This morning I’m delighted to share a few corners of the home of photographer, blogger and etsy shop owner Danielle Thompson. Note: This post also includes a link to a DIY tutorial for the greenish blue plastic doilies that you see on her wall below, so don’t miss that. I thought that I’d have Danielle tell us about some of her inspirations and ideas for her home, so I’ve asked a few questions that I was curious about… Let’s get started and view the nooks in Danielle’s home!

Danielle and her family (2 young boys, a dog and a turtle) live in metro Atlanta, Georgia in a ranch style 3-bedroom home (approx. 1,800 square feet) circa 1962 with 2 baths. Just when you thought you could say, “This lady obviously doesn’t live with any men!”, well I guess we’ll all wrong!

What inspires you Danielle? As obvious by my photos, I take huge inspiration from vintage. Especially from the 60’s and 70’s. I love to mix many different patterns, colors and textures and I often have little forethought in how a room will turn out. I collect items randomly for a while, and then I just sort of throw it all together and see what happens. Sometimes it doesn’t work, but sometimes it does. :) Most of all, I always want to create rooms that have a sense of nostalgia and whimsy, that always take you back to a certain time in your past and most of all, rooms that don’t take themselves too seriously. I have two young boys as well, and that plays into my furniture choices – I don’t splurge on furniture because little boys are quite wild! But I can splurge on vintage accent pieces that are placed “up high” where the boys can’t get to them. It creates a good balance of practicality and my love of vintage.

How to for the doilies shown above on the wall: “I cut them in half with a craft knife and adhered them to the wall with adhesive spray. On two of them I accidentally used permanent adhesive, and on the others I used temporary adhesive because I was worried about them messing up the walls if I took them down. But after seeing them up for a while, the permanent would be fine on all (they come off just fine). I really love how they “frame” this little grouping of items. This is essentially what you see when you walk in the front door, so the doilies give it a lot more presence.” – Danielle

What do you do for a living? I’ve been a graphic designer for over 10 years now, and I do (very) part-time work with that. I spend most of my time designing my digital and printable craft/scrapbooking kits, Kitschy Digitals. I have also designed several things for the crafter: paper goods, polymer stamp collections and embroidery patterns.. all of which you can find in my Etsy shop, Tiny Bazaar. I also have a line of Vinyl Wall Decals (one is shown above framing the prize ribbons) and prints of my photography, also in my Etsy shop.

What inspired your selection of your newly decorated living room, “The Blue Room”? The blueish/grayish room with lots of horse imagery… well that room was previously a very dark cranberry red. I’ve been slowly redecorating my house. After 10 years of much more vibrant, rich colors on my walls, my aesthetic has changed. I wanted to do something more subtle and soothing with this room, and less clutter. We have very low ceilings, the rooms are small, as are the windows, so our home does not get a ton of good natural light coming in. So we went with a much lighter, less saturated, light blue. We really love the room. The decor is much more spare which creates a relaxing atmosphere – and of course the change from a very warm red, to a soothing blue helps so much in the relaxation factor. I really wanted the decor that I’ve collected to provide the color and interest, instead of the wall color.

Thank you Danielle for visiting all of us here today! We’ve enjoyed these colorful glimpses of your home so, so much!

(photography: danielle thompson)

36 Responses to “Colorful Living: Danielle Thompson”

1 paola commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 3:33 am

How utterly stunning – I love, love, LOVE the colours…
paola´s last blog ..The Soups of Summer – Gazpacho
2 beth gunnell commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 4:39 am

so gorgeous….lovely use of colour. Thank you for sharing this.
beth gunnell´s last blog ..Our Wedding
3 juliette commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 4:59 am

framing the prize ribbons is such a cute idea! like the DIY project too!
juliette´s last blog ..To cut or not to cut: A Fabric Markt Soliloquy
4 Yvonne commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 5:35 am

Gorgeous! Love all the wonderful colors! :)
Yvonne´s last blog ..Be open
5 Jess commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 6:02 am

you have noo idea how much i wish this was my house!!
6 lisa :: the red thread commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 7:57 am

Danielle’s home looks like it has real soul. I love the eclectic collections of furniture, art, nik naks… everything.
lisa :: the red thread´s last blog ..Behind the Scenes
7 Catherine Blair Pfander commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 8:44 am

Love the cheerful palettes! Looks like a bowl of sherbet!

Catherine Blair Pfander´s last blog ..In Knots
8 Sam commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 8:44 am

I love how all the cameras have their own little nook.

Shows there importance!

