Today I want to share what I’ve been busy styling in the spring: an interior designer photoshoot styling project in London.
You know what the worst thing about my job is? It completely makes me want to redecorate my own house.
I spent the day styling two stunning South London projects for the incredibly talented interior designer Kat Wightman and I came home wanting to paint all my woodwork red, buy a green velvet sofa and restyle every shelf in my house from scratch. That’s the problem with this job. You get to snoop around people’s beautiful homes and steal ideas for your own. It is genuinely dangerous.
A case study: working with Katherine Clare Interiors on a London portfolio shoot
I was asked by Katherine Clare Interiors to style two of her latest London projects and I came home wanting to paint all my woodwork red, buy a green velvet sofa and restyle every shelf in my house from scratch. That’s the problem with this job. You get to snoop around people’s beautiful homes and steal ideas for your own. It is genuinely dangerous. I even stole her upholstery contact for one of my own private interior design clients.
What I love about Katherine Clare’s designs as an interiors editor is her clever use of colours and patterns. It’s always so inspiring to see how someone blends tones and what cushions they go for. Her aesthetic is grown-up, sophisticated and completely gorgeous, and the pink kitchen was stunning. I knew within about five minutes which magazine editor I was going to send it to. Watch this space.
But back to the point. If you are an interior designer with beautiful finished projects and you are struggling to capture your work properly, this post is for you. That’s exactly where photographer Bee Holmes and I stepped in for Katherine Clare Interiors, and here’s exactly how it all worked.
ABOUT KATHERINE CLARE INTERIORS
Katherine Clare Interiors is a London based interior design studio with a truly distinctive style, luxurious, detailed, dark and livable. The projects feel elevated and thoughtful without ever losing that sense of warmth and family friendliness that makes a house feel like a real home. You can see the full portfolio at katherineclareinteriors.com and her insatgram is @katherineclareinteriors
HOW THIS PHOTO SHOOT PROJECT STARTED
Back in March this year, Katherine Clare Interiors found me after attending my talk at London Design Week at Decorex. She had recently completed several stunning residential projects in South London and was struggling to pull together the right team to photograph them professionally. She knew the images needed to work hard across her website portfolio, for press and for social media, but she wasn’t sure where to start.
We had a zoom call, and that conversation led to one of my favourite recent interior styling projects.
THE PHOTO SHOOT IN LONDON
I pulled together a small team and we worked across two locations in South London over the course of one shoot day, maximising every hour of light to get as many shots as possible.
At the first location we photographed a stunning living room and playroom area, a space full of bespoke upholstery, made to measure curtains and beautiful carpentry. Every detail of the Katherine Clare Interiors design needed to read clearly in the images, which meant careful prop sourcing and styling to complement rather than compete with her work.
We then moved to the kitchen, which I have since successfully placed in Ideal Home magazine, giving Katherine Clare Interiors a significant press credit that will continue to work for her for years.
At the second location we shot another living room, this time decorated in a rich palette of reds and greens. The styling here was about bringing warmth and depth to the images while letting the interior design do the talking. I had to do a bit of shelf styling here too and I will just say that styling other people’s stunning shelves is always, always so much easier than doing your own.
The photographer I brought in was the brilliant Bee Holmes. Bee has a beautiful eye for residential interiors and the images she captured perfectly showcase the quality and detail of Katherine Clare’s work. You can see more of Bee’s work at @beeholmesphotography
THE FINISHED PHOTOS AND INTERIOR STYLING
The images are now live on the Katherine Clare Interiors website portfolio and are being used across her social media. It was my job to make sure that all the room looked finished on camera, and I made sure she has a stash of images she can use across her website and social media.
The kitchen shoot secured a feature in Ideal Home magazine, one of the UK’s most prestigious interiors titles, which is an enormous credibility boost for any interior designer.
I also created Instagram content around the shoot for my own channels, which reached 13,900 views (which you can see here) proof that beautifully shot interior design projects have real social media traction when styled and presented properly. I currently share interior inspiration and behind the scenes content with 102k followers across my Instagram account @maxinebradystyling
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WORKING WITH AN INTERIOR STYLIST ON YOUR PORTFOLIO SHOOT
Do I need a stylist if I am an interior designer?
Yes, and here’s why. As the designer you are too close to your own project to style it objectively for camera. A stylist brings fresh eyes, knows what works on camera versus in real life, and sources the additional props that make a space photograph beautifully without overwhelming your design. The images will elevate your project and attract more clients.
What does a stylist do on a interior designer portfolio shoot?
I source and bring props, cushions, throws, books, plants, ceramics, flowers and artwork, that complement your existing interior design and make the space feel lived in and aspirational on camera. I also art direct on set, working with the photographer to make sure every shot is composed beautifully and tells the right story about your work.
What does a photographer do?
The photographer captures the images technically, lighting, composition, camera settings. A good interiors photographer understands how to make a room feel spacious, warm and inviting on camera. I work with photographers who specialise in residential interiors and understand the difference between an estate agent shot and an editorial quality image.
How long does a shoot take?
A typical portfolio shoot covers four to six rooms in one day, working from early morning to make the most of natural light. With good planning and a small tight team you can achieve an enormous amount in one day.
What will the images be used for?
Portfolio shoots typically produce images for your website, social media, press submissions and award entries. The better the images the more places they can be used and the harder they work for your business.
How do I get my project into a magazine?
This is where having an experienced editorial stylist and interiors editor on your team makes a real difference. I have 27 years of contacts across the UK interiors press, Ideal Home, House Beautiful, Good Homes, Country Homes and Interiors and more, and I can advise on which publications would be right for your project and help you put together a submission that gets noticed.
What does it cost?
Every project is different depending on the number of rooms, locations and shoot days involved. I work on a day rate basis and always provide a clear transparent quote once I understand your brief. Get in touch to discuss your project and I will come back to you with a competitive rate.
How do I book?
Simply get in touch via my contact page with details of your project, where it is, how many rooms you would like to shoot and what you want to use the images for, and I will come back to you quickly to discuss next steps.
ABOUT MAXINE BRADY
I am Maxine Brady, a Brighton based interior stylist, art director and shoot producer with 27 years experience in editorial, commercial and residential projects. I started my career as a junior at Period Living magazine and went on to head up the style desk at House Beautiful before going freelance. Since then I have worked on shoots for Ideal Home, Good Homes, The Guardian, Sunday Times Style and more, alongside major brand campaigns for IKEA, Dulux, The White Company and La Redoute.
I work with interior designers, photographers, brands and production companies who need a creative partner who understands both the editorial world and the commercial one. I share styling inspiration and behind the scenes content with 102k followers on Instagram at @maxinebradystyling.
If you are an interior designer looking to get your projects professionally photographed and styled, I would love to help. View my styling services or get in touch to discuss your project.