We began the process by discussing their wants and needs, touring their lovely home and reviewing several images that they had compiled from Houzz and Pinterest. We basically started with a clean slate (as they were newly married), a gray background and a desire for BIG changes!

Here are some of the concept photos that they had selected as favorites:

Yesterday I installed the final layer, the final phase of accessories which really brought the room to life. This is one of my favorite parts of the projects especially when my clients are just as excited as I am about the final result. So without further delay, here are the BEFORE and AFTERS!!

BEFORE

 AFTER

Here are a few more behind the scenes photos of the process and what it took to pull off this transformation, hope you enjoy!

Carload of accessories…….

Fresh flowers…….

Prepping on the front porch…….

We had a great little spot in the Foyer just begging for a fun accent chair so we chose to have this one custom upholstered in a bright chevron fabric.

BEFORE

AFTER

And one last little fun tip…..we needed a bright and colorful bench on the fly and we didn’t have time to wait for the typical furniture lead time so I got creative. We found an inexpensive bench at a local Home Goods, deconstructed it, painted it the exact color we needed, reupholstered the top and added some super FAB Jonathan Adler trim tape and wa-la……GORGEOUS if I do say so myself!! What do you think? Do you have any Home Good finds flips to share, I’d love to see them???

BEFORE

AFTER

I hope you enjoyed this Before and After as much as enjoyed working on it! I would love to hear your thoughts and comments below. Hope you’re having a great week. Next week I will be installing my Room Service Atlanta project and I’ll be sharing more behind the scenes photos as we wrap up that project….I can’t wait!!

XOXO

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Designing spaces of course includes accessorizing but styling for photography is a whole other story. With every photo shoot I complete, I gain more knowledge, tips, and confidence. And as my goals for 2013 state, I’ll be doing a lot more styling and photo shoots this year…..so stay tuned!

We just recently wrapped up another successful photo shoot with my lovely photographer Christina Wedge. She has been such a joy to work with, I am thrilled to have connected with her. She is so creative and a true talent. I cannot recommend her enough! (the photos in this post were all taken by me with my camera for a little sneak peek….I’m saving her shots for later!)

There is no doubt that every time I have an interiors photo shoot I learn something new. It’s an amazing art form and I’m always taking in and trying to learn from the best. Some of my favorite places to pull inspiration and tips when prepping for a shoot are Annette Joseph, Phoebe Howard, Emily Henderson and of course Pinterest. You can see all of my style boards here and here.

Top 10 Styling Tips

1. Be THEME Consistent: When planning my story and shopping for props I always have a theme in mind and I try to be completely consistent within that theme. This is especially important in Kitchens. Keep it simple and think about what might be taking place in the room.

2. Books, Books and More Books: If you’re styling a space that will use books, bring twice (or three times) as many as you think you may need. There has been a couple of shoots where I have brought so many and was still short in what I could have used.

 via Emily Henderson

3. Flower Favorites: I have determined that my must have flowers for every shoot are tulips, peonies, and hydrangeas. I even like large bunches of carnations in an unusual color that’s hard to find in the other varieties.

4. Candles: Have you ever noticed that your favorite rooms in Magazines are hardly ever styled with candles. Use candles and candle sticks sparingly in Dining Rooms and maybe in a hurricane or two on a coffee table like the lovely Phoebe Howard suggests here.

Phoebe Howard via Southern Living

5. Vases: You probably won’t know where you’ll need flowers until you get there and start setting things up. You’ll need short containers, tall vases, large and small. Take a collection of clear glass vases with you every time. They are inexpensive and you can leave them behind for the home owner with beautiful fresh flowers as a small thank you.

6. Pillows: Don’t settle for the throw pillows that match the sofa. Bring pillows and throws in many different color options. Having the right color combination can really bring your room to life. You won’t know if a subtle color or contrasting color will be right until you see it through the lens. Be brave, this is an easy way to bring color and style to your photography.

