Artful living: inside an art gallery owner's home

Growing up outside Chicago in a historic house, Donna Krueger would’ve never dreamed that she’d end up in Georgia, living in a ‘70s-modern home and running a contemporary art gallery on Marietta Square. Yet, she always felt a calling to find the beauty in life, so maybe it’s not that much of a surprise.

“I’ve always loved art and interior decorating,” Donna said. “When I was younger, I would rearrange my family’s house—even moving furniture and beds around—while my mother was out.”

Donna ended up at the University of Illinois studying advertising, then fell in love and married a football player on the team, Kerry Krueger. When they moved to Atlanta in 1987, they would often hike Kennesaw Mountain with their two children, Jessica and Justin, so it’s fitting they ended up living right behind the trails decades later. Donna’s successful art gallery on the Square, dk Gallery, opened in 2008 at the worst of the recession, yet her savvy business model showcasing modern art and establishing relationships with everyone in town only cemented their life in Marietta.

Donna loves older houses and has looked at many historic ones over the years, but this “Brady Bunch”-style house ultimately won her heart. “The fact that it backs up to the park was the clincher,” says Donna, who walks with Kerry and their dog, Harley, almost every day. “It’s a million-dollar lot, to us.”

The open floor plan and two-story living room was appealing to the art lovers, giving them lots of wall space for paintings. Their goal was to embrace the contemporary space with their own twist, making it “warm modern,” by emphasizing the wood tones, using happy colors and ensuring the view of nature was always foremost. Marietta interior designer Dana Poor was a big help during the remodeling process, suggesting the Kruegers drywall the stairway to better define the main entryway, among other changes. Donna and Kerry kept the existing wood cabinetry in the kitchen, but added a white backsplash and countertops, brought in new light fixtures, redid bathrooms, and—familiar to most art lovers—painted all walls white to emphasize the art.

Paintings from dk gallery along with other art picked up along the way fill the Krueger house, and each piece has a story behind it. “Art has to speak to me,” Donna explained. As much as she values the “pretty” in life, “I’ve always wanted to make pretty art, wear pretty clothes, and have pretty furniture,” Donna said the art and house itself has a depth beyond the way it looks. For this Renaissance woman, her journey is all about putting her own spin on life, and Kerry is on board with it all.

“This house is perfect for us, because it’s large enough for the whole family when they are here, but cozy for when it’s just ‘DK’ and me,” Kerry said. “The art enriches everything in the house and the personal nature behind it warms the soul.”