Not Your Grandma's Chic - Colorado Springs Interior Design
Arianna Danielson sort of stumbled on her talent for interior design, but her time on HGTVs Design Star: Next Gen gave her the confidence to build her business and dream bigger. “I was more into fashion than interior design,” says the 30-year-old Colorado Springs resident. “We bought my childhood home, and I wanted it to be totally different for us—our own style—and fun for the kids, and it all just came together.”
Danielson and her husband, Nate, have two children—daughter Charlie, 5, and son Leo, 4—and she believes a home should be a sanctuary for all who live there.
Her inspiration for the transformation of her own home came primarily out of necessity. “We were young when we bought the house and didn’t have a lot of money to furnish it,” she says. “I began hitting thrift stores and Facebook Marketplace, and it ended up with a nice vibe of vintage mixed with new.”
Once Danielson realized she had a knack for interiors, she began an e-design service, which allowed her to provide direction and source products for clients without purchasing them. “I would start with a conversation and maybe some Pinterest boards they had so I could get a feel for what they liked. They would send photos of the space they wanted to transform, and I would create a mood board for them with links to the sources,” she says. “This process also allowed my clients to move at their own pace and budget, which I could appreciate.”
Arianna Danielson, the business, has since evolved into in-home services, but to her, it’s more than a business. “I’m looking for long-term relationships with my clients,” she says. “We might start with one room, but then, over time, we end up doing the entire home.” And she now has relationships with companies from tile to wallpaper where she is provided discounts that can be passed on to the client.
Still, she has remained true to her eclectic, wild style, which she fondly describes as “1980s-drug-lord-meets-your-grandma chic.” She says she loves golds, brass, marble, and plaster from the ’80s, but her feminine side leans toward velvets, pinks, shells, and crystal. She also pays close attention to the architecture and heritage of the home, so when she is designing, she can maintain that character.
Danielson has a significant presence on Instagram, which is a great source for clients who can connect with her style. “The further I’ve gone in my career, I’ve been able to pick and choose who I work with,” she says. “If someone is looking for farmhouse, that’s not me. I can adjust some, but my clients really need to be into my vibe because I really stick to my brand.”
The connection is also important because Danielson is looking for more of a friendship and partnership with a client. She loves going thrifting with her customers to find the perfect addition to a room or inspiration to get a project started. “I need to connect with my clients on a personal level,” Danielson says. “It’s almost a ladies’ day out, and what comes from that is a space that is true to me and true to them.”
She says her time on the HGTV show did much for her career. She built lifelong friendships with fellow designers, and her Instagram followers and influencer status have been elevated from the show. She gained confidence in her abilities, especially because one of the American designers she really looked up to, Jonathan Adler, was a judge on the show.
So, what’s next for Danielson? She says she is perfectly happy right now being a mother, handling about three interior design clients at a time, and constantly working on her home with her family. Her kids love to get involved in painting projects, and Danielson has a passion for incorporating murals into her interiors, including some in her own home. She says someday she might like to have her own television show and launch her own brand of decor but for now she is happy. “As a designer, I want to respect my work and be proud of it,” Danielson says. “If there is no passion, it is not my art, and the end result will be blah and boring. I’ve always wanted for myself to know my brand, and this is it.”
