Meet Our Next in Design Winners: Jessica Adams

A split-screen image showing interior designer Jessica Adams in a stylish living area on the left, and a close-up of a vibrant, textured bedroom design on the right. — (Image credit: Ursula Armstrong/Freya Llewellyn-Smith)

‘I’ve had a very good formative training, able to absorb all sorts of influences,’ says our Next in Design 2025 winner, Jessica Adams, founder of her eponymous studio. ‘From my time at Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler I’ve learned how to use muddy colors and grown a love of Arts and Crafts furniture, while from a stint at Cindy Leveson I was shown how to be commercially minded.’

Branching out on her own, Jessica’s decorative style has evolved, confidently spanning eras, crossing color palettes, and finishing every detail with a perfect layering of piping, trim, or other flourish. ‘Those extra elements make such a huge difference,’ Jessica says.

A cozy, rustic living room featuring vaulted ceilings with exposed timber beams and a central stone fireplace. The space is furnished with a burnt-orange sofa, patterned green armchairs, and a round glass coffee table on a neutral patterned rug. — Jessica is passionate about interiors with pretty flourishes.

Her key passion is making design accessible to more people, and she believes that even intricately layered interiors don’t have to be super expensive. ‘I know how to find something really beautiful from more affordable retailers like Heal’s and Zara Home and place them in such a way that they look a lot more expensive.’

Vintage Ikea pieces also often catch her eye, and she sells a beguiling curation of them and more traditional antiques through her website. ‘I’ve started buying a lot of upholstery, redoing the fabrics, and selling them on,’ she says of her multi-hyphenate approach to being a designer. ‘If I like it, I can be pretty sure someone else will, too.’

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Pip Rich is an interiors journalist and editor with 20 years' experience, having written for all of the UK's biggest titles. Most recently, he was the Global Editor in Chief of our sister brand, Livingetc, where he now continues in a consulting role as Executive Editor. Before that, he was acting editor of Homes & Gardens, and has held staff positions at Sunday Times Style, ELLE Decoration, Red and Grazia. He has written three books – his most recent, A New Leaf, looked at the homes of architects who had decorated with house plants. Over his career, he has interviewed pretty much every interior designer working today, soaking up their knowledge and wisdom so as to become an expert himself.