Christie's South Kensington to offer collection of Tessa Kennedy

KOLKATA: On 18 March 2014, Christie's South Kensington will offer the collection of celebrated interior designer Tessa Kennedy within the sale of Interiors.

Tessa Kennedy is an international award-winning decorator to the stars who for the last 50 years has created interiors with a sense of grandeur and a hint of theatre for an impressive list of elite clients including Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, George Harrison, Pierce Brosnan, as well as significant commercial commissions for De Beers and world-renowned hotels such as Claridges and and The Berkeley.

She is perhaps best known for designing the Rivoli Bar at the Ritz which was re-instated in 2001 and for which she was awarded Designer of the Year. The collection features furniture from her Knightsbridge apartment as well as tokens from her glamorous life among film stars and celebrities.

A number of pieces in the collection were inherited from her grandmother Milica Popovic, whose brother was Dusan Popovic, one of the founders of Yugoslavia. Her apartment in Monte Carlo was a hub for social gatherings where Princess Grace, who was godmother to Kennedy's daughter Millica (her godfather was King Hussein of Jordan whose Middle Eastern influence can also be seen throughout the collection), and other members of the social elite gathered to watch the Grand Prix from her balcony.

A pair of Ormolu wall trophies, from Kennedy's grandmother's flat in Monte Carlo were brought back to the UK on Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton's private jet as they were too large to carry on a commercial plane (estimate: £2,500-4,000).

The biggest influence on Kennedy's collection was the ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev, whom she met at a party at the Royal Palace in Monte Carlo in the 1960s whilst visiting her grandmother, and whom was her best friend until his death in 1993. Kennedy designed her Amber Room in the Ritz Casino as homage to the great dancer.