Celerie Kemble’s childhood was in many ways a design tutorial spent around construction sites, antique stores, and in the unique homes designed by her mother and founder of Kemble Interiors Mimi McMakin. A graduand of Harvard, Celerie worked briefly in film production before quickly succumbing to what she calls a compulsion for design and the creation of thoughtful interiors that “put the person in the place.” Partnered with her mother in Palm Beach, Celerie established a design office in New York City and has spent the past fifteen years cultivating a portfolio of much publicized residential and commercial interiors that are as unique and diverse as her international clientele. The office has grown from a humble ¾-size office apartment in the West Village has to a vibrant and dynamic studio on 30th Street.
Known for her candor, humor and approachable design advice, Celerie published her first monograph Celerie Kemble: To Your Taste in 2008 and most recently authored Black and White: And and Bit in Between, which was released by Clarkson-Potter on November 1, 2011. Celerie has recently appeared in J.Crew’s ‘Real Women’ ads and alongside industry leaders in Benjamin Moore’s ‘Experts’ campaign. She has created to-the-trade fabrics and wallcoverings with F. Schumacher as well as a collection of wool and natural fibers (sisal, jute and abaca) floorcoverings with Merida Meridian. Celerie introduced a collection of furniture and upholstery for Henredon and accessories for Maitland-Smith at High Point Market in April 2013 (items will be available in stores in September 2013). She is currently working on an outdoor collection with Lane Venture.
Michael Boodro has said Kemble Interiors “incorporates the serendipitous and the sentimental without losing clarity or strength.” The firm’s success is a reflection of Celerie’s quirky design ethos, which balances the aesthetic integrity of the project with the needs and personality of the client. To create a successful interior, the process must feel well-managed, the client considered, and the budget respected. “In life and design, it is not perfection you should be after. There is beauty in the faded and worn, the well-loved, and the sentimental… After all, life has seams. Your home should be like a loosely woven fabric of desires, memories, practical, notions, and even compromises.” – Celerie Kemble
Celerie Kemble Collection for F. Schumacher & Co.
http://www.fschumacher.com/collections/celeriekemble.aspx
Celerie Kemble Collection for Merida:
http://www.meridameridian.com/celerie-kemble
Celerie Kemble for Henredon:
http://www.henredon.com
Celerie Kemble for Maitland-Smith:
http://www.maitland-smith.com
