Design in Depth: Top 10 Ways You Know You’ve Got a Good House To Shoot

By Stacy Kunstel

I have an opportunity to first scout the homes I style for the magazine, giving me ample opportunity to prepare for a shoot. On a recent photo shoot for the current issue though, for some reason I only had a handful of snapshots to look at before arriving. To be honest, I didn’t know quite what to expect. Sometimes amateur shots distort the colors of a house or the room completely, so I really felt like I was going in blind. To make things even more interesting I had never met the designer, Starr Daniels.

Here’s how I instantly knew it was to be a good shoot:

1. The drive up to the house was a stunning approach with an ocean view and a well­-manicured lawn.

2. The front door had gorgeous cut glass inserts giving it a wonderful sense of transparency.

Photos by Michael J. Lee

3. Elegant, muted color pervaded throughout.

4. I had the nicest, most talented interior designer to work with.
5. I had a great teammate in my photographer, Michael J. Lee.
6. Lunch—you always want to have something good to eat at a photo shoot to keep up your energy and good humor.
7. A beautifully designed kitchen by Venegas is always a plus.

8. There were gorgeous dishes to choose from in setting the dining table.
9. The light gods gave us good favor, making every shot a little easier.
10. We finished before dark, whew!