Talk Shop: Jessica Buckley // Jessica Buckley Interiors Ltd.
ABOUT JESSICA
We’re heading across the pond with this Talk Shop, featuring Scotland-based designer Jessica Buckley! After following Jessica on Instagram where we fell in love with her interiors and store, we knew we had to have the half-British, half-American designer on to talk some shop.
She established her namesake firm, Jessica Buckley Interiors, in 2011. Jessica’s fresh aesthetic is a result of a lifelong passion for beautifully decorated homes, and her appreciation for living in a home that you truly love. Her love of color and pattern continues to influence her design approach, inspiring an ability to combine styles from different eras and cultures to create sophisticated and elegant homes. Her projects include numerous family homes in London, Cheltenham, North Scotland and Edinburgh as well as international projects in Sydney, USA and Kuwait—along with managing her own store! We sat down with the multi-hyphenate, and hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Describe your style in three words or less:
Colourful, layered, comfortable
What have been the three biggest influences on your aesthetic in your life:
I was (& continue to be) influenced by being half American (my mother grew up in Lake Forest, IL) and I think that has shaped a lot of my views on interior style. I like clean fresh colours which the Americans do so well whereas many traditional English decorators prefer a slightly dirtier palette. I am finding myself increasingly drawn to murkier colours but too much leaves me feeling quite depressed!
Before I became an interior designer I lived in Central Asia for two and half years working in a completely different field. I remember seeing glorious ikats and suzanis in Uzbekistan and falling in love with their rich colours and fascinating history. Fast forward ten years and I now use these beautiful textiles in almost every project I do: they’re not about fashion or trends for me, but a way to add instant beauty and richness into your home.
I am also finding myself very much influenced by the English Country House look: having moved to the countryside myself a year ago I am becoming more and more interested in using classic chintzes and very traditional decorative flourishes such as gathered skirts on upholstered furniture and intricate curtain designs. More is more….
How did you start your company, and/or what is your favorite thing about what you do:
I started my company just over 10 years ago just after I finished a short interior design course at Sydney Design school. I’d decided to change careers & set up my own business: at the beginning I was so thrilled to be doing something I really loved that it made up for the fact that I didn’t have any clients or any experience… luckily the clients soon came. My favourite part of the job is the selection of fabrics: putting together schemes is such a joyful creative experience for me.
Do you have a mentor in your career, and if so, how have they helped to shape your trajectory:
I had a business mentor for 12 months who helped to reassure me that I was on the right track. Being an interior designer is different from being a good business person and of course the idea is that you want to be both. A business mentor has helped me to focus more on the bigger picture of the company and where I want it to be in 1, 5 and 20 years time.
What does your home say about you:
My home currently says very little about me as I just moved to a new home about 12 months ago just as the UK was shutting down with the coronavirus pandemic. We were amazingly lucky that the sale went through! I lived with only a few pieces of furniture that I’d managed to get out of storage for several months until lockdown measures eased. Now we have everything here and I am slowly going through each room editing what to keep and what to change and what to sell on. I am hoping that once I’m done my home will reflect my love of colour and pattern, of pretty textiles and handsome furniture. I hope it’ll be a home where guests feel comfortable and welcome.
Where do you find inspiration:
Mostly from design books, of which I have a pretty sizeable collection. I love a daily scroll through Instagram but I find that after a while it becomes a bit of a blur and I stop properly seeing what I’m looking at. A good design book is something I linger over and savour: I often put tabs on pages to revisit at a later date and I’ll find myself getting inspired all over again. My favourites are Lisa Fine’s Far & Away and Mark Sike’s Beautiful, as well as Susanna Salk’s clever book “At home in the English countryside: Designers & their dogs” and Jenny Rose Innes’ “British Designers At Home”. It really does feel like you have a special invitation to visit the homes of some of the most inspiring designers’ homes… I pore over them and absorb every detail.
Who are your style icons:
I admire Carolina Irving’s insouciant style: I think she could do almost anything and make it look magical and effortless. I also love British designers Sarah Vanrenen & her business partner Louisa Greville-William’s style: I think I save every image of every project they do into my inspiration file. They design very easy comfortable houses: the types you actually want to live in and relax in and be yourself in. Perfection.
What are your key ingredients for entertaining:
I always make sure that I make an effort to cook something that I think guests will appreciate & find utterly delicious: sometimes that means going the extra mile to do something elaborate and sometimes it’s kept very deliberately simple. I am not one for showy dishes but I do like guests to feel like they are taken care of and made to feel special.
If we have guests to stay I make sure that their bed is made up as beautifully as possible: freshly laundered & freshly ironed sheets, cosy blankets and the softest most luxurious pillows are all “essentials” in my book. I’ll pick flowers from the garden and place a little vase of them by the bed.
And, of course, a well stocked cellar!
Do you collect anything:
I have a penchant for beautiful match strikers although since we now sell them at my shop I feel less need to buy more for myself: I get to enjoy looking at the ones we have for sale! I find them not only pretty but very glamorous too: they speak to me of candlelit evenings, parties and good times.
I also collect table linens: my husband teases me about the stacks of napkins we have...
