Two years ago, Ashlee Simpson-Ross and her family took a weekend getaway to Palm Desert, California, where they stayed at Kempa Villa, a private resort-style property from Kempa Collection, the luxury vacation rental company. “I fell in love with the brand’s serenity and continuity at Kempa Villa,” she says. “I wanted to bottle that up and take it home with me.”
The platinum-selling singer and actress is now helping other vacationers do just that, as last year she became creative director of Kempa Home. Simpson-Ross is overseeing and curating the brand’s new home goods line, which features an assortment of furniture and accessories, from modular chairs and handwoven jute rugs to bamboo cutting boards and lection’s properties serve as showrooms of sorts. Guests only have to scan QR codes and click “purchase” for a sofa, a skillet, or a bathrobe to be shipped to their homes—potentially before they even get back themselves. (The goods are also available online.)
“I believe that traveling is so inspirational for curating your home,” says Simpson-Ross, who lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Evan Ross, and their three children. “It tells your unique story.” It’s no surprise, then, that she drew inspiration from her own travels for the home goods collection. One of her favorite pieces is the Kai Bali Floor Mirror, which can be found at the Kempa Kai in Grand Cayman. “That was inspired by my honeymoon,” Simpson-Ross says. “It brings such a Zen feeling. I’m always drawn to a bohemian, eclectic style, and these pieces beautifully illustrate that aesthetic, while also transitioning from season to season.” Many of the items she has procured for Kempa Home speak to the landscapes and general vibes of her retreats. For example, the Hot Stone Wall Piece, a 48-inch oil painting featuring minimalist shapes in earth and sunset tones, recalls the austere surroundings of Palm Desert’s Kempa Villa.
While Kempa Collection’s properties are undoubtedly luxurious—the privately staffed Kempa Park mansion in Orlando, for one, spans 12,000 feet and sleeps up to 32—Kempa Home and Simpson-Ross are committed to both affordability and eschewing trends, so that the products appeal to a large audience. “As creative director, my primary focal point is ensuring the line maintains a balance between classic and timeless, blended with unique and sometimes limited-edition pieces,” she says.
One item that’s certainly timeless is Kempa Home’s signature mattress, which grants the one wish we all share—to sleep as well at home as we do on vacation. “For me,” Simpson-Ross says, “a place where I can cozy up with my family is key to making a home a home.”
