In an age of flashy interiors and Instagram-ready spectacle, Robert Kime represented something else entirely: a philosophy of beauty that was subtle, timeless, and deeply humane. To his clients — among them King Charles III, the Duke of Beaufort, and generations of collectors and aesthetes — he was not just a decorator but a custodian of memory. His legacy, woven from antique textiles, weathered furniture, and scholarly restraint, is one of the most enduring in the story of English interiors.
A Scholar Turned Decorator
Born in Hampshire in 1946, Kime studied history at Oxford and might easily have remained a scholar. But his passion for collecting — first books, then antiques, then textiles — led him into the world of interiors. He opened a small shop in London in the 1970s, which became a destination for connoisseurs hunting for rare pieces.
Kime never advertised himself as a decorator. He was, at heart, a historian of objects. Every table, carpet, and fabric in his projects carried with it a story: a Provençal textile, an Anatolian rug, a Staffordshire chair, each chosen not for shock value but for resonance.
The Kime Aesthetic
What set Kime apart was his refusal to chase trends. His interiors were layered, lived-in, unpretentious — rooms that felt accumulated rather than designed. A Robert Kime interior was unmistakable: faded kilims underfoot, mellow antiques against plastered walls, lampshades in patterned fabric, a quiet palette of ochres, blues, and earth tones.
The effect was not nostalgic but reassuring. Kime understood that rooms should comfort as much as impress, that beauty is often found in patina rather than gloss. His genius was to make spaces look as though they had always been that way, their harmony effortless and inevitable.
Patronage and Royal Recognition
Kime’s reputation grew quietly but steadily. Word of mouth brought him commissions for country houses, London townhouses, and eventually royal residences. His work for Prince Charles at Clarence House was perhaps the most public recognition of his talents: a suite of interiors that balanced heritage with intimacy, grandeur with warmth.
Yet Kime never boasted of his clientele. Discretion was part of his ethos. He saw himself not as a decorator of the powerful, but as a steward of rooms — rooms that should outlast fashion and perhaps even memory.
A Collector’s Eye
Kime was also a dealer and tastemaker. His textile collections, drawn from his travels across the Middle East, Central Asia, and Europe, enriched not only his own projects but the wider field of design. His antique shop in Kensington became a pilgrimage site for decorators seeking that elusive blend of rarity and authenticity.
For Kime, collecting was a form of scholarship. He treated objects not as trophies but as evidence — of craft traditions, trade routes, cultural encounters. In this way, his interiors were also essays: arguments in favor of continuity, craftsmanship, and the poetry of the everyday.
Legacy and Influence
Robert Kime passed away in 2022, but his influence continues to shape interior design. Younger designers cite his layering, his use of textiles, his embrace of imperfection. The auction of his personal collection in 2023 at Dreweatts drew global attention, not only for the treasures on offer but for what they revealed: a life devoted to connoisseurship, curiosity, and quiet beauty.
In a design world that often prizes spectacle, Kime’s legacy is a reminder that the most powerful interiors whisper rather than shout. They invite you to linger, to notice, to feel at home.
Robert Kime: Selected Projects & Collections
- Clarence House, London – Kime’s most celebrated royal commission, blending regal tradition with domestic warmth.
Read more: http://www.royal.uk/clarence-house - Textile Collections – Kime’s legendary fabrics, inspired by travels across the Middle East and Europe.
Explore: http://www.robertkime.com/collections/fabrics - Antiques & Decorative Arts – His Kensington shop was a landmark for collectors of rare textiles, carpets, and furniture.
Archive: http://www.robertkime.com/collections - The Robert Kime Auction, 2023 (Dreweatts) – A landmark sale of his personal collection, offering insight into his lifelong connoisseurship.
Catalogue: http://www.dreweatts.com/robert-kime-collection
TL;DR
Robert Kime left behind no manifesto, no television show, no cult of personality. What he left were rooms — layered, comfortable, timeless. Rooms where history and intimacy coexist, where every object feels both particular and inevitable.
His legacy is not one of shock or novelty but of endurance. In the decades to come, his interiors will continue to stand as proof that true elegance lies not in fashion but in familiarity, not in excess but in atmosphere.
My World of Interiors 