Summer’s Interior Design Studio in Chicago
Summer Thornton’s Chicago interior design office occupies a historic 1877 Victorian in Lincoln Park, restored and redesigned to reflect her bold, layered approach to design. Featured in Architectural Digest, the studio embraces its historic architecture through a thoughtful renovation paired with plenty of Summer’s maximalist flair for color and pattern. Upon arrival you’re greeted by a hand-painted de Gournay wallcovering designed by Summer and each room that follows reveals playful twists on traditional design.
“Wrapped in a floral pattern, the adjacent front parlor is where employees can find inspiration perusing the many design books and magazines.”
Architectural DigestInside, terrazzo floors, dual-toned green-carpeted stairs, and custom wallcoverings by de Gournay and Pierre Frey set the stage for a mix of classical, folk, and whimsical details in her unique take on office interior design.
From candy-colored pagoda pendants in the entry to a Noguchi lantern over the conference table, every space showcases the fearless combinations and playful spirit that define the firm’s work. Surely, this has to be one of the most beautiful interior design offices in America. The design has been featured in Architectural Digest.
“After renting the top floor for several years, she decided to buy and restore the entire building—taking over the ground-floor bridal shop, digging a fortified foundation, and making updates in two phases amid client commissions.”
Architectural Digest
ChicagoEvery space showcases the fearless combinations and playful spirit that define the firm’s work.
“Intended as both a showcase for client meetings and a home base for Thornton and her team, the space couldn’t fall a millimeter short of her exacting standards. Must-haves included the materials library, lined in oak shelving, and beyond it the conference room, which—despite its silvered ceiling treatment and Chinese Art Deco rug—is the office’s most subdued expanse, a place to spread out samples for projects like Casa Rosada, the full-service rental villa she recently completed in Sayulita, Mexico.”
Architectural Digest“In some ways, I never feel like a grown-up myself.”
SUMMER THORNTON
“The Chicago-based interior designer Summer Thornton has built her name as a virtuosic mixer of color and pattern. But at times she must reserve her most daring concepts for herself.”
Architectural Digest