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Friday Five with Kelly Hoppen

Kelly Hoppen is a world-renowned British designer who has pioneered a simple yet opulent style that has permeated interior design at every level. As well as designing apartments, houses and yachts for an ever-expanding international private client list, Kelly also undertakes commercial design projects including hotels, restaurants, office spaces and aircraft interiors.

In March 2009 Kelly received an MBE for services to Interior Design which has so far marked the pinnacle of her 33-year design career. As well as sharing her knowledge in the Kelly Hoppen Design School, Kelly also designs ranges of home accessories, furniture, taps, lighting, carpets, fabrics, paints, bed linen, candles, and scents, as well as a highly successful QVC range.

p.s. she has awesome hair.

My five favourite things of the moment:

1. Healthy eating
With a schedule as hectic as mine I have to make sure that I am fueling my body correctly otherwise I will crash and burn. I am a huge fan of Ganesh Munchies who provide me with a weekly fridge fill service with ready made meals for me to take to the studio and ingredients for me to quickly and easily cook supper. Having everything all ready for me helps me to make the right food choices.

2. Jetting away
I am counting down the days until my Christmas holiday (35 days, 12 hours and 46 minutes). 2010 has been hectic to say the least! I have completed numerous design projects across the globe, launched my home fashion collection, created my design app, written a new design book, designed and launched a furniture range, the list goes on and on! So now is the time to recharge the batteries and spend some time completely relaxing in the sunshine. My partner Adam and I are off to Mauritius for some winter sun and serious R&R. We will also be joined by my daughter and her partner, which will be lovely.

3. Tights
I was flicking through a magazine when I came across the House of Holland collection for Pretty Polly, what fun designs! definitely a great stocking filler for the ladies in your life. Makes donning your tights for the winter weather that bit more exciting. Congratulations to Henry Holland for jazzing up hosiery!

4. Technology
I have fallen madly in love with my iPad, I find it so interesting to see how technology is developing at the moment and how it is becoming more important in our lives as time passes. The one thing that I hate about my iPad is the black apple cover. It’s just rather dull and shows up the dirt like you would not believe! Imagine my joy when the new Smythson catalogue came through my door and I found the zipped iPad case in the amber collection, not only is it functional, it oozes style. This is top of my Christmas list this year.

5. Going Loco at Crazy Homies!
We have decided to do Christmas slightly differently this year at the studio and have shunned the traditional in favour of something a little bit loco! we have booked our studio Christmas party at Crazy Homies which we are all getting rather excited about! Crazy Homies is a fantastic little Mexican restaurant just around the corner from my studio in Notting Hill, the menu is based on Mexican street food, and they have a rather ample selection of tequila!

There’s more Friday Five goodness right here.

Jaime Derringer, Founder + Executive Editor of Design Milk, is a Jersey girl living in SoCal. She dreams about funky, artistic jewelry + having enough free time to enjoy some of her favorite things—running, reading, making music, and drawing.