'My goal is to create a tranquil place.' And designer Jess Cooney knows just how to fill even the busiest home with a sense of peace

Jess Cooney is a Massachusetts-based interior designer celebrated for her ability to merge timeless architecture with relaxed, modern living. Working primarily in the historic homes of the Berkshires, Jess has developed a reputation for creating spaces that feel both deeply grounded and effortlessly functional. With a background shaped by a busy family life - three children, countless visiting relatives, and a home that always seems full - she has a unique understanding of how design can help life feel calmer, more fluid, and more intentional.

Storage and flow are central to her philosophy, ensuring that homes can expand to host a bustling Thanksgiving gathering or contract back to an intimate retreat for two without losing a sense of tranquility. Known for her embrace of reclaimed materials, handcrafted finishes, and a reverence for patina, Jess creates homes full of soul, practicality, and enduring beauty. Here, she shares her thoughtful approach to designing for real life.

Your work often combines timeless architecture with relaxed, modern furnishings. How would you describe your overall decorative approach?

I grew up in a chaotic life and my goal is to create a tranquil place for my clients to live in so that maybe their lives won’t be so chaotic!

What makes a home tranquil for you?

The number one factor is storage, always. I have three kids, dogs, 15 nieces and nephews, and people come to my house all the time. I’m always thinking about the home will expand when they’re there, and contract when they’ve left. My clients usually have children in their 20s, who have normally left home, and so they are now thinking of a second home that will be a beautiful gathering place for the kids and eventual grandkids. When I’m done, it’ll function as a wonderful apartment for the two of them, and then expand to have 30 for thanksgiving, and then contract back again. So I think about everything from where are the two of them having breakfast to where is the washing machine located. I want to make it easy for them to hang out together, rather than it feeling like you’re in a cavernous home. It needs to be effortless, no matter how many are in it.

What sort of storage solutions do you always include, in that case?

I like to include ways to hold children accountable. If they have a designated place to put things, they will - if they don’t, they’ll just throw it on the floor. In our presentations, we include everything from ‘this is where your band aids will go’ to ‘this is where kids will dump wet towels.’ We plot a route from the pool or yard through the laundry and mudrooms, which ends up creating a sense of tranquillity in the home, and then the owners can relax. We want kids to be able to play, to get wet and muddy and to run around and have fun - that’s a life well lived - and then for that not to be an issue when they come back into the house.

You’ve spoken before about wanting homes to feel grounded and intentional. What are the first things you always consider when starting a project?

That sense comes from the base materials. Working in the older homes, we want the schemes to be really original to the home and to feel in keeping with the building. Sometimes we have to add floors and we find something that is reclaimed, from an old barn or from the UK like limestone pavers which already have a sense that they are patinated - used, even - not precious to anyone when they are installed. That historic feeling, layering with a bit of playfulness, definitely helps to ground the space, and helps people feel like it’s money well spent. Then, to bring plaster walls back in, that gives you a sense of grounding the home. In Europe people embrace patina, but in the US they tend to want everything to be shiny and clean. We’re educating the client that scratches and dings are ok, it’s just the first ones that are hard. I always say: sure, you could get the countertop buffed, but if you let it continue to patina it’ll somehow feel softer, and you won’t notice each scratch after a while.

Although you work with older homes, a lot of the furniture you use is more modern - how do you make them work?

I love older homes but on the furnishings I'm drawn to mid century pieces as they bring a bit of freshness. You can get a beautifully worn leather chair that still feels modern and unexpected but comfy and inviting. When you bring in vintage furnishings, mixed with newer pieces, there is a sense of soul that evolves in the space - it’s grounding and calming. I like to use 100 year old rugs - as they’re indestructible! It’ll withstand anything!

You also frequently use reclaimed wood beams and handcrafted tiles. What role do these tactile elements play in how a space feels?

The Berkshires themselves have an influence on me - seasons are so punctuated. Summer is hot, Spring is rainy and muddy, it goes below zero in the winter. Materials need to be built to withstand dramatic seasonal changes. Plus those reclaimed beams and handcrafted tiles are so timeless, the opposite of trendy, and they have a personality of their own, with so much soul.

It sounds like a lot of your work involves educating your clients. What advice do you often give them?

I’m always advising clients that not everything needs to be a showpiece. We have an opportunity to decide what will remain quiet, and what will be the showpiece. If every decision becomes a large, interesting decision - and trust me, not every decision should be - then it becomes too much. Pull back sometimes. Look for smaller moments in each room.

See more of Jess's work at Jess Cooney Interiors