A LABOUR OF LOVE
Using her creative touch, Summer Thornton brought a contemporary bohemian feel to her 1930s house
How a designer and illustrator used her flair for design to add a wonderfully bohemian touch to this 1930s semi in London
Designer and illustrator Summer Thornton and her partner Neal Williams were viewing houses in Norfolk, near Summer’s parents, when they got a call about a property in London. ‘It was a house we’d been interested in that had gone under offer to another buyer,’ says Summer. ‘That sale fell through, so we rushed to see it. We made an offer after only one viewing as we thought we could move to Norfolk in the future.’
The property had been well looked after, so the couple and their son, Hudson, now nine, were able to take their time before beginning renovations. ‘We were lucky that the house was perfectly liveable in,’ says Summer. ‘The former owners had decorated everywhere, it just wasn’t to our taste. There were chandeliers and cream carpets throughout, and lots of wallpaper.’
Over the next two years, Summer and Neal laid new flooring and stripped wallpaper. ‘The carpets were the first things to go,’ says Summer. ‘We are quite outdoorsy, so our house can’t be too
LESSON LEARNT ‘I found out how important budgeting was – where to spend and where to save’
precious. We went for Scandi-style whitewashed boards, cosied up with rugs. I wanted to freshen everywhere up, and start again,’ she says, ‘so we began with brilliant white for the walls as a blank canvas. We then introduced colour slowly, going for different shades of grey.’
The house quickly went up in value, and the couple were able to remortgage to fund building work to extend their small, galley kitchen and create a larger space with bifold doors leading out onto the garden. Mindful of budget, Summer also had to decide where to splurge, and where to save. ‘The bifold doors were a big expense. I bought all my light switches from Dowsing and Reynolds, because I think it’s worth paying attention to those details. But other things, I’d try and find more cheaply. The beaded chandelier in our bedroom was from Marks and Spencer, hundreds of pounds cheaper than one I’d seen in a magazine.’
‘I really enjoyed the whole process,’ says Summer, who posted a record of the changes
on Instagram at @summer_thornton. ‘It was such a relief to start the building work as I was so fed up with our tiny kitchen.’ Once the structural work was underway, Summer spent time choosing accessories. ‘I think it’s the attention to detail that pulls a look together. I did a moodboard for every room in the house, recreating it on my computer so I could really visualise what the room would look like.’
Summer’s love of clean, Scandinavian design shines through, but is offset throughout the property by bohemian touches and quirky accessories. ‘I feel like I’ve managed to merge a few different styles,’ she says. ‘A bit Scandi, a bit boho, and I also like a bit of dark thrown in. I couldn’t live in a house where everything’s white – colour definitely makes me happy.’
Now the major renovations are finished, Summer is moving on to her next project. ‘I can’t stop!’ she says. ‘My mission is to take every part of my house, every nook and cranny, and make it as lovely as possible.’