The key to good photography is choosing beautiful subjects. While good technique is always welcome, visually pleasing pictures begin and end with clean and stunning subjects.
If you want your home to look good in pictures—whether you dream of having your home featured in architectural publications or simply for your personal satisfaction as a homeowner and Instagram user—you can always design and decorate your home with the goal of ensuring it looks good in pictures.
Here are some design pointers and ideas for a visually stunning and photography-friendly home.
Natural light
Skim through every rental website or architectural publication like The Spruce or Architectural Digest. Look through every photo and feature they have on these spaces, and one common thread you might notice is that beautiful homes often maximize natural light. There’s also a reason why big windows are a sought-after real estate feature. Natural light adds a warm glow to any space, it’s better for the environment and homeowners’ electric bills, and it looks fantastic in photos.
If your home has plenty of windows that allow for natural light, make sure it’s not blocked by furniture or other blackout curtains. Maximize your windows by choosing light and airy drapes; keep the windows open during the day.
Letting natural light in is one of the easiest and most effective ways to ensure that your home’s interiors look amazing in pictures, no matter how minimal your styling might be. It especially looks incredible during golden hour, so make sure to shoot from an angle that showcases the sun rising or setting.
White aesthetics
Nothing complements natural light and golden hour more than white walls and a light and bright color palette. There has been some debate on whether an all-white aesthetic is on its way out, but you can still opt for this design choice without necessarily dating your house. Regardless of what trend forecasters say, we can’t deny that white aesthetics are still a staple for many celebrated interior designers like Shea McGee and Becki Owens. Not to mention, a white theme looks clean and crisp on any Instagram feed.
However, if you must try white walls, especially for the exteriors, don’t forget to have the concrete sealed. You want to ensure that it remains clean and white for a long time, and the only way for that to happen is if it has enough protection against elements like rainwater, weather exposure, abrasion, oil stains, and others.
Incorporate greenery
Another element that perfectly complements natural light and white walls? Greenery. This is one of the easiest ways to make your home more photogenic and visually appealing. Invest in some indoor potted plants like the following:
- Snake plants
- Rubber tree
- Aloe vera
- Monstera
- Pothos
- Spider plant
- Bird’s nest fern
- Peace lily
- Philodendron green
The type of plant you choose should also be based on your lifestyle and what you’re able to commit to. If you find that you don’t have the time or resources to nurture a more demanding species, something more low-maintenance like cacti and succulents might be a good option. The best part is that even though they don’t require a lot of care, they already look good, so they can help achieve your goal of making your home ready for its close-up.
Clean lines
Another thing you’ll notice about excellent interior design photography is that the homes’ clean lines are often front and center. So if you want your home to look straight out of Vogue Living or Elle Decor, opt for uninterrupted and broken lines in your choices. This means using lines to evoke a sense of stability, which entails using horizontal lines throughout your space. Here are some tips for ensuring that your lines remain clean without necessarily looking sparse or cold:
- Avoid curvilinear lines or design elements and furniture pieces from periods like art nouveau, baroque, and rococo. When choosing furniture and cabinetry, avoid lines that curve or evoke a feeling of femininity or softness.
- Clean lines are one of the marks of minimalist design, so try to find your cues in the famed Scandinavian interior trends. When it comes to clean lines, the whole point is that simple is best and less is more.
A clean, crisp, and photogenic home might be exactly what you need to welcome serenity, peace, and a sense of calm into your life. Don’t hesitate to make your home Instagram-friendly and as clean as possible, and it just might improve your family mood and productivity, too. Happy decorating!