Great place.

xx,
Samantha
Sam´s last blog ..Giveaway
9 Neely commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 9:19 am

Danielle- I adore your style….what a fabulous use of color and detail! Where can I find doilies like the ones you have on your walls?
10 Pixel Wild Child commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 9:23 am

Stunning post! so colourful and inspiring… thanks!
Pixel Wild Child´s last blog ..Some Awesome South Park Wallpapers via blaberize.com
11 Jamie commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 10:06 am

I particularly love that green mirror! I just did a Color Notes posting on green, for fellow enthusiasts: http://jgkitchens.blogspot.com/2009/09/color-notes-green-day.html
12 Melissa de la Fuente commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 10:31 am

Oh, Danielle! You are just so creative, lovely and your home is so gorgeous and cheerful! I love, LOVE it! Thank you for having Danielle over here, Holly!
What a lovely surprise! I adore the doily diy(and the whole tableau it is framing), where do the actual doilies come from Danielle? Thanks again for sharing this ladies, I am inspired!
xo
Melis
Melissa de la Fuente´s last blog ..The little things: things for fall….
13 MEW commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 10:49 am

What a visual treat! Where is the link to the project?
14 Jennifer commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 11:07 am

Gosh so many wonderful pictures and things within the pictures!!
Jennifer´s last blog ..Secrets in Lace Bettie Boudoir
15 Rebekah commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 11:08 am

holy cow Danielle my mind is swimming with inspiration this morning after looking at these gorgeous photos of your home. I also have two boys and a dog and love to add lots of florals and feminine charm to my home anyway, it is good for them :)..
love how you find the best designers Holly, thanks for sharing!!
16 Jessica commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 11:38 am

What color are the walls in the “blue room”? I LOVE it and am pulling my hair out trying to pick the perfect paint color for my new living room.

What a happy, lovely home!
17 viv commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 11:45 am

I am amazed by the colors!
viv´s last blog ..Bat Owl
18 danielle thompson commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 11:52 am

thank you so much Holly for featuring my home and thank you for the kind comments! The plastic doilies are vintage and I found them on Ebay.. i’ve also seen them on Etsy. Just do a search for “vintage plastic doilies”… they are so much fun! :-)
danielle thompson´s last blog ..that’s better
19 danielle thompson commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 11:53 am

Jessica, i do not have that paint color anymore.. i’m sorry! It’s a light grayish blue.. I’m pretty sure it’s the Behr brand at Home Depot. Sorry I can’t be of more help!
danielle thompson´s last blog ..that’s better
20 Amy - no. 15 creative commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 12:57 pm

Beautiful home. I really like the cheerfulness of the colors and the items she chose. You tell there is personality there.
Amy – no. 15 creative´s last blog ..A Well Dressed Man
21 Silke Schmidt commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 1:07 pm

You have a very lovely blog. Lots and lots of inspiration. You are most welcome to visit my blog too.
Best regards from Germany,
Silke
22 Nichole commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 1:10 pm

So yummy! Thanks for sharing, Danielle. Do you know where I could get one of those plush photo frames like the green one you have?! I keep coming back to it and wanting one so badly.
Nichole´s last blog ..red velvet
23 TheBellaLife commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 1:46 pm

All the colors make me so happy! I am inspired to make my house a little more BRIGHT!!! thanks.

Keighley
24 Kara commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 2:43 pm

Wow.
Wow.
She makes such great use of her wall space to truly create an experience.
The doilies and ribbons are magical!
Kara´s last blog ..IF- "infinite"
25 Amy commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 3:16 pm

That chandelier has left me speechless…
Amy´s last blog ..The week is almost over…
26 Mindi commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 5:47 pm

wow, love this, so inspiring to see someone use colour so bravely! I’m trying to do this at home at the moment :) Thanks Holly for bringing another great source to our attention.
Mindi´s last blog ..Wedding Style Guide Love
27 pam commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 6:16 pm

I love color. My etsy shop is full of it! This collection I adore!
pam´s last blog ..getting busy or going nuts…you decide!
28 Justine commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 6:46 pm

Ah! I have that Tobacco Poster of the girl with the goldfish! Awesome!
29 monica from hola!design commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 8:38 pm

wow! her house is amazing! so many colors!
I enjoy your blog very much, puts a smile on my face every time!
monica from hola!design´s last blog ..erik johansson
30 Chelsea commented:
September 24th, 2009 at 8:50 pm

This is seriously my dream home! Everything is so beautiful and it is very colorful while still being refined. So much inspiration!

Thank you for posting this!
Chelsea´s last blog ..what happens?
31 Annie@A View on Design commented:
September 25th, 2009 at 4:42 am

Live and Love – on her wall, I love that, I think I’ll take that idea and put that in my baby girls room, her work is amazing!!!
32 rachel denbow commented:
September 25th, 2009 at 9:42 am

I have always loved Danielle’s style and especially her home so this home tour, some of which I’d never seen on her flickr site, was much enjoyed!

Thanks, Holly!
rachel denbow´s last blog ..Getting Ready For Ruby
33 sarathira commented:
September 26th, 2009 at 8:37 am

a.may.zing.! the colours and the frames, adn that trompe l’oeil one? ahh to die for.

i always look forward to the interviews because you always choose the best designers to make me feel so inspired and to make sure i work even harder to make my dreams come true. thank you so much for that! :)
sarathira´s last blog ..My Saturday In London
34 Penny Patten commented:
September 28th, 2009 at 10:29 am

This is how a home should be-FUN! I love the colors, the practicality of the furniture, and the fun and quirky on the walls and in the color choices!
Penny Patten´s last blog ..Introducing some new Hens an a couple of Roosters
35 ((((Beaupourlesyeux)))) commented:
September 30th, 2009 at 5:46 am

Wow, I want to live there. It’s beautiful.
36 eilybur commented:
October 2nd, 2009 at 2:54 am

Wow, all was beautiful! I think I am one of those lucky person to have this kind of house. All in all, it’s very colorful and that makes them dainty.

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