So with that on the table, I'm revisiting a piece I wrote for the Independent a while back on this very topic – but with a bundle of bonus tips we never had room for in the paper: interiors stylists and a photographer give their opinions on how to photo-shoot up your home. But it doesn't have to be for the camera.
“A photographer’s nightmare,” explains Rachael Smith, who takes very lovely pictures for magazines such as World of Interiors, “is a home with no possessions on show. Editors want ‘detail’ shots – plus nick-nacks make a home a home, create a sense of intimacy.” For the opposite of this, see above.
“Most photo-shoots capture pictorial vignettes – the sofa, the table, the casually draped throw,” says Beth Worth, who provides affordable home makeovers at lovehousedesign.com. “So it’s not just about furniture; create a little narrative.”
Small, affordable details – flowers, colourful cups, a cushion, a little print and a rug – create "safe" bold in this otherwise neutral kitchen. Also featured in Selina Lake's latest book.
And
bold doesn’t equal expensive or scary, believes Beth. “If you’re nervous,” she
says, “build on a neutral base, then take risks with accessories: zingy
cushions or throws, a fabulous ceramic jar – cheaper than the wrong sofa.”
Rachael’s top tip? “Have a massive spring clean,” she says. “Get rid of all the stuff you don’t need. People keep things they really shouldn’t for sentimental reasons. The amount of cleaning I do in people’s homes before being able to shoot is incredible… especially in bathrooms.”
On the decluttering tip, Rachael underlines the importance of good storage. “But not expensively built-in stuff,” she says. “In a photograph that generally looks really boring. Instead, how about a 50s cabinet from a junk shop to keep your books in? Or a haberdasher’s cupboard for clothes, instead of sliding-door wardrobes. It’s far quirkier and more visually interesting.”
With a TV-hiding cupboard, drill a good-sized round hole in a bottom corner to feed the wires and cables through. "A good tip for all pieces of furniture that might be holding electrical equipment, whether hi-fis, lamps or TVs," says Rachael. "There is an increasing number of cable tidies on the market these days. With a little research you can find something that suits your home." Perhaps like this one, above, which we featured a while back.
Emily continues: “Investigate different ways of displaying too; different shelving will produce different styles and will require different bits and bobs; printer block units make for lovely shelves, as do old apple crates.”
That said, she continues, “There’s a big difference between an obsessive collector and someone who just has nice things. So don’t overdo it. And, by the way, they don’t need to be expensive things... a photogenic house needs personality, it doesn’t need extreme wealth.” The vast photographic tome, A Place Called Home, by Australian stylist Jason Grant is a good place for inspiration on this front. Above, toy plastic animals add affordable character to a framed artwork.
