our process

Through our design process, we work to incorporate bespoke textiles and fabrics, thoughtfully curated art  and antiques, and gorgeous color palates, all working  together to complement the lifestyle and personalities  of our clients. it would be a great honor and pleasure to work with you.

 meet mary clair cumbaa

Owner and Designer

Mary Clair Cumbaa, a Jackson, Mississippi native, uses her design training and professional experience in the world’s cosmopolitan epicenters to infuse her traditional roots with a contemporary and polished edge. 

As an Allied Member of the American Society of Interior Designers, Mary Clair earned her B.S. in Interior Design from Mississippi State University. Through her time in college, she traveled abroad to England to study the history of interior design with a focus on European composition. Upon graduation, Mary Clair interned for several esteemed interior designers in New York City and Washington D.C. But her Southern roots soon beckoned her home to the Mississippi Delta, where interior design projects for local residents quickly blossomed into a full-service design company, and Cumbaa Design Co. was born in 2016.   

“People in the Delta, more so than in other areas, recognize quality in a good product. They value their home and what they put inside it,” says Mary Clair, who adores the classic look of Delta homes, but wants to complement the cultured elements of traditional design with the similarly refined notes of modern design. “I think that’s something I bring to the table that’s unique: a fresh eye on a traditional look.”

Cumbaa Design Co. has rapidly evolved into a dynamic design firm servicing clients in the Mississippi Delta and beyond with new-build and extensive renovation projects, as well as specific interior design projects and even e-design services. She works out of her home office in Indianola, Mississippi and owns and operates a retail store, The Olive Tree, in Starkville, Mississippi.