It’s that time of year again!
It’s that time of year again! Oh… no I am not talking about summer when the kids are out of school and it’s time to take a vacation, I’m talking about Awards season!
The 2017 ASID, American Society of Interior Designers, Design Excellence Awards Gala is coming up! And the prepping has begun! We have three homes in total that we will be shooting and submitting for this year’s awards. What is great about these three homes, is that they are all very different. It is so fun to incorporate the different styles of each client and to see what the outcome is. All of them are beautifully unique and showcase the client’s own personal style.
Here’s a sneak peek of what’s to come, and the preparation that went into the photo shoots! 
The thought of taking pictures of a home sounds so simple, but let me tell you, it is not!
First, inspiration! Every shoot is so different, so finding new, fresh inspiration is very important. Viewers do not want to see the same decor and pieces every time. Once we have inspiration, it helps us narrow down what we need to buy. We have done everything from fresh flowers, to wine and a cheese and meat board, freshly cut lemons, etc. Inspiration is key before beginning any photo shoot!
The second step is shopping. I mean who can complain about shopping, right? Everyone loves to shop. But shopping is quite stressful when you are trying to find the perfect pieces to compliment and coordinate with a space, while also making sure it is not going to overpower the design. Some tricks I have found is to find 1 or 2 pieces that you really want to grab your audience’s attention when looking at the photo. From there, find pieces that complement those statement pieces, as well as the rest of the space. Remember, you still want the design itself to speak the loudest, not the decor.
Next is staging! This part can be quite tricky. Before the photographer gets there, my assistant and I will go and make sure the placement of everything looks perfect. However, once the photographer gets there, she gives us her professional opinion and we make any changes to the placement of items that she thinks looks best. The interesting thing about placing items in a space, is that they look different through the camera lens. Going from 3-Dimensional to 2-Dimensional is quite different!
Fun insider secret! I wanted to do something unique and different for each shoot. So, every shoot I take a few photos of myself in it too. I LOVE shoes, and each photo shoot I have done, I have picked out the perfect heels to match and compliment the design of the space. It puts a fun and personal touch on the photos!
We can’t wait to see how the photos will turn out! We will keep you updated and publish them on our website after the Awards Gala. Keep your fingers crossed for us! Hopefully in September I will write to you with good news of awards!
