Robert Kime, RIP

 Robert Kime has died.

7 February 1946 - 17 August 2022

“The house always has the last word. But I always have the first word”- RK

In his own collected home, decades of collecting, discovery, and history combined. His approach to decorating was not something one had a formula to follow. His emphasis was on that which brought one joy and comfort. Nothing was too precious that it could not be enjoyed or used, even if only for display. In his own collections, he held the objects with affection and his pleasure at having found the pieces was genuine. Each had a story, a history unto itself and to him personally.

"Collecting is just something I do, I can’t help it. I’ve just always done it. I think my passion about collecting, the interest in it, is really about the attraction I feel towards something. You get interested or learn about something you didn't know much about and then that attraction can begin. I have things I have had for 50 years that give me so much pleasure, that each time I see them, even daily, I see something new." -RK

Textiles were layered throughout his design as reflected in his own home (above). I was inspired to follow his lead and avoid matching textiles throughout a room, choosing rather to embrace a variety of textiles.

"My desire to collect was completely unconscious. If I am interested or become interested in something, maybe learn about it, then I might begin to collect it."-RK

"My philosophy around collecting is simply being open and interested; it happens very much in the moment and without a lot of second guessing. In my own flat, I have things around me that I have collected over the years or quite recently - and they all say something to me, I suppose. Putting the rooms together and moving things about is done more by intuition than by plan and the things I collect become a part of the story, the fabric of the rooms, which are not based on a system of perfection, but on liveability and comfort. You might have something modest next to something grand, each collected, but together they say something special. I like that. That has never changed for me."- RK

Kime researched, recreated, and reinterpreted textiles. His fabrics reflected history and the present. He brought together the patterns and the colors and the craftsmanship of old for the new market. 

Kime's attraction to blue and white pottery began in the 1980s when it was not as fashionable to collect. He bought them because they were beautiful. I share his sentiment.

"Collecting is, as always, about surrounding yourself with things that you love; things that somehow speak to you. This is my very simple way of thinking and talking about living and putting rooms together and about collecting too. I can see myself in what I collect. And I think if you look at what you buy, it tells you who you are. That is what collecting is to me – it confirms who I am. It tells my story."- RK

Clear floors. Room to walk about. But surfaces, the walls, the furniture, all layered in beautiful and interesting things.

When decorating other people's homes, he would often use pieces they owned. At heart a maximalist, Kime easily honored his clients wishes for more minimalist, less filled spaces. Still though, his textiles would give a nod to his handiwork and influence making a more sparsely decorated room have a stronger statement. 

When working with larger estates, Kime would often allow the architecture of the home to stand alone. His additions were meant to compliment, not hide the bones of the homes. His emphasis seems to have been at creating comfort and intimacy among the vaulted ceilings and grand size of manor houses.

His home was a living canvas. Rather than changing things seasonally, he chose to let the pieces determine the feel of the room. Changes would take place over time. Many pieces would remain throughout, some even moving homes as he spent his time at one place more than another. The bastard son's painting over the mantle is an example of a piece which he researched and fell in love with. It moved between walls and homes and kept Kime grounded in whatever space he called home at the time.

Vignettes make a space. They should be able to stand alone, separate from the space, yet work towards the overall feel of the room.

"Robert Kime, uniquely among decorators, has risen to eminence in the profession via antique dealing, textile collecting and an abiding passion for putting rooms together. His three strands of expertise run side by side as he creates decorating schemes for an illustrious, discreet and world-wide clientele."

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