Get To Know: Kelly

Meet Kelly.  She just may be the sweetest, most genuine person I know, and I’m lucky enough to call her one of my very best friends.  Not only that, but as her friend, I have the right to brag about her amazing career as the head honcho of her own (very successful) photography business, Daphne Photo Studio.  And now that we live 300 miles away from each other (Cincinnati to Chicago road trip, Kelly?), I like to keep tabs on her life while she pencils her newest journey – soon-to-be motherhood! Sneak a peek at how she’s doing over at You Make Me Live.

Aside from her huge heart (she’s like an angel on Earth, people. No joke), the most stand out quality in this gal is her insane penchant for creativity.  Together with her husband, Donny, they bought an adorable single family home in 2006, and they have turned it into a mecca of punchy colors and bubbly personality. Wondering what went on in her mind during the whole process? Here’s the lowdown in her own words:

One thing that has always inspired me when decorating a space is how to make it completely personal. I was the queen of posters of my favorite actor or band growing up and I always had way too many personal pictures, trophies, or keepsakes displayed about my bedroom. Thankfully, my tastes have matured a bit and I’ve grown to like a simpler, more modern look and no longer feel the need to have every square inch of wall space covered. I still maintain that familiar personal feel by displaying my own photography instead of generic store bought artwork.

Another way to really personalize a space is through color and I am not afraid to use it. My favorite color is and always has been purple. I had a purple bedroom for awhile when I was young, I painted one of my college apartment bedrooms purple, and now I have a purple dining room! When we first moved in, I painted the dining room red, but I got sick of that quickly because it seemed like everyone had a red dining room. Now that it is purple, I love it so much more!

I also managed to find a way to display personal snapshots in a way that looks like a work of art in my kitchen and now my refrigerator is no longer plastered with pictures.

My office doubles as our guest room and this set up works well for me because my photography business is mostly mobile. All of my shoots & client meetings take place on-location, so I don’t need much more than a desk and some filing cabinets for editing and the business end of things. At some point in the future, I may have an off-site studio somewhere, but for right now, I love how bright and cheery this space is.

As you can see, I have used some bold colors in other rooms as well. Most people that walk into my house love the colors and decorating, but are quick to say they could never pull it off in their house. Well…maybe that’s because bold colors are not their personal style. It is all about decorating your house to fit your own personal needs and style because after all, you are the one who has to live there!

So what do you think? Doesn’t Kelly’s use of colors make you want to get off your duff and pump up a dull room? Or perhaps she’s inspired you to create your own photo boards and kick that clutter from your fridge.  Whether it’s the spunky art on the walls, the grid of mirrors in the bedroom, or the built-in media center (installed by her dad and Donny in just one weekend), this girl’s got serious style and she knows how to make a space her own.