and don't forget to include a well loved pet--a cute cat or dog relaxing somewhere in the picture really adds to the shot.

For the record, I *hate* number one ("leave a couple of things out of place"). Last month's House Beautiful was full of sweaters or pants draped on beds, couches, etc... As if, "whoops, forgot to hang that up before the photo shoot."

It just annoys the poop out of me. Anyone agree??

I like to have something for the eyes to rest on at each side of the room. Preferably something with good detail for the eyes to ponder.

BAD = a plain silver frame on top of the fireplace, angled up to reflect the popcorn ceiling. (Friends have this.)

BAD = a modified pine shoe rack holding the DVD player and a mishmash of other electronics. (In my own house right now... blech).

GOOD = expensive things, natural things, beloved things, space, light.

Yes, Solop! The British shelter mag LivingEtc is the worst offender when it comes to sloppy over-styling.

solop - I completely agree! The pants and sweater are becoming more popular. I can't stand the ubiquitous throw draped over the sofa or chair. Who really uses them enough to warrant keeping them staged like that? I'm waiting for Walmart to have a display that features a Snuggie in disarray over the arm of a cheap, plaid couch.

If there's anything I hate, it's the obvious influence of stylists. My biggest pet peeve is shoes strewn "casually" on the floor that were obviously staged to be just so by the art director on a shoot (as a former creative director, I have seen this happen many times!). They are never in the arrangement they would be if the person had actually kicked them off in a hurry.

I also really, really dislike symmetry. That fourth picture above makes me crazy.

Um, I have always used a blanket or throw on a regular basis. In all but hot weather. In my family lounge time = blanket or throw or large snuggly pillow on the lap.

But while I don't mind a rumpled bed or a pair of slippers, clothes draped around seem silly, unless it's a coat or scarf on a hook.

My biggest pet peeve is the bed tray with a rolled newspaper and tea! Come on--

~Tracy

p.s. I too always keep the throw carefully draped on my chair-- throughout the year in fact. (I'm always cold.) I also keep the down comforter out all year.

who wants to see "a couple of things out of place?"
come on now...for real.

most of us can see that at home. we want to see stylish, well put together rooms...looking flawless, am i right?

i can't stand symmetry either.
i find the devil in the diagonal and i like it.

~victor

http://urbanshedstudio.com/victor.cfm

we use throws on our furniture, especially this time of year. we, too, are the cozy up with a pillow or blankie type of family. so, that doesn't bother me at all. but i'll tell ya what i do hate -- tables with place settings all done up. in a lot of the "do my house over or i'll go insane" clutter clearing shows, they show the transformed dining table set with placemats, chargers, plates, bowls and napkins. gah! not for me. i could be wrong, but it seems so '80s to me.

and generally i don't love collections of stuff grouped "properly." i like a lived-in, natural feel, what's the term...gathered over time...evolved, that's it. i love visiting people's homes where they've gathered stuff pertinent to their lifestyle, travels or kids' adventures. it tells so much MORE about them than a group of pillar candles bought in a set from Hobby Lobby. or an empty vase that matches the trim on their lampshade and pillows. i value function and relevance over soulless "decorating."

oh but i do love a pretty picture, tho ;) xo

oh god, i forgot. i hate the toilet lid being left up in photos. it seems, at the risk of sounding snobby, unrefined. xo

Oh I can't stand the clothes out in pictures!!! (and xoxotoe- I can't stand it if anyone leaves it up EVER- I always close the lid in my house)

As per the throws- I leave them out & draped all year round. I'm a blanket lover- I use them!! Plus, I have a dog & we always have her on a blanket if she jumps up on the couch to snuggle.

My biggest thing is that I just want something fun to look at. If it's beautiful but nothing catches my eye, makes me laugh, or interests me, it might as well be a back alley.

I have to agree with sally305. I dislike obvious stylist influence too. I think that it is possible to live so far in the fantasy interior world of magazine shoots, that many stylists actually think that a set of carefully placed shoes that are out of place 'just so' equals an authentic looking space that someone lives in. Surprise, it doesn't.
For me, not one of the featured photos in this post look like they actually have someone living there, which is a negative thing in my opinion.

