apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

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.

Who can identify those delicious primitive dining chairs in shot # 3?? WANT WANT WANT !!!

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.

Can anyone identify the desk and chair in #7? TIA

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.

Looking at the comments stylists seem to be redundant. We already know what we like.

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