel

2 Shearling Close Fit Hood

[A] Tan [B] Natural

£2,590.00

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What are you most proud of?

Working on new-build projects such as the Ham Yard Hotel and the Warren Street Hotel from start to finish. It gives me such a buzz to see life in the spaces you have created, uniting people having fun. I’m also proud of our attention to the smallest details from the Rik Rak bath products and packaging I designed, to the Bag for Life I spot on the arm of people out and about on the streets, to the fun and quirky Doodle china collection I designed for Spode. It’s those small things that makes an experience feel personal.

How did you discover the Marfa Stance?

When I was installing the Warren Street Hotel in Tribeca. It is often colder on a building site than outside and that’s saying something in the winter in New York! I was walking around the block on a break and came across the Marfa Stance pop-up space a few doors down. The designs immediately attracted my attention with their innovative approach and style. They also looked cosy!

How do you style your Marfa Stance and what is your favourite combination?

The Marfa Stance design approach has many similarities to interior design, combining fabrics, colours, textures and the attention to detail, adding a contrast trim, piping, and lining. I can see many parallels in our design ethos and values, from sustainability to personal expression and that is what draws me to the brand. I love my Wool Quilt Patchwork Liner with a turquoise panel at the back that matches the colour of the Warren Street Hotel façade I chose. I add the Knit Hood for contrast in material and texture. The Aviator is fab, especially with that extra pop of colour with the Striped Collar turned up. The added features look great, but also serve a purpose and that’s the mark of successful design.