I can go along w/most of these *tricks,* but not #4. And the room in that photo is "off," IMO... the scale of the mirror vs. the fireplace is out of whack, for starters. And the symmetry of the objects on the bookshelves and the placement of the furniture is oppressive. AND impractical -- how does anyone watch that TV without getting a stiff neck?

I couldn't get past #1 with the cat skin rug...what is that? why do you need an animal skin rug???

Only a thing or two out of place? How about bunches of things out of place? Then my flat would fit right in! Haha!

I agree... if you are going to photo shoot something, why make it look lived in and out of place? I want to see something other than my own space! Toilet seats up? Yikes... and gross... no even in my own house. My 4yo and husband can remember to put it down, why can't everyone???

Plants... I would LOVE more plants, but I have this pesky plant eating cat. Any good ideas for plants (other than cat grass)??

My number one tip is live among things you love that reflect your personality. No matter how much they cost, price is NOT a reflection of beauty.

Does anyone know who makes the sleigh bed in picture 1? I love how low to the ground it is. Please help if you know!! Thanks!

If you really want to see how your rooms look, take a picture and enlarge it on your computer screen. You'll see everything that's out of place and all the clutter you thought didn't matter, as well as everything that is right. The picture helps your eye limit the area you're looking out (like that old cliche of a director holding up his hands to frame the picture.)

Websites of many European hotels now feature photos of rooms with bags and coats artfully strewn around. My immediate reaction is to think that some lady just stepped out to go to the bathroom. ...On a related note, the ballet flats in the photo above make me shudder just a little. Surely no one wears outdoor shoes all the way to their bed?

@thelittlestmonster: I've also noticed that my cat tends to favor grassy-looking plants (long, slender ribbony leaves) and avoids succulents, though I'm sure there are cats out there who love eating succulents too. How about hanging the plants up out of harm's way? You could also try making the plants less appealing via scent. Most cats don't like strong, perfumey fragrances. I've heard of people putting bits of scented candles in the base of the plant or using special deterrent sprays on the leaves. Perhaps a few drops of an essential oil in the potting soil would do the same thing?

I went to a perfectly, overly stage open house, this one was over the top. They even had the breakfast table set up. Everything was so overly done it made me want to leave a stack of condoms on the overly perfect bedside table or some fake barf in the bathroom.

The opposite of this is make your bed before you post your room.

Had to second Plumeria's comment... pic 1 makes me think the owner's kittycat was the victim of some sort of cartoon crime -- like an ACME anvil was dropped from the sky and landed on the poor thing.

I don't disagree with a couple of things out of place, but perhaps that's because I'm naturally disorganized. I think that's more like eyeglasses left on the coffee table with the book I was reading earlier than draping a sweater over a chair. Nothing that will get in the way.

I like the baroque approach to symmetry—make it look symmetric at first glance. On second and third glance it becomes a game of One of These Things Is Not Like The Other.

No animals in staged homes( especially the kitchen) for me. All I can think of is all the fur and pet hair that is lurking throughout the house.

I don't mind a little 'lived in' look in photos...not messy, but a little imperfection among perfection. Too much perfection seems cold to me, and makes the rooms seem less attainable. And...pets in the photo always work.

I also think the "no throws" comment is funny. I have one draped over a chair in my living room year round so if I get chilly while watching tv I can curl up without having to leave the room! There's also usually one on the floor for my dog. It's supposed to reside in her pet bed, but she often throws it out. I guess that's my nod to the "lived-in" tip:)

Place settings on the table is really silly, although we did it when we were selling our old house. It was such a pain to move them every time we wanted to eat, but I definitely think it made the house look cozy and lived in.

Casual piles of books - another "trick" that doesn't work with me. Seriously, put them back where they belong - anything on the coffee table is fair game for a coffee cup!

LauraE: I love your suggestion; I'm going to try it!

i think the styling should reflect the home owners style. if they are casual people, then leave a few things out. if they are more formal, button it up. These photographs should allow us to look into their home and how they use the space.

Badjuju, I use my throws every time I lie down, too. I love having them out and easily available.

Everything was so overly done it made me want to leave a stack of condoms on the overly perfect bedside table...

LOL, LoriSF. I can see a whole new fad of guerilla de-styling popping up.

I think it's apparent from all the comments above that it's perfectly normal to have a throw or two lying around.

