Caroline Kamp

I’m a writer and gardener based in Surrey, UK.

I am fascinated by the power of design to influence how we feel about a space, often without us even realising it. My interest in interiors, design and gardens has lead me from journalism to garden design and back again.

I have a post graduate diploma in Garden Design from KLC School of Design, London and gained my practical experience in the gardens at Hampton Court Palace and as a volunteer gardener at Gravetye Manor in Sussex, a historically significant garden. I ran my own garden design practice from my home in Surrey for five years, until 2022.

Before I set up my own business I was a freelance journalist. I spent several years as an associate editor on The Independent Magazine (Saturday) where I was responsible for all the design and interiors features. I went freelance after my children were born (I have two teenage sons) and since then have contributed to national and international publications. I post mostly plant related pics on my Instagram

Most recently I have become interested in the therapeutic side of gardens and gardening. For me it is the act of gardening, the camaraderie of working with others and the joy of being outdoors and in tune with the seasons that is so powerful, and quite literally grounding. I volunteer once a week with a brilliant local charity called The Patchworking Garden Project which runs a community garden in which supported and supporting gardeners work alongside each other. In 2022 I did the Social and Therapeutic Horticulture Practice course with leading UK gardening charity Thrive which was fascinating.

This website contains some archive design journalism blog posts and my published articles from Financial Times, The Telegraph, The Independent, The i Paper, The London Magazine, Alto Magazine, OnOffice Magazine, Studio Magazine. I was on staff for several years at The Independent newspaper as an Associate Editor on the Saturday Magazine writing features, doing interviews and commissioning writers. 

My design journalism for the Financial Times is hidden behind the paywall, but here's a link. I've had a monthly design column on The London Magazine and written features Will Fisher and Charlotte Freemantle of Jamb, The New Rich Living: Inside the high net worth home, Stephen and Flo Bayley: At Home.

Some of my design journalism from The Independent newspaper: Stay the Night: Baixa House, Lisbon hotel review , Modern Vintage: Emily Chalmers interview , William Morris: A Victorian Radical , Golden Age Of Design: Yves Behar interview , Kids.Modern: Design For Children , Living In The Barbican: Jeweller Lesley Craze , Back To Basics With The Baileys , Margaret Howell's Sixties Bolthole , Chrystina Schmidt of Skandium: At Home