7. More is More: I’m not saying that you should over style a photo, in fact less is more in that case. You won’t need to many accessories or props to make a great shot BUT you never know what you’ll need to make the perfect photo. It’s always nice to have several things to choose from to make it perfect. What looks great in your head may not look so great through he lens.

8. Pinterest: As I mentioned earlier, I like to ‘shop’ Pinterest before I head out the door to purchase accessories and props. I collect and print out my favorite styling photos and take them with me for inspiration while I’m shopping (along with a list of specifics I should be looking for).

9. Be comfortable: I have learned that comfortable shoes are a must when styling and prepping for a photo shoot. The last one I did was up a set of stairs and I cannot tell you how many times I ended up going up and down. I was so happy that I had tennis shoes on. I was comfortable which made me move quick and more efficient!

10. Must Haves: My favorite must haves to bring along are books, stacking boxes, trays, baskets, odd objects, fresh flowers, clear containers, linens, white towels, white dishes, fruit, glass wares, pillows, and throws.

**BONUS: Create a photo shoot check list and designate a tool box just for the day. You’ll be so happy you have everything you need. If you already have one, I’d love to hear what you include on your list!

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What would you add to my list….I’d love to hear. I’m still learning too?!

xxoo

BE SURE TO STAY CONNECTED:

To receive new BLOG posts straight into your inbox, be sure to subscribe via email! Just click on the link in the right sidebar or here to sign up.

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AND if you want to receive my monthly newsletter, you’ll want to sign up using the box up at the top right of the page. I’m always sharing tips and “SNEAK PEEKS” into current projects that I’m working on!!

This has been one of my favorite projects to work on….it’s unique and a complete departure from the rest of my client’s main home. It’s not everyday that I get to work on a cute “Boutique Hotel Room” or “Studio Apartment” and that’s what this feels like!

My reason for writing this post is primarily because we are getting close to having the space professionally photographed and it has got to be perfectly polished, prepped and styled! We incorporated a cute little bar cart near the small Kitchen to double as extra storage and serving space. The question is…..how should we style it?

There are so many different options when it comes to styling a bar cart. We will not be using this cart to serve up cocktails. This particular cart will not be loaded up with the typical spirits, liquor and bar glasses…..we’ll need to take a more creative and functional approach to loading this baby up. Here’s a little peek at our cart.

(sorry, couldn’t help myself….playing around with Instagram)

Here are a few carts that I love and find great design inspiration in. Even though ours won’t include the liquor bottles, I can still grab some ideas from each of these photos and make them my own. I love the idea of fresh flowers and fruit, colorful sodas and candies, and what’s that you say….sports equipment – why not!!

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This one gets me with the simplicity and elegance….I love the subtle color scheme used to pull everything together.

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Here’s my list below of things to experiment with. Of course I haven’t come up with a “theme” or “concept” yet….will it be breakfast, a casual party, simple extra storage, dry food storage, book storage, a place for dishes and extra serving wear. We already have a coffee station so need for that. Our primary goal is to make sure the house guests and comfortable and have everything they could ever need….even things they may not know they need.

1. A lamp

2. Fresh flowers

3. Fresh fruit

4. Monochromatic color scheme

5. Artwork

6. Books

7. Tea set

8. Trays and baskets

9. Colorful organic soda and bottles of water (seltzer bottles)

10. Dry food goods (crackers, biscotti, pretzels)

I’ll be sharing photos of the finished and styled cart as well as the rest of the space soon so keep you eye out!

And if you need a little guidance or help creating a Guest Retreat of your own for your family and friends, give me a call at (678) 316-0113 today and let me give you a hand. Even if you don’t need a bar cart in your space, I have many other tips, tricks and ideas that your guests would love to experience. For a little sneak peek you can check out some of them here in my Atlanta Journal Constitution contribution! You can email here and we can set up a time to chat….look forward to hearing from you soon.

xoxo