When you look at a really great interior photo that really moves you, the kind you want to cut out of a magazine or save to your Pinterest board, it’s often the final styling layer that gives the room its soul. Thanks to you. Details such as carefully selected vases filled with exquisitely colored peonies and large-scale additions that look like perfect works of art are the finishing touches that set the homeowner’s mood. While the space may look a little different on the day of the shoot, the styling process is not about changing the designer’s vision, but rather ensuring that that vision is reflected in the photos. If the decor is too sparse, you risk making the resulting image feel like a pure document, or worse, like a real estate listing. Incorporating elements that make your space feel considered, loved, and lived in is an important final step.
We spoke to designers and stylists about why they choose to style projects they’ve already completed, and how ensuring they follow the process can take their portfolios to the next level.
Considering the thousands of dollars spent to complete the project, it may seem like overkill to take the time (and spend the money) to deploy even more after the installation day is over. But it might be worth the last push.
When styling the entryway for the photo shoot, designer Barry Goralnick brought in an additional rug to complete the look.
“Often, designer clients are over budget, tired of all the final decisions, and just want to move into their own home and not have to think about it anymore,” says New York. says Olga Nyman, a designer based in . and an interior stylist. “So they don’t really add a final layer to the project, and that last layer is very important. Sculptural accessories, throws, flowers, these are the elements that sing the space.”
In addition to creating memorable photos, Nyman’s goal when styling is to make her designer clients want to spend money on accessories when they see the final shot. “My goal is for my clients to buy everything I bring in, and for the designers to give me back what they paid me to style,” she says. “I like to really understand the story the client and the designer are telling in this home, and I like to only bring in items that I think the client already owns.”
Styling involves more than just adding flower arrangements or cleverly placing throws. In some cases, designers and stylists may bring in new art or additional furniture or lighting. It may be because the client has maxed out their budget and can’t afford to spend on finishing touches, but they may also insist on keeping art that clashes with the designer’s vision or end up deviating from the design plan. I have just as many clients who did. Phase of the project. Austin designer Ashley Ferguson says she’s encountered situations where clients were willing to buy art for certain parts of their homes, but not for others. “Perhaps it’s a child’s playroom or a guest room, and the client just doesn’t feel the need to spend money on a centerpiece, but still wants to photograph that room for a portfolio,” she says. .
In such cases, Mr. Ferguson prefers to shop at antique fairs like Round Top or work with art galleries that will loan out pieces for a fee. “A lot of galleries are really flexible and willing to work with designers in those situations,” she says.
Atlanta-based Greg Irby Gallery is one of them. “This process allows clients to imagine what the art will look like in their own space, and when they see exactly where the art will be placed in their home, they are even more motivated to buy. ” says gallery founder Greg Irby. “I think in 80 percent of those cases, the client ends up purchasing the art because they see how great it is. The right art can make a room.”
Rachel Cannon’s office Kim Meadowlark is styled with a combination of greenery and floral patterns throughout the room as a finishing touch.
It’s not just art. Seeing additional accessories on site may cause the client to inflate the final budget a bit. Rachel Cannon, a Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based designer, says her team once brought in a high-end faux olive tree to complete a photoshoot room. “It was so heavy that we thought, ‘We’re going to have to carry that thing back to the car at the end of the day, it’s going to be very tiring,'” she recalls. But fate intervened. One of the owners of the house happened to return home before the shooting was over. “He saw it and said, ‘Wow, that’s really cool!'” We need that. ‘I thought, ‘Wow!’ We will send you an invoice. ” That rarely happens (because clients aren’t usually on set), but when it does, it’s great. ”
Tabletops are also one of the areas where designers usually introduce external assortments. New York designer Barry Goralnick has a passion for ceramics. He has a collection of Villeroy & Boch tableware and likes to feature it in photo shoots, so he often brings in items to set the table in a way that reflects the overall design. “Maybe you have some beautiful pottery that’s been passed down in your family, but if you don’t, or what’s there is a little plain, bring in the table settings,” he says.
Gail Davis, a designer based in South Orange, New Jersey, remembers the time she brought a vintage lamp home from home to use in a photo shoot. The client saw them the morning of the shoot and contacted her to see if he could purchase them. “All designers are a little bit of a hoarder,” says Davis. “We’ve all had a room full of stuff and we just want to find a place for it. We have enough lamps to open our own shop. When shooting, I often replace it with something I have at home. Maybe when I look through the lens, I actually need a lamp that’s a little taller, or I want more art in the room, but I don’t have a hole in the wall. You don’t want to open it, so it could just be resting on the tabletop. It conveys an editorial look.”
Like designers, stylists often have a collection of items they like, but they also make frequent trips to showrooms and prop houses to rent accessories for their projects. Nyman likes exploring Lost & Found, a prop store in Brooklyn. It’s cheaper than renting from a showroom (usually with a fee based on a percentage of the total price of the item). We also specialize in unique vintage items, from boats to boards. Games and bird cages. Benjamin Reinert, a stylist based in New York and Wilmington, Delaware, says Prop House is a great resource when he needs to source a variety of items, such as small furniture, pottery, and lighting. . “Everything is under one roof and you can see everything first hand before you agree,” he explains.
Knowing your goals before your shoot day will help you decide on the style of your space. Especially if you’re working with an experienced stylist, you’ll likely be asked if you plan on submitting your photos to a magazine, and if so, what title you had in mind. New York-based stylist Mieke ten Have says that if a designer is photographing a home they plan to post on the balcony, for example, they’re likely to pay special attention to table settings. “Okay, we should focus on the entertainment element,” she explains. That innate knowledge can influence her choices on set in other ways. “I know that some editors don’t like the way certain flowers are photographed (for example). So if we know which publication the designer wants to submit to, that might influence it.”Flowers arrangement. ”
Lively vignette Beatriz da Costa styled by Olga Nyman in design editor Michelle Adams’ kitchen
Leinart agrees. “Magazines always bring a particular perspective to a project and have their own priorities when it comes to layers and accessories,” he says. “Publications often have specific goals. If you know your home is going to be featured in a summer issue, you’ll want to make sure you capture those happy, fun moments outdoors. You may also want specific vignettes for openers, wide shot options for spreads, and space within photos for (overlaying) copy. These types of agendas often have a strong story. You will need to source additional accessories to get the look you want.
Ultimately, Naiman’s goal is not to simply bring in extra stuff for the sake of it, but rather to better convey the designer’s vision through photography. “The idea is to supplement what’s already there, but sometimes people’s personal stuff isn’t all that interesting. Maybe they have boring white plates that don’t add to the table setting.” she says. “In such cases, we work together to emphasize the designer’s voice, creating a magnetic layer that draws the viewer in and makes them want to keep looking at the photo.”
