An Elegant English Country House Designed by Jessica Summer

a large warm open kitchen and living room in a Georgian home with dark green cabinetry and AGA cooker seen through kitchen doors, an antique wood table and chairs sit in front — (Image credit: Jessica Summer / Styling Katie Phillips / Photography Jake Curtis)

Four years ago, the interior designer Jessica Summer received a rather inauspicious email from a client about a house renovation in the southeast English countryside. She was traveling and hadn’t replied straightaway; luckily, they emailed again, promising 'I’d want to get involved, Jessica says. A year and a half later and 'we were standing on this massive construction site with half the house missing and new walls going up'. It was only then that the client confessed 'she’d possibly undersold what a challenge it would be,' says Jessica

a warm deep yellow living room with grand georgian windows, neutral slip covered sofa and armchairs, marble coffee table, antique stools and chandelier — **Living Room:** Walls were painted using three tones of yellow built up in washes to give the softness of limewash. Sofa; antique ebonised chair; vintage coffee table; antique chandelier, all client’s own. Maison Jansen stool, Rose Tarlow. Armchair, Rose Uniacke. Cushions, Fortuny and in a George Spencer Designs velvet in Fox. 19th-century table, Drew Pritchard. Curtains in Gomas in Ginger, Nya Nordiska

Having spent time in the wife’s family home during Covid with their four boys, the then London-based couple decided to decamp permanently to the Home Counties in the South East of England after taking over the house from her parents. Working in collaboration with Russell Taylor Architects, the plan was to add 30 percent more to the already substantial four-floor late 1800s house, including a big back extension with a fully glazed orangery, while also updating the interiors with fresh new schemes and finishes. 'It wasn’t in a terrible state, but having been done in the 90s, it was a bit dated,' Jessica recalls. 'It was the biggest project I’d undertaken at that time.'

a large cozy sitting area in a grand orangery with french doors and windows styled with a green velvet sofa, ottoman in the middle, two mismatched arm chairs and a vintage bookcase — **Orangery:** The palette harmonizes with the garden views. Studio Atkinson sofa in a Rose Uniacke Moss velvet. Ottoman, Dean Antiques. Natan club chair, am designs in a Mark Alexander linen. Bergère chair, Pearse Lukies Antiques. Rug, Tim Page Carpets. Curtains in a Warris Vianni linen. Table (behind sofa), bespoke. Table (next to club chair), Nimmo & Spooner. Table (beside wood chair), Brownrigg. Pendant, Richard Taylor Designs. Cushions, Fortuny

'It didn’t feel like it needed the full country house treatment of patterns and whimsy,' says Jessica of its neat, chic feel that was more generous Belgravia townhouse than rambling country pile. So instead, the designer wove a sense of 'unfussy modernity' throughout the six bedrooms, four bathrooms, two dressing rooms and home office by pitting characterful antiques and luxurious textures that 'didn’t feel overly traditional' against a gentle backdrop of knocked-back, earthy hues echoing the natural shades of the rural landscape outside.

a warm beige painted kitchen with an oak wooden island, a black vintage credenza style unit with mini sink and crockery storage — **Kitchen:** Bespoke pieces make this space characterful. Ebonised cabinet, design by Jessica Summer; made by London Design Collaborative. Island, designed by Jessica Summer; made by James Bowyer. Hardware, Taylors Architectural. Worktops in Belgian Blue stone. Lantern, Rose Uniacke. Flagstones, Artorius Faber

Restoring cornicing, architraves and skirting boards, while laying mottled English flagstones to complement the existing heavily patinated parquet flooring, 'added a lot more interest and depth to the flat, too crisp feel left over from the previous renovation,' the designer explains. A discerning empathy for marrying the past with the present stems from Jessica’s studies in interior and architectural history. 'It opened my eyes to the beauty of architecture and design,' she says.

Working tonally is essential to Jessica’s ethos. 'Many of the rooms are intentionally light on pattern, choosing to introduce stronger color through either the upholstery or curtains, not both,' she says. Here, long volumes of slubby matka silk, supple glazed linen and sumptuous cotton velvet 'read almost like elegant, fluted columns framing the windows and front door.'

Pattern, too, has been used sparingly so as not to interfere with the feeling of sanctuary; instead, it comes through personal effects such as waku (canoe) paddles and wall hangings decorated with Māori motifs, and textures such as rush, rattan, chunky jute and grainy or burr woods. Meanwhile, 'the power of antiques' sourced by Jessica, teamed with the family’s inherited pieces, brings a pleasing 'collected rather than curated feel.'

Stylish, robustly practical custom pieces elevate many of the rooms, like the cabinet-cum-bar (complete with mini fridge) in the orangery, the ebonized butler’s pantry fitted with a modern sink and Quooker tap, and double-sided central chest-of-drawers in the dressing room. 'We started to look for an old kitchen dresser and antique bar cabinet, but I just knew they needed to fit and function perfectly, so we had them made,' she says.

a light sage green painted bedroom with wall moldings, a large neutral bed styled with loose linens, a green throw, and striped bolster pillow — **Bedroom:** The pale verdigris hue was key to creating a sense of sanctuary and soothing escape. Walls in Garden Party Green, Atelier Ellis. Vintage linen bed and headboard, Guinevere London. Vintage linen bedspread, cushion in Delphina II linen, Rogers & Goffigon. Oak bedside drawers, Regent Antiques. Lamp, Vaughan. Custom moldings, designed by Jessica Summer; made by Master Arts Plastering. Curtain fabric and rug, both Schumacher

The same with lighting. 'Finding pairs of antique lights is always so difficult’ says Jessica; so alongside a few inherited crystal chandeliers, there are contemporary Hector Finch lanterns, Jamb sconces and antiqued iron oak leaf pendants in the dining space and orangery that 'really resonate with the views through the vast windows of the woodlands outside.'

a moody green bathroom with large floor to ceiling georgian windows, a copper freestanding bathtub, chandelier, stone floors and antique furniture — **Bathroom:** Details from the bedroom are echoed here, creating the sense of one generous suite. Bath, taps and towel rail, Drummonds. Chair, Kernow Furniture. Curtains in Schumacher fabric

The relaxed feeling in every room, despite the generous proportions, comes from Jessica’s belief that things shouldn’t look too tidy 'because the house had a neatness to it already that needed rustling up bit,' she says. Together, the effect is that 'everything works to deliver a wonderful, warm atmosphere', much like a cosseting – if sophisticated and timeless – hug.

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For more than two decades, lifestyle journalist, international contributing editor and author Fiona McCarthy has been covering interiors, gardens, fashion, beauty, food and travel for leading newspapers, design titles and independent publications around the world, especially the UK, Australia and US. Whether it’s writing about a designer or owner’s thought process behind creating a unique interior, the ethos for a new table or chair, or the incredible craftsmanship of an artist or maker, Fiona’s particular passion is getting to the emotional heart of a story, understanding what makes a new idea or space relevant, and important, for now.