ALL IS CALM

Christmas is a relaxed affair in this New England home, which is a study in laid-back elegance

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When the designer Mika Durrell first met her client, she was inspired by how elegantly she was dressed. ‘She is a beautiful woman who dresses in luxurious creams and tans and cognacs; the colours she chooses speak of elegance, but also an inner toughness and spunk. I took that impression and transformed it into the palette for the house. That’s how personal projects should be: your house is a reflection of yourself.’

The home is a new build on Martha’s Vineyard belonging to Mika's client, her partner and their grown-up twin daughters, who were about to go to university when Mika took on the project in 2019. The brief was to create a cosy, elegant space for the couple to enjoy in the new phase of their life, while still being welcoming for the girls when they came for holidays. ‘They wanted a home that was unique, sexy and comfortable,’ says Mika.