1. Creative décor inspiration from Scituate DIY
design blogger Danielle Driscoll
BY NOELLE BARBOSA
When Scituate-based lifestyle blogger and furniture painter
Danielle Driscoll purchased a 1927 Dutch colonial house
three years ago, she knew she had discovered a treasure. The
quaint abode she shares with her husband, two sons and dog
Poppy can be described as coastal chic meets classic antique.
Perched a short distance from the gleaming waters of Scituate
Harbor, the home has an allure and character that captivated
her in a heartbeat.
“I knew I wanted an old home, and I knew I wanted to be
near the harbor,” says Driscoll, who admits she discovered her
décor style when she moved into the historic dwelling. “Old
homes have a soul,” she says.
In 2011, Driscoll launched the blog FindingSilverPennies.
com, in an effort to chronicle her life on the South Shore. The
title of her blog was inspired by a book that her mother gave
her when she was a little girl, “Silver Pennies” by Blanche Jen-
nings Thompson. The Finding Silver Pennies blog eventually
grew into an artistic outlet where Driscoll shares design and
do-it-yourself projects. She began painting antique furniture
and featuring the finished pieces online. Private clients started
commissioning her to restore pieces and, eventually, she began
selling her work to the public.
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ssliving.com MAY 2016 SOUTH SHORE LIVING 45

2. “I try to bring out the old character in furniture and not make
it look too perfect,” says Driscoll. “I don’t like furniture that’s too
glossy. I like it matte. I like seeing that it [furniture] isn’t perfect.”
Driscoll draws inspiration from the gray, blue and white hues of
the ocean. But because dark woods run throughout her home (and
she insists on keeping its vintage charm), she avoids going over-
board with coastal colors and seaside accents, instead favoring tra-
ditional details highlighted by hints of modern design. “I’ve mixed
antiques with costal elements to give our home a nautical English
look,” says Driscoll, who lived in England while pursuing a master’s
degree in film and television production at the University of Bristol.
She also met her husband, Luke, while abroad.
Driscoll’s passion for painting furniture began when she was
young. Growing up, she watched her parents refurbish their fam-
ily home and also a family-run restaurant that was housed in an
antique colonial mansion. “I always went antiquing with my mom,”
says Driscoll. “I would restore the pieces I bought at yard sales and
thrift stores.”
Danielle Driscoll chronicles her life on the South Shore and shares home
decorating tips and DIY painted furniture projects at her blog, Finding-
SilverPennies.com.
Driscoll’s home is filled with furniture
that she has rescued from yard sales and
renewed using chalk paint and distressed
finishes.
Driscoll’s charming foyer features
cream-colored walls and dark wood trim.
In the airy and inviting living room, a
faux galvanized table stands against a
leather chesterfield sofa. The table, built
by Driscoll’s husband, mimics the rustic-
chic items found in high-end catalogues.
A glass hurricane vase brimming with
oyster shells collected from nearby Hu-
marock Beach gives a personal touch,
and twin wicker baskets situated on the
bottom shelf add a contemporary flair.
Driscoll stained the table base with gel
stain by General Finishes. “For the top,”
she says, “I created a faux finish using Fu-
sion mineral paint in a metallic finish.”
One of Driscoll’s favorite pieces is a
double dresser she found on the side of
the road with a sign that read, “Free or
better offer.” Today, the vintage wardrobe
that she named Isla graces her master
bedroom. She painted the piece using
Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint in Iron-
stone and because she didn’t add bond-
ing agent, it chipped and flaked. “The top
was stripped and stained with Jacobean
by Minwax and sealed with hemp oil,”
says Driscoll, who is now friends with the
dresser’s previous owner.
Last summer, Driscoll was one of three
design and DIY bloggers in the country
selected by The Home Depot to trans-
form a bare outdoor shed into a cozy
oasis known as a “she shed,” an above-
ground concept similar to a man cave,
where women can relax and retreat.
Choosing to take the coastal route,
Driscoll selected a shed with gray siding
for its dreamy, weathered look. To stay
consistent with her home’s exterior, she
opted for a gambrel-style roof and paint-
ed the shed’s doors and shutters the same
powder blue shade used on her own front
door and shutters.
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BOTTOMTHREEPHOTOSCOURTESYOF:FINDINGSILVERPENNIES;ABOVE:ROSEMARYTUFANKJIAN
46 SOUTH SHORE LIVING MAY 2016 ssliving.com ssliving.com MAY 2016 SOUTH SHORE LIVING 47

3. By adding a crushed stone patio, lush
greenery and nautical accessories to the
outdoor space surrounding the shed,
Driscoll was able to emulate the quint-
essential New England summer homes
found on Nantucket and Martha’s Vine-
yard. She even affixed a trellis of pale
pink roses to the side of the shed and
adorned the roof with a classic whale
weathervane. Inside, white shiplap walls
and a gleaming beadboard ceiling make a
perfect setting for an array of ivory shells,
leafy plants and nautical-inspired art.
“This is my coastal oasis; a place to rest,
think, write and dream,” writes Driscoll
in her blog.
In addition to writing about design and
DIY projects, Driscoll curates two popu-
lar series in her blog: Creativity Over
Coffee (where she profiles captivating
individuals working in the creative field)
and Inspiring Spaces (where she features
unique places).
This year, Driscoll will launch her first
e-book, titled On the Tip of my Paint
Brush: Painted Furniture Techniques.
The book was written to give readers
and clients a comprehensive guide to
frequently asked questions, like how to
prep furniture and what paints she rec-
ommends. Her paints of choice include
milk paint (used to achieve the popular
chipped finish), Annie Sloan Chalk Paint
(a formula yielding a matte look) and Fu-
sion mineral paint. “I have a lot of chalk-
paint pieces in my home,” says Driscoll.
“Distressed finishes are so forgiving with
pets and kids.”
Driscoll’s one-of-a-kind furnishings
can be purchased at Kjeld Mahoney’s
studio, in Scituate, Veronica Lane, in Ha-
nover, and the open studio events hosted
at her home. This spring’s open studio
will feature an array of furniture includ-
ing a heavily distressed farmhouse cabi-
net named Lila.
Lush greenery, nautical accessories and
distressed, painted furniture combine to
create a look that is relaxed and inviting.
ROSEMARYTUFANKJIAN
48 SOUTH SHORE LIVING MAY 2016 ssliving.com

4. Spring Decorating Trends
With spring in full swing, many are looking to freshen up their homes with
bright colors and beautiful accent pieces. We asked Danielle Driscoll to share
some seasonal trends in home décor and design.
Freshly cut flowers – Whether from
your yard or the grocery store, flowers
add warmth and softness to any room.
Painted Furniture – Spring is the
perfect time to rehab an old piece
and adding a lick of paint can give
tired furniture a whole new lease
on life.
Natural Textures – I love the allure of
sea grass, galvanized metals, hide and
faux fur (even in spring).
Gold – This metallic color makes my
heart happy.
Blue and white – I love this combina-
tion whether it’s on old English china,
napkins, or in ticking stripes.
Watercolor – I love using watercolor
printables and pillows to update a
home’s décor.
Color – Pops of pink and yellow and
lots of green are always in style.
For more information, visit findingsilverpennies.com.
This heavily distressed farmhouse
cabinet was created using Miss
Mustard Seed Milk Paint in
Shutter Gray.
ROSEMARYTUFANKJIAN
ssliving.com MAY 2016 SOUTH SHORE LIVING 5150 SOUTH SHORE LIVING MAY 2016 ssliving.com

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