Olivia Lewzey, PA to Kelly Hoppen, denies there is anything neutral about the interior designer who has been hailed as the queen of taupe. “She’s dynamic, hugely glamorous, kind, thoughtful and courteous,” Olivia says.

“As a boss, she knows when to drive me and when to take her foot off the pedal. Since working for her, I’ve become far more confident and she has helped me to flourish.”

After her convent boarding education, Olivia, 39, trained as a beauty therapist, working in salons and for Chanel. She went on to senior roles at Jo Malone and Liberty.

“But then I felt at a crossroads. I’d gone as far as I could in my career, and felt it was now or never to retrain. I’d been reading Crème for a couple of years and decided to fund myself through a secretarial course at Queen’s.

“Kelly’s previous PA was leaving. She had also trained at the college and advertised the position through the college network. Kelly and I are quite similar in that we both work on gut instinct and see situations through the same eyes. When we met, we completely clicked. I have now worked for her for six years and feel I have found my niche.

“It’s a full-on role, and not for the faint-hearted. I might have 20 things on my to-do list and then something else will crop up. I am involved in the whole of Kelly’s life, both private and professional. I do use a lot of discretion. In the office, I’m the first point of contact for everyone, and if Kelly isn’t around, we are always in touch via phone or BlackBerry.

“I book holidays and travel for her and her friends, and over the years have sent her to some exotic locations. She has properties in London and the country, and I’m responsible for their running and upkeep, which involves liaising daily with her housekeepers. Kelly also has an extremely busy social life and gets invited to a lot of parties.

“My favourite part of the job is interacting with the clients. Kelly always oversees everything and meets each client personally. They are very affluent and high-end. Kelly’s design is luxury: it’s minimalistic but liveable and not austere. Before I came here I was into colour, but now must say I actually prefer neutrals.”

Kelly has worked as an interior designer since her teens: “I was 16 when my father died,” she explains, “and it changed things. I didn’t want to stay at school. Untrained, I got a job doing someone’s kitchen, and since 1974 I’ve only taken a year off, when my daughter Natasha was born in 1983.”

The Hoppen hallmark style is restrained elegance, and Kelly has designed everything from yachts to private houses, and from restaurants to hotels. Her client base is truly international.

“My approach to design has never changed: a brand stays at the top when it owns its own philosophy,” she says. “Fads don’t do well and they don’t last. We’re a couture business. I’m often called the queen of taupe, but I have done pink and girly. Well, not necessarily girly. I’m here to create homes for people to live in, not to look at.” Kelly has written books on interior design, had commercial partnerships with the likes of Bhs and Debenhams, is involved in television projects, is looking at expanding into property and now employs a team of 24. Then there are the Hoppen products — everything from paint (the range is called Perfect Neutrals) to carpets and fabrics, plus shops in London and Dubai.

She says her PA is indispensable: “Every morning, Olivia and I sit down and plan out the day and look at the week. The biggest battle is finding time. She is my backbone. She gives honest feedback and is not afraid to tell me what she thinks. She runs my entire life.” Not an easy job when the boss is rarely out of the gossip columns, thanks in part to some high-profile boyfriends: “There are times when I just want to dig a hole, but I’ve learnt to deal with it — although it’s never easy coming out of a restaurant and being hounded by the press, particularly as they always portray me as a steely person. But you have to be tough to a certain degree.”

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