ART & SOUL

Our columnist Willow Kemp on how paintings and other creative forms are the heart of a space

- MICHAEL BORREMANS

As design director for Kit Kemp Design Studio and art ambassador for Firmdale Hotels, and having studied architecture at Cambridge and sculpture in Germany, Willow is well-versed in anything art-related.

Art is often the first thing someone notices when they enter a room. It captures their attention and imagination and leaves an impression. Art is the keystone of creativity in interior design. It is centre to my design ethos and approach, with every project being shaped by its own carefully curated pieces.

Allowing art to guide you in the design process isn’t just practical, it gives a space meaning. Interesting interiors always combine functional design with expressive and emotive art. The two disciplines are inextricably linked, influencing each other – and when successfully executed, they enhance each other.

Art can impact space without even being present. You don't have to own a piece to create a scheme led by art; furniture forms inspired by an Antony Gormley sculpture or a colour scheme dictated by a Paul Klee painting are evocative starting points for an interior.