If You’re Looking for More Joy at Home, Then You’ll Love This Designer Collaboration
Textile and home furnishings designer Annie Selke has teamed up with her fair share of other companies, artists, and craftspeople on home decor products and accessories for her eponymous brand. Two years ago though, when she was asked if she could collaborate with anyone in the world, her answer was resounding: British designer and hotelier Kit Kemp, best known for her whimsical Firmdale hospitality projects around the globe. Finally, that moment has come, with the release of a new spring line, where Kemp distilled her love of the London, New York, and the Barbados into a joyfully exuberant, colorful collection of rugs, pillows, bedding, and rug ottomans inspired by time spent in these locales.
The entire collection, which launched earlier this month and was a product of many a collaborative Zoom sessions, encompasses over 50 products and on the whole is an exercise in pattern mixing and bold pops of color. There’s truly something for everyone in this offering, and you can certainly browse and shop by city, as each of these categories have slightly different aesthetics. The New York products skew a little more abstract, while the London products embody quintessentially British quirk with their traditional herringbone, stripe, and zigzag patterns. The Barbados pieces have the wildest palette, because, as Kemp puts it, in this location, “the hotter the color, the better it looks.”
Selke herself is perhaps best known for her fabulous and practical rugs, and this collection definitely doesn’t disappoint. You’ll find woven, knotted, and tufted by hand options in funky, geometric patterns, all of which come in small and large sizes. The Hotline Multi Woven Wool Rug is a standout for me; as a flatweave kilim, I know it’ll stand up to tons of use and be super-easy to clean. Some of the styles are also made of recycled PET and are rated for indoor/outdoor use as well, which ups their durability.
If you’re looking for a spring refresh of your bedroom, the bedding offerings are particularly striking, too, especially if you like a more maximalist space. Choose from a variety of coverlets as well as hand-embroidered decorative pillows, all of which mix beautifully with white or otherwise neutral solid bedding.
When asked about how the collection came to fruition, Selke said she felt like the world was ready for some color and joy in the wake of COVID-19. That’s exactly why she reached out to Kemp, whose signature style has always consisted of januty prints in sunny palettes. “After the two years we’ve all been through, it’s the right time and moment for some color,” says Selke. “But we have some quiet moments, too, and it all layers beautifully.”
Prices start at around $100, and the items are available for order currently. Ric-rac, a trim that Kemp is known for working with, is also part of this collection.