Favorite Instagram accounts to follow for inspiration:
Oh there are so many! But here are a few that you may not have heard of or be so familiar with:
@vanrenengwdesigns - aforementioned beautiful designs
@vsp_interiors - for very smart traditional decor, Henriette’s instagram is hard to beat
@skyemcalpine - for delicious recipe ideas
What design “rule” do you always follow, and which is made to be broken:
You will never see me karate-chop a pillow or place it on its point like a diamond - an absolute no-no without exception as far as I'm concerned!
On the other hand the rule about having to place all pieces of furniture either wholly on or off a rug is one I break all the time.
What are you working on right now:
We have about twenty projects ongoing at the moment at various different stages of completion. We’re just about to sign off on a beautiful family home which is large but has a wonderfully homely feel: nothing is too grand or over the top. We’re using lots of relaxed fabrics: printed linens and a custom hand blocked wallpaper for the main bedroom: special but nothing showy.
I’m going to go see a new client next month in the south of England who has recently bought the most beautiful looking house which requires a full renovation: it sounds like a really interesting project and has definitely piqued my interest. I’m always excited to see what’s coming along next.
Wardrobe staples:
Living in Scotland means that staying warm is a necessity so I have a modest collection of cashmere sweaters. My favourite is a camel coloured one from Vince which is super soft & comfortable and looks great with pretty much everything. I am a huge fan of the rather granny-ish Ferragamo Varina flats and have amassed a small collection of those too - I love a good flat.
Favorite fabric/wallpaper:
Fermoie’s range of printed linens is so great that it’s hard not to use it in a project. It looks and feels great in almost every style of home and the colour range is fantastic. I also love a good linen velvet which I think strikes the right balance between smart and relaxed - I think it goes either way.
My absolute favourite fabrics of all time are Bennison’s “Paradise” and Robert Kime’s “Indian Pear”.... And maybe Soane Britain’s “Jajim Stripe” - all timeless, in my view. British designer Flora Soames has a very lovely fabric range and her “Honeycomb” weave is very usable.
Best interior advice you ever received:
A very good friend of mine (who is now also part of my team) used to work for the great British decorating firm John Fowler & Sibyl Colefax, where one is taught how to do things “properly”. Whilst I find it freeing not to be constrained by other people’s notions of what’s right and what’s wrong, I have certainly enjoyed the benefit of wisdom passed down from previous generations of truly great decorators to my friend - who in turn, has passed it on to me. ⅝” is the perfect depth of contrast heading for a curtain whereas ⅜” is just right for the leading edge is an example of her advice that I use all the time
Best career advice you ever received:
Having worked in a previous career where I felt I was simply going through the motions, I am absolutely passionate about what I do now and wouldn’t change it for anything. I remember reading career advice to do something you truly love, something that makes you feel alive - I couldn’t agree more.
Types of home purchases you invest in, and save on:
A well-built sofa can last a lifetime and if you invest in nothing else then this should be it. I also love to buy beautiful lampshades so I think they’re worth investing in but I could quite happily live with an inexpensive lamp base. A good shade will elevate an inexpensive base, but not so much the other way around.
Your greatest extravagance:
I haven’t yet ordered it up but I am planning on using Soane Britain’s Dianthus Chintz wallpaper for my dressing room. That will be a serious indulgence!
Favorite places to shop for home:
Apart from our own store (www.shopjessicabuckley.co.uk) you mean?! I also like to buy from Decorative Collective for antiques, Cutter Brooks for relaxed table linens, Carolina Irving & Daughters for ceramic tableware and beautiful cushions and textiles from Nushka.
Most prized possession and why:
My engagement and wedding rings: not only for their beauty but of course for their deeply personal meaning.
Your interiors motto:
Home is everything. Why not make it beautiful?
Your life motto:
Fortune favours the brave (& it really does!)
Advice for someone looking to define their own interior style:
Keep your sphere of influence wide so that you continue to refine and hone your sense of style. Counter-intuitively, I think the more people you’re influenced by, the more individual your own personal style becomes.
Take Ten: My Favorite…
Food: I love steak frites and will always order this whenever I’m in Paris as the French seem to get it just right every time. Cinnamon rolls are also a weakness… hot & fresh from the oven
Drink: It’s hard to say no to a really lovely glass of champagne!
Film: Something’s Gotta Give or Four Weddings and a Funeral - classics!
Hotel: Bastide de Marie in Provence is completely charming
City: Seville - I honeymooned here and loved its very charming pace. NYC is also up there.
Bedding: I have a beautiful eiderdown on my bed which is the perfect weight & used year-round. For bed linens I love 100% linen sheets from either Trove by Studio Duggan or The White Company.
Tea or Coffee (and how do you take it): I start with a cup of tea first thing: English Breakfast with a splash of milk, made by my husband & brought to me in bed if I’m really lucky. By mid morning I am desperate for coffee & have either a cappuccino or a flat white.
Playlist: I have the same songs I downloaded several years ago rotating on repeat. I keep meaning to update it but it somehow never becomes a priority.
Weekend Activity: Arranging flowers cut from the garden, shopping for antiques & hosting friends for dinner
Design Book: “At home in the English countryside: Designers & their dogs” by Susanna Salk