Set on a quiet lakeside property in Madison, Mississippi, this four-bedroom family home once carried the familiar weight of early-2000s traditional architecture — heavy wood tones, oversized volumes, interiors more imposing than inviting. For designer Claire Thompson, founder of her eponymous Mississippi-based studio, the project demanded more than updated finishes. It required rethinking how the house functioned for a modern family.
What was once dark and dated now feels calm, sculptural, and quietly dramatic — an interior shaped as much by thoughtful structural decisions as by material choices.
Throughout the project, Thompson returned repeatedly to a single guiding principle: warmth. “Modern homes can very easily become cold and uncomfortable,” she explains. “We wanted to ensure this home remained inviting and cozy.” Rather than leaning on traditional cues, she achieved that warmth through restraint — layering earthy tones, neutral textiles, and tactile materials into a clean-lined architectural framework.
But the project’s most significant change happened not in the palette. It happened in the walls.
Reworking the Architecture for Modern Living
The original living room was defined by a soaring double-height ceiling — a feature that initially read as impressive but ultimately proved impractical for everyday life. “We felt that the space was wasted,” Thompson says. “Lowering the ceiling to ten feet made the room feel much more intimate.”
The decision unlocked something unexpected. By reducing the vertical volume, Thompson and her team were able to introduce an entirely new level above the living room — a playroom and bunk room that gave three children a floor of their own. What might have been a simple renovation became a strategic reconfiguration of the home’s circulation and livability. Two existing upstairs bathrooms were reworked to support the new layout, transforming what had once been unused volume into some of the home’s most practical — and most loved — square footage.
Letting Stone Set the Tone
While the architectural revisions defined the layout, the home’s material story established its identity.
One of the earliest selections — made before many other design decisions were in place — was the Calacatta Viola marble used in the kitchen, sourced through Aria Stone Gallery in Dallas. That choice guided nearly every material decision that followed. “The Viola marble really became the focal point in the kitchen,” Thompson says. “With clean lines and simple elements, it creates so much interest and drama.”
Rather than relying on the wood flooring typical of Southern interiors, Thompson introduced large-format marble floors across the main living spaces — an unconventional move that immediately elevated the home’s atmosphere. “The client really wanted stone floors instead of wood,” she explains. “That particular marble felt right for the overall design goal. It created a more formal tone than wood would have.”
Additional stone moments appear throughout: Breccia Capraia at the fireplace, Calacatta Vagli in the primary bath. Balancing multiple statement stones required careful placement. “We were very conscious of how the marbles would relate to each other,” Thompson says. “Each one needed its own moment without competing.”
Softening Minimalism
With such bold stone selections, the risk of the interiors feeling overly formal was real. Thompson countered this through subtle contrasts — a white oak staircase introduces warmth and visual relief against the marble floors, while plaster walls in the primary bathroom temper the surrounding stone’s drama.
“We debated full marble walls,” Thompson recalls. “Ultimately, the plaster above the wainscot softens the space so the bathroom doesn’t feel overwhelming.” It’s a small decision with an outsized effect — the kind of restraint that separates a polished room from an oppressive one.
Textiles carry that same philosophy through the rest of the house. Custom upholstery, Schumacher wallcoverings, and neutral fabrics bring texture and warmth to rooms defined by sculptural materials. “All fabrics and furnishings were selected with family living in mind,” Thompson says. “Warm textures that will perform well over time.”
When Lighting Becomes Art
Rather than filling the home with traditional artwork, Thompson allowed lighting and materials to take center stage. Fixtures from Apparatus and Urban Electric punctuate the rooms like sculptural objects, adding dimension and personality while reinforcing the architectural rhythm of the spaces.
“There isn’t a lot of artwork throughout the home,” Thompson says. “We really allowed the lighting and the marbles to become the works of art.”
A Contemporary Direction, Still Rooted in Home
The finished residence leans decidedly contemporary — but it never loses its sense of warmth or livability. For Thompson, that balance is the project’s defining achievement.
“Going this contemporary while still staying true to my overall design style feels like a real success,” she reflects.
It’s a house designed not just to impress, but to live in: dramatic marble surfaces and sculptural lighting existing comfortably alongside a family of five, in a home that finally fits the life being lived inside it.
Sourcebook
Stone sourcing:
Lighting:
Textiles:
Credits:
Photography by Andrew Welch | @andrewwelchphoto
