‘Timeless, relaxed elegance’ is the signature style of Nicky Summer Interiors. We find inspiration from travel, museums, galleries, books, architecture, hotels. You can’t be a good interior designer without knowledge of people and different cultures, and an understanding of the world…”
Nicky Summer, Founder, Nicky Summer Interiors pictured at Hotel 45 Park Lane, London
NICKY SUMMER is a luxury lifestyle designer with her own interior design company, Nicky Summer Interiors and collection of scented candles, Nicky Summer Bougie. Nicky operates between central London and the South of France, where her projects involve creating homes and events on behalf of high-profile clientele from the worlds of finance, entertainment, shipping, sport, and property. Here, we discuss her transition from modelling to events and, finally, interiors…
C&B: “Nicky, you have led a fascinating life – what brought you to where you are today?”
NS: “It’s a long but interconnected story. When I was modelling, I built an incredible address book – mainly when I was acting as an ambassador to the 007 franchise and travelling the world to all the major film festivals in that capacity. My social life brought me into contact with all the main players in Hollywood and across the business and social spectrum. I started an events company on that foundation, producing special events on behalf of brands including Alain Ducasse, M/V Savarona, Freuds, Anton Mosimann, Valentino, the YPO, Dolce & Gabbana, and Champagne Krug. When I launched my own-label product collection, that quickly evolved into styling homes, then fully renovating residential properties and yachts. Now my former event guests and clients are my interior clients – so it’s a very established business for very established names…”
London is where the majority of my business takes place – I work with developers, agents, and private property owners; the South of France is where the refurbs yachts and Alpine lodges take place. I love the buzz of a major city like Paris or London, and I also love the light and palm trees of the South where many of the major global travel and property congresses are staged and is home to the annual Cannes Film Festival – it’s the best of both worlds…”
Nicky Summer, Founder, Nicky Summer Interiors
C&B: “When you’re working with an international client list, how important is their culture to them?”
NS: “I’ve designed homes for clients from Britain, UAE, Belgium, Russia, France, and Hong Kong. Most have a very international outlook; however, they want their origins, their identity reflected through the artwork installed plus all their personal pieces such as photographs. More than at any time before in history, independent culture is vital to protect as it’s at severe risk of being compromised. Wokeism, political correctness, ‘religious tolerance’, ‘multiculturalism’, and ‘inclusion’ are complicating the issue. I visited Edinburgh not long ago for a long weekend, and I didn’t meet one Scot working in a hotel or restaurant – all were foreigners with newly-acquired Scottish accents, turning the city into a Disneyland version of the country. When a visitor travels to a destination, they want an authentic experience. France is vehement about this – despite the efforts of Macron to drag country into civil war; luckily we have David Lisnard, the Mayor of Cannes and strong Presidential candidate, with his finger on the pulse. Italy is more relaxed, though Giorgia Meloni is thankfully now tightening the reins; the UK is on the brink of losing its identity altogether in the face of mismanagement and complacency. Not so much cultures being ‘compromised’ as totally destroyed – everything our forefathers fought for. No borders, no country. Import third world, become third world. Lack of assimilation. Over-populating. Giving voting rights immediately on citizenship – all of it is a rolled up in one grave error. We’ve had a steady stream of the wrong people in charge in the UK for too long now, and many appear completely oblivious. It’s a tragedy watching what’s unfolding. So now, more then ever, my clients want a home that reflects a very strong sense of identity, no blurring of the edges…”
The most significant lifestyle events and interiors projects I’ve worked on across my career have been those on behalf of Ducasse; the ‘Say No To Drugs’ campaign for HM Government that I helped organise on behalf of Matthew Freud and of which HRH Princess Diana was the ambassador; the launch of M/V Savarona in Istanbul; all the penthouse properties in the new developments that line the Thames that I launched on behalf of the agents and St George plc; my involvement in the VIP launch of King’s Chelsea for Northacre; the villa refurbishment for international publisher and broadcaster Andrew Neil in Grasse; the penthouse in San Francisco I designed for a major British investor that featured on the front page of The San Francisco Chronicle; my first yacht refurbishment SY ‘Wonderful’ – they were all key as they unlocked the entrée into bigger and better projects in the same lifestyle sector…”
Nicky Summer, Founder, Nicky Summer Interiors
C&B: “What would you say separates elite hotels and clubs from mediocre ones?”
NS: “I’ve visited many stunning locations over the years, from Bali to Dubai to Tokyo to Monaco. Palace hotels are in a category of their own and set the benchmark due their strong identity and individuality – when you stay at the Aman in Bali, Balinese is all you get, not a mish-mash of other cultures. But, what really makes an impression is the level of service. The degree of personalisation their discerning clients or members receive. I became accustomed to that when I was travelling for modelling and acting, and even more so when I was on the inside of operations i.e., when my company was producing events on behalf of Alain Ducasse at his first outpost outside of France, Monte’s Private Members Club in London. The club was ahead of its time; however, Ducasse set culinary and service standards that hadn’t ever been met before in London. The Ducasse team set the tone, our joint guest list set the ambience, and my presence and styling set the warmth. We had VIPs and socialites such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Diana Ross, Tina Tuner, Danny Devito, Nicky Haslam, Tamara Mellon, Caroline Stanbury, the Graffs, and Buzz Aldrin come for cocktails, dinner, dancing, or parties. A blend of London society and Hollywood royalty. Our events were often the highlight of the social calendar. High standards, courtesy, a spirit of generosity, respect, a unique ambiance, a sense of fun, and an element of the unexpected are what set the tone and separate the elite from the rest…”
I love The Martinez in Cannes – beautifully refurbished, always a lovely welcome. In Monaco, The Maybourne Riviera – the suites are fantastic, and the views along the coastline are fabulous; the staff are exceptional. In Paris, Plaza Athénée (above, left) and Le Meurice – both are Dorchester Collection hotels, and that particular brand has been at the forefront of luxury hospitality for decades, with good reason. My top hoteliers would include Roland Fasel, now the President of Capella Hotel Group; François Delahaye, COO of The Dorchester Collection; and Yann Gillet, now General Manager for IHG Hotels & Resorts in the Caribbean – they always look after me in an exceptional way that has me raving about their properties to anyone and everyone I know…”
Nicky Summer, Founder, Nicky Summer Interiors
C&B: “Beside yourself and the launch parties and social occasions you organise, which names are top of your list for large-scale, major budget luxury events?”