Perhaps the person who thought that nobody uses those is from an extremely hot climate.

Believe me, in Canada, we use throws.

There is a difference between leaving a few things out of place (set of keys on a table, a robe on a hook, one pair of shoes inside the door) and making your house just look cluttered (the unmade bed photo with shoes right next to it). A good balance has to be struck.

Yup, another canadian who can't get enough throws. It's actually something that drives my fiance crazy because he is always folding them back up and I am ALWAYS grabbing them again to use right after.

Really, Botany? Clearly you are not an animal person...

I Live in Montreal and need a throw in my life during the harsh winters that we always have, so it's always around. I totally agree about the pet thing Botany...

thelittlemonster: i also have plant eating cats! i have had great luck with my jade plant and another that grow straight up. i think the latter is nicknamed "mother-in-laws-tongue.

i also use art tack to "stick" my potted plants and flower vases down.

guerilla de-styling--genius!
condoms on the bedside table!
now i want to go thru the made up bed
displays at the mall....xo

If we really got "realistic" we would get photos where the phones lines and cables and power cords showed, where a lamp or computer doesn't just float on a table without any visible means of connection.

Drives me cuh-razy!

I remember going through a beautifully decorated and very expensive model home. There were some of those fake stagey things; the bathrobe on the bed, coffee cup on the table, but the real slice of life was the BREAST PUMP on the kitchen counter. Swear to god. There was no baby in evidence and the model sitter was clearly of an age where the fertility ship had sailed long ago. It was hilarious.

@obleak1 that takes the cake! hilarious!

I currently have three (3) throws on my couch. This isn't about styling: it's about having something handy when the cold winds blow. My house is drafty. I have a cat. I'm trying not to raise my thermostat.

solop - I agree to some point. A sweater here and there doesn't bother me (I guess because it resembles my own place somewhat) but what I dislike is dresses hang on the window, etc. I have seen a number of such shoots. And of course the dress matches the chair, or the rug, etc.

ngnerd - I have a throw that I use every night when watching TV - and if I didn't live with my dogs, I would have left the throw draped over the arm of my chair. But, the throw contains some mohair and in general is cuddly and fluffy enough that I know my dogs would not be able to resist the tempation and they would play with it (to shreds) when i am at work. Hence, the throw gets folded and put away when I go to bed each night. But I would prefer to be able to leave it out all the time.

My styling pet peeve: the lamps on the console table that is behind the sofa that's smack dab in the middle of the room, far away from any outlet. No cords in sight. Do people have outlets in the floor, under the sofa? Do they plug in from afar and just hope not to trip? I just don't get how this would work or how stylists expect us not to notice this.

With the exception of the super symmetrical room, I like most of these. I have a throw on my sofa. It's a quilt my mom made, and I use it every night sitting on the sofa. My cats love eating my aloe plant. Weirdos.

Overall, I think the stylists tricks work pretty well for creating that magaziney look, not always warm and cozy, but photo-worthy. Someone recently told me my place looked like it should be in Architectural Digest (ew!) and I was actually offended!!!

Tracy (Daily Decorator), you are SO right about the tea and breakfast tray! Who has someone make their tea and bring it out on tray? Who gets breakfast served in bed? Who *eats* in bed?? I remember that trend in fashion mags mostly from the 80's and 90's but still, to this day, I sometimes get a tea tray for xmas.

LauraE, I agree 100%. Take that idea one step further and submit your photos for an AT question. The day you see your home on this website, you'll see a million yucky things you couldn't see before. ;)

For the owners of plant eating cats:

--Bamboo is great, because it grows fast and is safe for pets to eat.

--Rotate plants. Bring them in for a week, then take them outside for a week, out of reach of the cats, so the plants can recover from being chewed.

--Provide cat grass at least once a week.

--Consider growing strong tasting herbs such as rosemary and oregano. Basil and mint, on the other hand, are likely to be sampled.

--Hang plants in baskets from the ceiling. Not a good idea in homes with risk taking cats.

I use our throws every time I lounge of the sofa. We live in the mountains, so about 9 months out of the year, it's sweater and blanket weather after sun-down.

Please: when you put 'out of place' books choose carefully the titles.

