Interior Design Seniors Transform Home for Annual Designer Showhouse

Wed, 10/21/2026 - 10:38am | By: Morgan Smith

Senior interior design students at The University of Southern Mississippi’s School of Construction and Design put their skills to work this fall, transforming an empty new-construction home into a fully designed space in just 3½ weeks for the seventh annual Designer Showhouse.

The project gives students the opportunity to take what they have learned throughout the Interior Design program and apply it to a real project before graduation. Working alongside local design mentors and about 12 area businesses, students selected furnishings and décor, worked through design decisions and prepared the home for public tours.

For the seniors, that meant working with real spaces, deadlines and industry professionals while seeing a project through from start to finish.

“The Designer Showhouse puts students in real-world situations that professional interior designers experience daily, such as selections becoming unavailable, schedules needing to be coordinated and design decisions needing to be revised quickly,” said Claire Hamilton, associate professor in interior design. “They learn to communicate with vendors and mentors, work as a team and deliver a finished project by a firm, quick deadline. That experience brings Southern Miss’ ‘Ready for Life’ vision into practice.”

Each student brought their own design style to their assigned space while also working together to ensure the home felt cohesive. That collaboration was especially important in adjoining spaces, such as the living room and kitchen, where individual designs had to complement one another.

In the final days leading up to the Showhouse, students worked late into the evening putting the finishing touches on their spaces and preparing the home to open to the public.

The finished Showhouse opened to the public Sept. 25 in Hattiesburg’s Copperfield subdivision, giving visitors the opportunity to tour the home and experience how the students’ individual designs came together throughout the space.

Learn more about the School of Construction and Design and the Interior Design program at Southern Miss.

About the College of Arts and Sciences 
The College of Arts and Sciences at The University of Southern Mississippi is home to 13 schools, two ROTC units, and more than 100 academic programs. Guided by the University’s mission, we educate students, lead the state and nation in research and the creative arts, and advance knowledge across the humanities, social sciences, and STEM. Through innovative research and nationally recognized student success, we provide pathways to understanding the past, solving today's challenges, and imagining the possibilities of tomorrow.