Daily Inspiration: Meet Elisa Thibault

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elisa Thibault.

Hi Elisa, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
So, the Little Window House actually started as one of those “what if” ideas that just wouldn’t leave us alone. Nicole and I are both nurses by background, she’s also a photographer, and I’ve always loved interior design, styling, and finding creative ways to make spaces feel special. A few months ago, we started talking about how photographers in our area are always hunting for unique, reliable locations with good light and great vibes.

From there, it snowballed. We found this small greenhouse and realized we could turn it into something that felt really boutique and cozy, a space that photographers could rent out and instantly have a styled backdrop ready to go. Nicole handled the photographer side of things, like what angles work best, what details make photos look polished. I leaned into the styling and decorating side, sourcing furniture and creating seasonal sets.

It’s been this really fun collaboration that blends both of our worlds: her creative eye for light and storytelling, and my love for cozy, thoughtful spaces. Now the Little Window House is this sweet little greenhouse that’s seasonally decorated and ready to rent, giving other photographers a space that feels curated and effortless.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Oh, definitely not perfectly smooth, but that’s kind of what makes it fun, right? We’re starting this in what’s honestly not the easiest economy to launch a new business in, but we’ve been really intentional about keeping our rental rates reasonable so that it stays accessible for photographers in the community. We know what it’s like to be creative people trying to make things work, and we wanted this space to help photographers, not price them out.

The biggest challenges have honestly just been the logistics. Just figuring out how to turn a simple greenhouse into something truly functional and beautiful. There have been a lot of “two girls with power tools and YouTube tutorials” moments. We’ve learned about things like construction adhesive and how to make things level, safe, and sturdy. Thankfully, we had a small but mighty crew of men behind the scenes, my husband and brother built the gorgeous base, porch, and steps that the Little Window House sits on, and Nicole’s husband Steve hauled furniture, stepping stones, and even helped us move trees for the evergreen path.

It’s been a hands-on process from start to finish. Every piece has a story, from the porch boards to the furniture we dragged in. It wasn’t seamless, but it’s real, and that’s exactly what we wanted the space to feel like.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Nicole and I met working as psych nurses and spent years doing that together before realizing we wanted something completely different. We started joking about doing something special, eventually we actually did.

Now I work very part-time as a nurse while staying home with my son and managing the Little Window House with Nicole, while she runs her photography business. It’s been a big pivot from the world we came from, but one that fits us so much better.

What we specialize in now is creating spaces that make photographers’ lives easier. The Little Window House is a small, boutique-style greenhouse we built and styled from the ground up. It’s fully furnished, seasonally decorated, and designed to photograph beautifully without anyone needing to bring a single prop. What sets it apart is that it actually feels personal. It’s warm, bright, and lived-in because we’ve styled every inch ourselves.

We’re proud that we built it without a big team or budget, just a lot of work, trial and error, and way too many tree nursery runs. It’s something we’d both want to photograph ourselves, and now we get to share it with other photographers too.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Probably that we’re both nurses. Most people who see the Little Window House or follow along with Nicole’s photography assume we’ve always been in creative fields, but nope, we came straight out of psych nursing.

Also, we actually built a lot of the Little Window House ourselves! Like hauling trees and pavers, staining wood, figuring out tools as we went. It looks all cute and polished now, but there were definitely days we were in dirt and construction adhesive.

So yeah, the surprising part is probably that this whole thing was a DIY passion project from two nurses who just decided to do something completely different and figured it out as we went.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://littlewindowhouse.carrd.co/
• Instagram: @littlewindowhouse