behind-the-scenes photo shoot styling: spilling some secrets

As I've mentioned here before, the process leading up to having our home photographed was a little stressful for me. I tend to be a perfectionist (working on countering this, daily) and all I could see were the outstanding projects I wanted to tackle first. It got to a point where I had to let go of some things. I realized that if I kept waiting until things were "perfect," I was never going to have photos to share, and this didn't make any sense. So, I scheduled the shoot and set to work on the things in my control. 

One of the things that had been driving me crazy was a faded gray cover on the daybed. The daybed used to live on the opposite side of the room, in front of our south-facing windows which let in amazing, lovely, warm, beautiful light. It also fades fabric. :) So, my dark gray mattress cover was rather faded and spotty. I also wanted to brighten things up (surprise, surprise). Linen was my ideal choice of fabric, as I was going for a relaxed, wrinkled feel. I looked into having a cover made, and quite honestly ran out of time. So, what we have here is a piece of linen wrapped and tucked around the mattress as tightly as I could. There might be a safety pin or two involved as well. ;) And, what do you know - it works! Of course, it's not the ideal permanent solution, but I'm relieved that it was an affordable solution that looks beautiful. 

Moving on to Exhibit B. Our brown, flat-cushioned, hand-me-down sofa. Now, don't get me wrong. I was ecstatic about adopting this sofa when some friends were getting rid of it. It's much nicer than what we had before, and it has served us well! But after years of use by them and us, the cushions really have seen better days. It's also not my first choice of color. However, a new sofa was definitely not in the budget, so what to do? I definitely searched Craiglist and thrift stores and hoped and prayed for the perfect replacement, but I'm not going to get a new sofa just to get one. It has to be the right one, and it wasn't happening. 

A throw can work wonders, wouldn't you agree? I did, in fact, find this at a thrift store (and washed it a few times before using it) and we love it. I wanted something with fringe, and was definitely open to color/pattern, but it turns out this is great. It takes the focus away from the less-perfect features and also breaks up the mega-length. It's also VERY soft and cozy and can often be found with me curled up underneath it. :)

I hope these little tips were helpful! And...I have more behind-the-scenes secrets planned this week, so I hope you'll be back!

If you're interested in working together to make your home a place you love, please contact me for more info at katiegaviganinteriors@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you!