Martin Kemp Design: Providing A Variety Of Evolving Designs

11 months ago

Martin Kemp Design is a Great British Brand 2024

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Martin Kemp Design: Providing A Variety Of Evolving Designs

Martin Kemp Design is an entry in our Great British Brands 2024 book.

Martin Kemp Design: Great British Brand 2024

‘We’re an independent design studio, creating sophisticated interiors for private homes, residential developments, marine and aviation. We service the extreme high-end luxury sector, aiming to satisfy very discerning briefs, given to us by extraordinary individuals and families around the world, commissioning an exceptional level of design, construction and finish.

We’re not planning to use artificial intelligence at present, as to us residential design comes from the mind, hands and eyes. It’s more spiritual and intuitive and not yet something that we would instruct a robot to do. I think perhaps if we were architects, it might be slightly different, because there’s a substantial engineering element in that field, where technical detailing and calculation comes into play.

With our work, it’s somewhat more decorative – not that I’m making light of what we do, far from it. But I can’t yet see how AI would affect our creativity on a daily basis. Of course, there may be instances where it is going to become advantageous.

The current digitised world can influence us in terms of research – and we make good use of computer programmes to produce renderings of our interiors – but essentially, it’s our instinctive feel for texture, for colour, for aroma which dominates. I find my own background and upbringing continually charge my thoughts in terms of how to lay something out or how to put a picture on a wall, or where to put a lamp in a room. My mother was passionate about creating a sense of home and a sense of love. She achieved that through decorating. She wasn’t a professional decorator at all, but she had an intrinsic sense of home through her warm, cosy approach, eclecticism and simplicity. That undoubtedly influenced me growing up and into adulthood.

There’s an innate nature to interior design that kicks in. I am unsure if that can ever be achieved digitally.’

Martin Kemp, founder and Managing Director

Five Proudest Moments

Moving to Los Angeles in 2002 to expand my design horizons. Having always had a passion for this city where design and creativity abounds, this was the happiest experience.
Becoming Creative Director at Candy & Candy in 2004: relocating to London, bringing me into contact with the inspirational Nick and Chris, taking design to new levels.
Launching Martin Kemp Design in 2012, a return to being a small business, albeit with a global vision to bring accomplished design to the discerning.
Being awarded the 2013 Clarges Mayfair Development project in Piccadilly with Squire and Partners as architect, a significant achievement for our relatively unknown studio.
Opening Martin Kemp Design in New York last year was another milestone in our story, enabling us to pursue yet more very exciting projects.

What I’ve Learnt

Be humble: it gets you everywhere. If you’re humble, people feel they can talk to you.
Be respectful: if you’re respectful, people see that you are not a challenge.
Be polite: if you’re polite, people understand that you’ve got very good ethics, and morals.