(Raise your hand if this is you)
Shopping for home accessories (and flowers and plants) was always a big part of my work as a photo stylist and story producer. I would go into stores shopping for photo shoots on a “mission” and learned pretty quickly how to spot the gems and weed out the junk.
My initial process was to review scouting photos which were submitted and approved for publication. I would then determine what additional accessories, plants and flowers I would need to shop for and bring to the photo shoot.
Part of the styling process was taking what the homeowners already owned, and adding a few finishing styling touches (flowers, accessories, etc.), That was part of getting a home “magazine ready”. Even in expensive luxury homes, tweaks were needed.
Scale was one of the biggest considerations – especially on bookshelves! Oftentimes, surfaces had too many items the same size or accessories that were too small to make an impact on camera. More often than not, a location didn’t require an overhaul to make it “magazine ready” – and those are the shopping and styling secrets I’m going to share with you on Home Styling Works®.
If there’s one thing I heard over and over again from magazine readers and homeowners, it was this:
“I don’t even know where to begin when I’m shopping for my home! I wish I could go shopping with you!”
I even heard this:
“I go to the store and everything starts to look the same! It’s so overwhelming and I don’t know what I’m doing! I need a big glass of wine!”
However, when a homeowner saw their home fully styled, through a camera lens, like the images below…
…what would follow was something along these lines:
“I LOVE what you brought to the shoot! Is it for sale? Is it possible for me to buy everything?! I’ll take it!”
Below are a few favorite examples of cover stories I produced, with very simple and attainable styling. The homeowners in these stories decided to keep all the accessories that were brought in for the shoot.
It wasn’t that the items I brought to the shoot were fabulously expensive or hard to find. It’s that when people saw their room styled to a proper scale, they could visualize what “right” looked like.
Going forward, I’ll be sharing visuals, styling boards and drawings that will make shopping for your home fun again. In short, I’m going to de-mystify the shopping process by doing all the legwork for you.
I’ll be sharing more details in my next post. Stay tuned!