Samantha Thompson is a designer whose career has spanned fashion, product development, sourcing and interiors.

Raised in the Illinois Governor’s Mansion, one of the oldest continuously occupied Governor’s residences in the United States. She developed an early appreciation for architecture, antiques, art and historic preservation, as well as an instinctive understanding of the balance between public and private space and the importance of home as a sanctuary from the outside world.

Samantha studied at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), and Polimoda in Florence, Italy. She has lived and worked in Switzerland, Italy, the United Kingdom and New York, experiences that broadened her visual vocabulary and continue to influence the way she approaches color, proportion, craftsmanship and the decorative arts.

Her fashion career began in product development, where she worked with Gucci and Stella McCartney, specialist manufacturers and artisans before launching her own collection, which was featured in the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. She has brought that experience to her interiors, combining creative problem-solving, international sourcing and a strong understanding of how things are made with a highly personal approach to design.

Today, Samantha’s work combines interiors, antiques, art and custom craftsmanship with a particular interest in homes that evolve over time and reflect the lives of the people who inhabit them.

She serves on the board of the Illinois Governor’s Mansion Association and remains actively involved in historic preservation, the promotion of the arts and the support of artisans and makers. Currently based in Savannah, Georgia, Samantha is a patron and committee member of the Savannah Antiques and Architecture Weekend.