Meet Our Next in Design Winners: Jessica Summer

Jessica's look is classically British but never stuffy, balancing timeless design with color, pattern, and texture to create rooms that feel perfectly on trend for right now

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A split-screen image showing interior designer Jessica Summer in a white shirt on the left, and a warm-toned living room she designed on the right
(Image credit: Jessica Summer)

Montecito, California, might seem a bit off the beaten track for a UK-based interior designer, but a homeowner there sought out our Next in Design Winner, Jessica Summer, founder of her eponymous studio, because she ‘loved English antiques and the pared-back British look’, Jessica says.

In fact, that sums up Jessica’s approach – after working for six years at Rose Uniacke’s studio, she has a strong understanding of historical furniture and how to balance color and pattern with texture.

A warm-toned living room with ochre walls features a yellow velvet sofa, a large vintage painting hanging on a rail, and an ottoman coffee table in front of tall bay windows

A gold-tinted living room Jessica designed in Notting Hill

(Image credit: Jessica Summer)

The rest of Jessica’s projects are in the UK, often in period homes, which she uses as the starting point for her upscale contemporary schemes. ‘We do a lot of research on the paneling that would work for a house of that era, or the millwork that would have been used, and find ways to incorporate those details respectfully into the design.’

Her favorite part of the job is working with highly skilled craftspeople, and she’s assembled a team of experts to elevate her work: James Bowyer for furniture, who makes ‘bespoke masterpieces’, Butcher for plasterwork (‘the molding is second to none’), and James Price for metalwork.

‘It’s wonderful to have people with such invaluable knowledge that you can turn to for advice,' says Jessica – encapsulating why clients so readily seek her out for their homes.

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Pip Rich
Pip Rich

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.