@ruckus...a lot of new construction homes do indeed have outlets in the floor around where couches would go. My sister's house has them, very useful I think. Definitely don't have them in my place built in 1905 though.

Also, I always (even in the summer) have throws out. Even when it's ungodly hot I am not comfortable unless I'm under something snugly.

I had a good rip when I read Sally305's statement regarding shoes "casually strewn" as a designer trick. If ever there was a designer's case study in casually thrown shoe patterns, it would be my house! They have a "natural" tendency to bunch up under the coffee table.

@baw413: Thanks for the info on the floor outlets. Mystery solved! I would guess they became necessary with the advent of open floor plans? Unfortunately not an option in my 1938 apt. building, but will definitely include them in my imaginary dream house...

My parents' 1903 dining room has an outlet in the middle of the original oak floor! At some point in childhood I was told it was installed so they could plug in the toaster, which would have been quite a newfangled and fancy thing to have at table some time in the '20s (best guess based on the invention of the pop-up toaster, although there were various earlier models).

Also if basement is unfinished and the floor joists overhead are still open, it would be easy work to put some outlets in the middle of your LR floor -- just run the wires underneath and install something flat. Maybe a nice brass plate with little trapdoors that close when nothing's plugged in? I'm sure there are options.

Not at option for apartment dwellers with poured cement floors, unfortch.

LauraE is so right.

A space can be lovely... and still manage to look horrible when photographed. The way you see and experience a room in person is very different from the experience of viewing it through a photo or series of photos.

I don't mind obviously staged spaces (in photos) as long as it is well done, and as long as it doesn't make me feel like a tool. C'mon. EVERY space is staged. Whether it is obvious or not.

Pythia, your parents' dining-room outlet was probably originally an electric bell that the hostess could step on to summon a servant to bring the next course. Those are common in the fancy Edwardian apartment buildings in my neighborhood. We have a patch in our dining room floor where the bell used to be decades ago.

Also, I love your name.

For some REALLY FUNNY styling humor, check out:
http://catalogliving.net/

My mom always had 2 or 3 throws around the living room! And you can bet they always matched the decor.

I live in a hot climate, so none in the living room... but I do have 2 on my bed whenever the AC is on :)

My biggest pet peeve is styled homes with unrealistic layouts. Ruckus mentioned the lamps with no visible means of being plugged in, Therese Z mentioned the desktop monitor sans power and mirandabee mentioned the symmetrical layout with the impossible TV viewing set-up. It looks good in the photo for about 2 seconds before it starts looking fake.

Most TV designers are guilty of the last one. "I don't want the TV to be the focal point of the room." Um it's a TV SHOW. Your viewers probably have their Living Room/Family Room oriented toward the TV. Get over yourself. Figure out how to design a beautiful room that works for viewing TV/Movies comfortably AND is a great place for conversation, entertaining etc. Every time I see those shows I know the first thing the "clients" do is move the couch or TV so they can actually watch the show without getting a stiff neck.

I don't mind a little casual, disheveled look in a room. It shows that the home is lived in, and not stuffy. However, messiness and chaos is another thing.

hey, rexrayfan! that website is just hilarious!! I have not laughed so hard in a while now!!! Thanks for the tip!

@ruckus At many of my parents' houses over the years, my dad has often drilled a small hole in the floor and plugged in lamps in the basement. This really only works in carpeted, single-family homes, though. I just run cords under a rug if possible.

No offense, but these "tips" are really stupid. And the first photo looks like someone melted or spontaneously combusted on top of the bed. I keep picturing the Wicked Witch of the East.

I'm surprised, but proud to say I've used them all.

But they can be taken to extremes. My mother had a friend who had her house professionally done. The decorator put silk magnolias on the foyer piece, and dropped a couple petals on the table. My mother's friend dusted around them for 25 years: she never moved the petals at all. My mother said she loved going over to her house to see if they had moved. The decorator was using the out of place trick, but the client didn't understand the concept.

I always have something out of place. No problem there.

PS I thought the bed looked mussed for a completely different reason. I guess it is in the eye of the beholder.

I live in Southern Louisiana, and believe me it gets H.O.T.! I have two throws out all year round that I have been known to use especially in the evening. I think overly styled rooms are annoying...

