Elvis Presley’s Ex-Linda Thompson Redesigned Some of the Most Iconic Rooms in Graceland
Elvis Presley‘s longtime girlfriend, Linda Thompson, was integral to the entertainer’s history. Thompson was the King of Rock and Roll’s longtime companion. She also helped breathe new life into Presley’s Graceland mansion in Memphis, TN. Thompson helped design some of the now-iconic and beloved details within the home’s interior. These touches remain in the home and were painstakingly recreated on the set of the new Baz Luhrmann film Elvis.
Elvis Presley moved to Graceland in 1957
Elvis Presley purchased Graceland in March of 1957 at the age of 22. He bought the home and adjacent grounds for $102,500 per the home’s official website.
When he made the purchase, Presley was busy working on his second motion picture, Loving You. He placed a $1,000 deposit down as collateral.
Graceland was the second home Presley purchased for his parents, Vernon and Gladys. The first was a home located on Audubon Avenue in East Memphis. However, as Presley’s star grew, that home, unprotected from onlookers, became a mecca for the superstar’s fans.
Presley wanted something more private. He found that with Graceland, a home that allowed the entertainer to retreat from the public eye.
The famous music gates were not on the property when Presley purchased Graceland. They were set in place in April 1957 to keep Presley’s fans at bay.
On May 16, 1957, his parents and grandmother moved in while Elvis continued to film “Jailhouse Rock.”
Linda Thompson added her iconic touch to Elvis’ Graceland home
Thompson dated Presley for four years in the 1970s after he split from his first wife, Priscilla.
Presley and the former Miss Tennessee lived together in his home.
In a 2015 Instagram post, Thompson shared photographs from a Graceland tour with sons Brandon, Brody Jenner, and Kaitlynn Carter. She added the following caption to a group photo posing together in Graceland’s living room.
“I shared a nostalgic private tour of Graceland today with Brandon, Brody Jenner, and Kaitlynn Carter. Memories of Elvis,” Thompson penned.
“I designed the stained glass peacocks leading into the music room, the climbing roses, and “P” stained glass at the front door,” she claimed.
Thomson also decorated the downstairs rooms and the Jungle Room. All according to Elvis’s unique taste.
“Rarefied memories were made at Graceland,” she concluded.
Presley was a student of religion. He understood peacocks were an ancient Christian symbol of eternal life and resurrection. Therefore they were added to the home and made for Presley by Laukhuff Stained Glass Company of Memphis. In 1974 they cost $9,345, said the official Graceland website.
Linda Thompson shared a separate Graceland video where she highlighted her decorating skills
Thompson highlighted the parts of the abode she was involved in decorating in a separate video.
During the twenty years that Presley called Graceland home, he switched the overall look to match the times and his taste.
In 1974, Elvis redecorated the living room with dramatic French Provencal furniture, including red carpets and velvet furniture with satin draperies to match, said the official Graceland website.
This dramatic look remained in place until the mansion opened for tours in 1982.
Then, older furnishings came out of storage and were returned to the living, music, and dining rooms when tours of the building began.
