The Eye of a Designer

Homeowners take inspiration from the work of professional designers. Where do interior designers find theirs?

- KELLY SIEMPELKAMP & SAMANTHA STEVENSON

Jessie Miller, of Jessie D. Miller Design, was charmed by this stylish kitchen made by Chicago-based firm Summer Thornton Design. Framed in white-painted brick, with touches of rustic and fine woods throughout, the design represents a departure for Thornton, who’s known for her use of color and feminine florals. Here, however, her facility for blending styles and materials is beautifully on display. “The range of finishes is balanced and nothing feels too designed,” Miller says. That effortlessness, coupled with a deep sense of luxury, creates intimacy even though the space is large: “I love the adjoining sunroom. I can imagine sitting there and having my coffee in the morning,” says Miller. The island resembles a piece of antique furniture, and conjures up the image of a family “baking Christmas cookies there together,” she says. “Overall, the kitchen appears as if it’s been there for years.” It’s a sensory space, says Miller, “which I think is what cooking’s all about.”