Rexrayfan! The website "Catalogliving" is truly laugh out loud funny!!! Thank you so much!!!

Here in Australia, we have a couple of throws on the sofa - they're cosy when it's cool, consolidate the cat fur, and help protect from the sun.
I know it's posed, but prefer the styled-used look to the styled-pristine look: at least they're trying to show people live there. Some magazine homes look like only andriods are allowed in - current anti-fave was the all-white 8-year-old-girls' bedroom with no toys, a large mirror, and a scented candle...

I leave crap all over the house. I must be very stylish...hehe.

This sort of reminds me of the November 8th entry on unhappyhipsters.com. The photo is of a perfectly sparse room lined with plywood with a rather unhip polar fleece blanket folded up and placed (not draped) on an armchair.

I don't know if it's meant to be a sarcastic jibe at styling, or if it was supposed to be an uber "we don't really care" type of thing.

@ruckus, we have hardwood floors throughout our entire house and my husband put in a couple floor outlets around our sofa and arm chairs so we could have lamps. they are so handy!

we live in the south and i always have throws out to use - even in the hottest part of summer.

I don't have a couch right now (can't decide on one!) but when I lived with my mother and she kept a throw on the back of the couch, you can bet that I used that thing ALL the time. Literally every time I watched TV, I'd cuddle up with it. It makes perfect sense to me to drape one on the back of your couch, and I think it looks good.

solop -- YES! I hate that... shoes left out, etc. So annoying. I'm also not a big fan of the picture propped up against the wall like you just haven't gotten around to hanging it yet.

Throws are great - and now is the season!

And don't forget! When taking pics of your home for AT, you MUST INCLUDE:

Your pet.

Your Le Creuset dutch oven.

I have like 4 throws in my living room... they are on the top of the couch, so my cats can sleep on them and not get hair EVERYWHERE. Also 2 in a basket I use a lot- yay for Canadian weather (I get freezing cold in August sometimes!).
I usually have a few books out... well, actually I usually have my eReader out now... and my glasses, and a drink........ not on purpose, but because I live that.
I can't take a picture of my house without ONE of the pets in there. Ever.
I don't like total symmetry- mirror images. Makes me insane.
And for the love of god- put clothes away. Even if you toss them in a closet.

I LOVE photo number 4, which a couple of posters above disliked intensely. The living room reminds me of Billy Baldwin's design style, from the 40's or 50's (not sure exactly when he was at his peak). Anyway, I like symmetry and love fireplaces!

The proportions of the large mirror and tiny fireplace look off to me. Plus, there is no furniture placed where you could comfortably watch the TV.

@JustPuked: Yes! That whole anti-tv sentiment on design/decor *tv shows* makes me crazy. Especially since they also want to showcase the fireplace. Wake up decorators! Everyone has one of those too (they're always saying not to arrange furniture around the tv because "everyone has one, it's not impressing anyone"). I live in central MS and we have a fireplace. We've never used it once in 4+ years in this house, even though last winter we got honest to goodness snowfall, and we probably never will. All it does is interfere with furniture placement and traffic flow. I don't want to stare at a fireplace or a collection of candles. I do however want to comfortably stare at my tv while watching a show. So I have my couch oriented *properly*, those tv show people don't know what they're talking about.

@ Polly S -- an electric bell, you say?? Maybe originally! There are servants' quarters in the attic, two finished rooms that probably housed maid/cook/nanny in some combination. But the man who sold us the house said he remembered his grandmother plugging the toaster in there, so that part is true, anyway. ;)

Pythia, I wasn't suggesting that the toaster story was false, just that the outlet was probably once a servants' bell. I'd love to have an outlet where our floor patch is. I would use it for the waffle iron.

I hate the symetrical room. Boring. I don't mind the rest. Love the plants...brings life to the room with out needing to leave my laundry about. I think our spaces should reflect who we are...as individuals and as a family....I feel that if something is not condusive to our lifestyle then it must go...I like to look at other peoples spaces and try to guess about them...and if they really do never make their bed...then that doesn't bother me..cus I don't either! haha

Don't forgot to take a picture of your iMac, your Expedit and your reproduction Eames chairs... this is AT after all

Hey rexrayfan, I'm in TEARS reading Catalog Living. Tears, I tell you. Love it!