NS: “Miami-based Colin Cowie for international extravaganzas – he’s, of course, legendary. If planning a fashion event or wedding in Italy: Diana Da Ros; if planning a destination event or wedding: NYC-based JoAnn Gregoli. From London: Party Planners and Banana Split. For ace photography: Greg Finck; Rodolfo Santos. For floral design, I always recommend Tomas de Bruyne, Rob van Helden, Larry Walshe, Ricky Paul, and Roni Fleurs – they all work internationally…”
C&B: “How is AI influencing your projects?”
NS: “AI can be useful as a tool for renders, drawings, layouts, concepts, and plans – however its research capabilities are dismal – it’s a font of misinformation. For example, it’s given me completely incorrect details regarding suppliers and also, while I was travelling, told me that England had won the World Cup and everyone was ‘dancing in the streets’ – one of ChatGPT’s famous ‘hallucinations’ which made me completely lose faith. So, I always double-check. I hope it improves…”
Health is fundamental, isn’t it? Unless you want to get sick and die early, you have to look after the machinery. If you want to operate at your best, you have to take care of yourself – the mind reflects the body. I deliberately put myself through hard things as it prepares me for difficulty in other areas of life. By that, I mean turning pescatarian 16 years ago, having a very clean diet, stopping all alcohol intake around 5 years ago, long water fasts, cold showers, tough workout sessions, and self-imposed isolation. These all lead to strength, clarity of mind and wellbeing inside and out, and an ability to deal with various pressures. Persistence, order and discipline are so important…”
Nicky Summer, Founder, Nicky Summer Interiors
C&B: “What projects are you currently working on?”
NS: “My team is currently preparing for the festive season, styling homes, mountain ski chalets, and hotels. I’m working on the branding of a superyacht and the decor of a high-end residence in central London. I’m putting together two digital books – one featuring top event planners around the world and another on fitness and wellbeing – and I’m planning a New Year’s dinner for friends in January…”
C&B: “Keys to your success in interiors?”
NS: “I view my clients from a holistic perspective – I take into account every detail that affects their life when I create their home. I live a similar lifestyle to my clients – if they reference a piece of art, a museum, or a hotel, I know what they’re talking about without having to look it up; they’re talking peer-to-peer and they know it. That leads to a total understanding of their lifestyle without having to be told – which is time saving in many ways and produces the perfect finish. Surrounding myself with the best collaborators and suppliers like Andrew Martin, Focus SB, Robert Clements flooring, Creative Wall Finishes, Sunbrella, Trowbridge Art Gallery, SEET London …”
Nicky Summer Bougie is our luxury home fragrance collection, featuring limited-edition, 100% natural artisan candles hand-poured in Paris. Each bespoke candle is individually numbered, dated, and signed, showcased in refined satin glass or ceramics and finished with hand-stamped wax seals and natural linen labels. The distinct scents are themed after high-end international travel and luxury destinations – such as ‘ASPEN – lodge’ (pine, vintage leather, woodsmoke) and ‘PARIS – chateau‘ (inspired by Versailles). Because these editions are artisanal, the collection is integrated into the main Nicky Summer Interiors website, with orders and specialised client enquiries handled directly through our office at info@nickysummer…”
Nicky Summer, Founder, Nicky Summer Interiors
C&B: “What would be your ideal lifestyle project for 2027?”
NS: “My dream project for the coming year would be the decor and ambience of a luxury boutique hotel. I know everything there is to know about hospitality from the perspective of the guest and from the viewpoint of the operator – what’s essential and what’s not. We often get asked in on consulting work to determine why a property is not selling or why a hotel is failing. Often, it’s purely a decorative choice, such as the wrong colour of wall covering, or an ambience misfire, such as no floral decor, bad lighting, and/or no warmth to the scheme. It would be great to design correctly from the start using all the expertise in hospitality and decor my team and I have accumulated over the years…”
C&B: “Give is a quote…”
NS: “When you look at the dark side, careful you must be, because the dark side looks back” (Yoda) – I get all negative people and negative circumstances out of my life as fast as humanly possible – misery is contagious…”
C&B: “Final question, what would you say is the one thing you’ve learned over the years that’s defined your transition from model to designer and underscored everything you’ve done?”
NS: “Having strong boundaries – I learned this quite late as I’d always been quite protected by my agent until I was in my 30’s. Having both personal and professional boundaries preserves your identity, your standards, your wellbeing, your profession, your finances and your safety. I used to operate under the belief that everyone was good-hearted and thought the same as me, but they don’t, and the world can be vicious, hierarchal and combative. Now, I’m a ‘one strike and you’re out’ kind of person. Some things are acceptable, and some are not. My mission has always been to create a more beautiful world based on what I’ve learned, and I fight for that daily – so that love, peace and beauty always endure…”
CONTACT: http://www.nickysummer.com
