The Black House

An artistic escape.

 The interview had ended, and it was time to take a few pictures.

“By the way, don’t take photos of the outside.”

Why not?

“I don’t want people to know where I live. Not everyone.”

She’s laughing, but she’s serious. And it makes perfect sense to anyone who knows Danyell Pollard.  

It’s a privacy thing, sure, but it’s more than that. It’s an artistic thing, in the way artists are kinda moody and mysterious. Introverted. Friendly, but comfortable in silence. 

When you walk into her house, which she’s been renovating for more than three years, you get it. You get her. It’s calm, quiet. Stone fireplace. Wood staircase. Neutral colors. Open concept. It all flows together. 

It doesn’t exactly feel like a home. 

“I describe it as an art studio with a living quarters,” she said. 

Yes, that’s it. Makes perfect sense now. 

Danyell - you probably know her as Dani - is one of the best hair stylists in town. She’s also one of the most recognizable, as she’s usually dressed in all black, which is a nice contrast to her short, blonde hair. 

“I’m a minimalist at heart,” she said. “I like black, white, neutral colors. I like real materials. Stone, wood.

“The short hair, though, is strictly a vanity thing. If there was another cut and color combo that looked good on me, I’d go with that.”

When Dani bought her house a few years ago, it had a “log cabin” feel. Cedar everywhere. Beautiful, for sure. But not her style. 

Since getting the keys, she’s poured her heart and money into making it her own. For an artist and someone who is moved by spaces and energy, this house was the perfect canvas on which to create.

“I’m really big on spaces,” she said. “I think things need to work together, have their appropriate place, especially when it comes to interior design. I noticed that about myself as a child. I’d walk in a room and just start sensing the things that were off.”

Childhood was also when she discovered how much she loves cutting hair.

“I grew up with brothers, and I had a younger brother who’d let me cut his hair,” she said. “It wasn’t good. It probably looked like a third grader did it, but I knew I enjoyed it and wanted to do it again.”

Her house project has been uniquely challenging for a number of reasons, especially since most of it has taken place during the Covid pandemic, when labor and material were not easy to find. 

It would have been easier to just move in and live with what was already here. But that’s not how Dani does things. She’s not a “take it easy” kind of person, which is evident by her recent interest in half-marathons.

“I like to go,” she said. “I like to climb. I think it’s important for people like me, especially artistic people, to always have that challenge ahead of them. Sometimes in life you need that thing that balances you out.”

Balance. That’s another word that describes this house. It feels balanced, intentional, steady. In turn, that’s how it makes its owner feel.

“This project has changed me, no doubt,” she said. “I think with most art projects, you change with the project. If it doesn’t have that effect on you, what are you doing?”

Follow along with her house project (or don’t) at https://www.instagram.com/__theblackhouse/.