Light hearted: the design of a traditionally styled Jackson home is guided by the residents' desire for airy spaces and calming colors.

This grand Gallic-flavored residence looks as if it has been around for centuries, but it is barely a decade old. Built on a lot formerly occupied by a dated 1960s-style house, it takes full advantage of its breathtaking waterfront views.

The Eastover neighborhood of northeast Jackson has long been a sought-after dwelling place for locals. While many of the finest older homes still hold pride of place, there has been an interesting crop of newer construction on sites formerly occupied by less desirable structures. It was only a matter of time before these earlier buildings were replaced by more elegant showplaces like this one.

Set upon a jewel-like manicured lawn, the sprawling biscuit-colored stucco house is home to a couple with a large blended family, so it was designed with plenty of room for their children in mind. The family loves to travel and has spent much time in France and Italy collecting the furniture, appointments, and paintings that grace the airy rooms.

Jackson designer Michael Grogan was the presiding genius over the interior spaces, although, in his characteristically generous manner, he quickly turns the praise to the homeowners.

"These clients, and especially the wife, have the rare gift of knowing exactly what they want and how to convey it clearly," he says. "She is a quick study and extremely bright. This project was a total pleasure."

"Calm, light, and pastel" was the jumping-off point, the guiding philosophy from which everything else flowed when making decisions. The walls in most of the main rooms on the ground floor are kept in the serene vanilla range, the better to showcase old oil landscapes in gilded frames and various collections such as Meissen and Capo di Monte porcelains.

The main entry foyer is oval-shaped, with a sinuous Regence iron stair railing winding upwards and a pale marble floor with a darker inlaid border defining the space. This opens directly into the grand salon, with an axis of view straight to the large bay opposite, from which the rear lawn, poolhouse, and lake can be seen through three sets of tall French doors.

This formal living area, according to Grogan, presented a bit of a puzzle as he and his clients considered the furniture arrangement. Because the room is quite large, "we wanted dual seating areas," he says. "To accomplish this, we used lots of matching pairs, such as the twin butter bean-shaped loveseats, placed back-to-back, with occasional chairs flanked around each."

The chosen palette was rose and water green, with a hint of chocolate brown introduced for depth. The walls and architectural elements such as recessed shelves and paneling were kept monochromatic, as were the ceiling coffers. Between these coffers, however, the ceiling is painted in one of Grogan's beloved hues, "April Sky." This vintage Benjamin Moore pastel is reprised above many of the rooms throughout the house, and the effect is just what the name implies: like the heavens after a spring shower.

Just off the living room is a banquet-sized dining room. Nineteenth-century Italian chairs flank a custom-made table composed of chocolate marble set into a carved wooden frame. A large antique Italian chandelier sparkles above, casting a romantic glow on the hand-striped walls. Above, a multi-step crown molding, incorporating Renaissance-style corbel-and-dentil detailing, pulls the eye upward, balancing the weight of the furniture.

A spacious kitchen, adjoining family den, and long loggia form the casual portion of the downstairs living area, with comfort and variety ruling. Here, the palette is turned up a tone or two to emphasize warmth. The kitchen is painted a rich mulberry, and the loggia features butter-yellow walls that glow in the light from three sets of arched French doors. Works by Mississippi artists deck the walls of this sunny area.

Just down the hall from the kitchen is the domain of the couple's youngest child, a boy who surely has one of the most enviable roosts in town. Papered in a dark red strie pattern and stocked with big, sturdy furniture, it is clearly sufficient to the task of housing an active, growing lad. The focal point of the room is a two-story built-in bed designed by the homeowner. Mitre-set into a corner, it features a railed upper level and a base featuring clever storage drawers. On the windows, a rustic applique fabric by Osborne & Little sounds a masculine note.

Around the corner in this downstairs wing is the guest bedroom, where cooler, paler tones preside once more. Twin antique French beds, each topped with a framed 18th-century aquatint, are dressed with silk lampas coverlets in pastel shades. Voluminous, goblet-pleated dressmaker curtains in French silk puddle onto the floor and frame a view of the front lawn.

The downstairs powder room is a petite Regency jewel featuring one of a pair of old French painted doors, with gilded framing around a pastoral scene. Crowning the vanity mirror, Fortuny-style pendant lights with handpainted parchment shades hang from a rusticated iron rod. A demilune marble-topped sink surround, designed by Karyl Pierce Paxton of New Orleans, is festooned with a skirt of shirred silk. The wallpaper is a document print of swirling acanthus motifs in subtle cream and aqua.

The footpath of the floorplan comes full circle in the front foyer and continues to the opposite side of the first floor, where the master suite holds quiet sway. An oasis of tranquility, this lofty space and its adjoining fireside sitting area keep to the cream-and-pastel palette. Pale damask curtains with a Scalamandre glass-bead fringe fall gracefully from wide old-world gilded cornices. Lightest duck-egg-blue silk on the bedskirt and loveseat echo the ceiling tint, and an assortment of paired cushions top the distress-finished four-poster bed. Another peaceful view of the lake is enjoyed through tall French doors towards the rear.

This is a busy house, with the comings and goings of so many assorted family members. But chaos is kept at bay by the careful choice of cool colors--and a wise eye towards privacy for all.

Asked to sum up the defining feature of this house, Grogan is quick to say, "Quietly tailored. Wonderful art. Delightful people!"

His clients return the compliment: "Michael made our home reflect our loves and lifestyle."

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GREG CAMPBELL