I think / hope / pray we all know by now that celebrities don’t actually look like their magazine photos. Are they gorgeous? Absolutely. Are they flawless? Of course not. Everyone has a minor — and, in the case of supermodels and Hollywood’s leading actresses, very minor — “blemish” of some sort. Maybe it’s a freckle or a hair out of place. But that’s what PhotoShop is for, right? Oh, and they were also made up, coiffed and styled within an inch of their lives. Trust me, I am not judging. This girlfriend will take all the help she can get!
But did you know that the same thing is true in interior design? Here’s a shocker for you: That dog did not jump into the basket. Au contraire. There is so much that goes into making a beautiful photograph. Sometimes what works well in a room looks awkward through the camera lens. You may need to scrunch furniture together or move it farther apart, make a lampshade crooked so that it appears straight, and so on and so forth. Plus, interior designers and magazine stylists often add props and other accessories before a photo shoot. Those props and accessories shouldn’t change the look or the feel of a space, but they might add that final layer to help a room pop off the camera.
Now that I have more than a few photo shoots under my design belt, I’ve developed a bit of a rhythm. What made me laugh, however, is when I realized that I had a decorating “tell.” In poker, a “tell” is some change in behavior or demeanor that gives your opponent clues about your hand. Or at least that’s how I understand it; I don’t play poker. Work with me here, m’kay?
So what’s a decorating “tell”? In my case, it was a vase. Namely, this Juliska vase. Floral arranging is not my strongest suit, but anyone — and I mean, anyone — can make flowers look good in this vase. Gather stems together, tie with clear rubber band, cut to appropriate length, plunk in water, done. See? Four hydrangea stems et voilà!
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Fortunately, I realized my decorating “tell” … and I stopped using that vase in photos. But there are several stylish essentials that I either pack or buy before almost every photo shoot. Why? Because they look great in photos, of course — and they are realistic for a homeowner to use and enjoy. Not-so-coincidentally, I use many of these same things at home. It’s how I style my everyday — and my photos.
How do you style your everyday?
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