Priscilla Presley explained that it was very important to her that even though Graceland was going to be opened to the public, it needed to retain the feel of being Elvis’s home. She didn’t want it to be sterile or too museum-like and she refused the idea of putting plexiglass up to separate the public from the rooms and the decor, trusting that his fans would not be destructive. She said in the Graceland interview, “I think the spirit of Elvis is there, people feel that spirit, and that’s why they respect it” (via YouTube).
When Elvis Presley bought the estate in 1957, it already had the name Graceland, per Forbes. Still, the inside wasn’t the same as the iconic mansion that can be toured today. Presley made a number of changes, turning the home into an eight-bed, eight-bath mansion with five staircases and 23 rooms in total (via History). Intriguingly, Presley’s aunt continued to live at Graceland until her death in 1993. While she lived there, the kitchens and her room were not part of the tours.
Read Related Also: Woman who allegedly tried to set husband on fire now charged with killing butcher shop owner in house fire
Additionally, as reported by Architectural Digest, some of the mansion’s decor was changed before Graceland opened to the public. One such change was in the living room, which was converted from its more gaudy 1970s design back to how it was in the 1950s. The satin and red shag pile additions were removed and replaced with items that resembled midcentury style. Interestingly, the peacock stained-glass panels from 1974 were kept, adding a kitsch sense of grandeur to the room.
