Tips for Designing a Photo-Worthy Home

With social media being a part of everyday life, learning how to design, decorate, and stage your home with cameras in mind will help you achieve post-worthy photos every time. Learning how to decorate a photo-ready home isn’t just a great idea for your own space, but it’s also a great way to take your vacation rental to the next level. Imagine providing guests with beautiful backdrops they can use for posting photos of their stay.

Key Components of Photo-Worthy Home Design

As life happens, you never know when you’re going to pull out a camera and start documenting the moment. That’s why you want to design your home to be always camera-ready. To do this, you’re going to proactively think about what the photo will look like as you stand in different spots throughout your home and try to design each room accordingly. This isn’t to say that you aren’t still focused on having a functional and welcoming space. It just means that you’re going to pay close attention to lighting, color scheme, furniture arrangement, and a few other key components.

Lighting the Camera will Love

Natural light and light fixtures are both crucial for making a photogenic space. Window treatments and drapes can be artfully arranged to let in just the right amount of light, while still showing off your personal taste. Chandeliers, wall sconces and ceiling fan lights all give you options for highlighting or shadowing specific spaces in the room, calling attention to some features and disguising others in the background.

Did you know that bulb selection can be just as important as choosing a lighting fixture? First, decide what type of light you want in the space. Do you like bright white or prefer a softer, warmer bulb? We have an LED lighting guide that breaks down all the options so you can make the choice that’s right for you and keep it consistent in all your lighting fixtures.

Color Palette

Color palettes for flattering videos are an important element here. The choice is yours, from subtle neutrals that make you the focus to bright jewel tones or patterns that attract attention. Don’t forget about ceiling color and room trim to make the space look clean and complete. Using bold, bright colors can help make a room pop and draw attention on Instagram. This can be achieved with statement pieces, decorative items, wall paint and wallpaper.

Introduce Textured Elements

Adding texture through items like rugs, throw pillows and blankets can add depth and interest to a room's design. This can help create a visually appealing image, as well as making a room feel more inviting and comfortable. Textured elements can be used in a variety of ways, such as adding a shag rug for a cozy feel or incorporating textured wall art for a unique touch.

Staging Your Home

Home staging is a crucial step in forming your picture-perfect home. Take photos and videos to see what angles and times of day work the best for different rooms. Pose in front of display elements and make sure they don’t seem too cluttered or overwhelming. Organize with shelving, bookcases, baskets or bins to create a space that looks lived in, but clean.  

Designing Spaces that Make a Statement

When you want a place in the home where everyone is going to stop and want to take a photo, bold, themed design and statement pieces will help you get there. Whether you’re living in the home yourself, or using the space as a short-term rental, leaning into a favorite theme or design aesthetic can make for a unique experience. You can create a single vignette in your home if you’re a consistent social media personality or you can make every room in the home a chic place to set up a camera.

Creating a Backdrop

You can also consider gallery walls with unique Instagram wall ideas. Framed photo collections, green walls of moss or succulents, large-scale art pieces and interactive elements like a chalkboard wall can all look fabulous on camera! Make the entire wall a certain pattern or material or arrange visual elements so they are prominent on the borders of the space. Both methods help ensure that people can pose in front of the space without blocking anything important or distracting the viewer’s eye.

Adding Statement Pieces

Large, eye-catching pieces such as statement lighting fixtures, wall art, or furniture can help create an impactful image. These statement pieces can be used to add visual interest to a room and can help define the overall style and aesthetic of a space. A statement piece can also serve as the focal point of a room, drawing the eye and adding a sense of drama.

Create Themed Rooms

If you have the space, consider themed rooms. Select decor based on a certain pattern, topic or style to instantly define a room and create intrigue. Feel free to be creative – pick a theme based on your child’s favorite color, your favorite sports team, hobbies like yoga or painting, or just your favorite decor. From coastal casual to Midcentury Modern, there are endless design options for a unique immersive space.

Staging Your Home for Real Estate Listings

When it comes to selling your home, the rules of design and staging change a little bit. The photos you take of your home for your real estate listing may be the most important photos you ever take of your home. There are some simple design tips that will help you book more showings and highlight your home in the best light possible.

Remove Personalization

When someone views your home, they are trying to view themselves in your space. They are trying to picture their furniture, their family, and their life there. It’s easier for them to do this if you remove any little moments of personalization. Take down family photos and replace them with more generic artwork.

Declutter the Space

Clutter is going to have a major impact on photos. Not only does clutter make it look like your home doesn’t have proper storage and organization, but it can also make each room appear smaller than it actually is. Go through every room of your home and remove as much clutter as possible. Clear countertops, nightstands and dressers of almost everything, leaving behind a couple stylish items to create little photo-worthy vignettes in the home.

Choose Broad Design Styles

While you don’t necessarily need your whole home to be painted white or beige to get it to sell faster, you do need to make sure that your design style is broad enough to appeal to a range of home buyers. If you have extreme wall colors, such as those that represent a favorite team or theme, consider repainting to a color palette that’s more on trend for when you’re selling. The same can be said for leaning into a theme too hard. While a coastal color palette may be perfectly acceptable, consider stripping away any kitschy knick-knacks that lean too heavily into that theme and replace them with more generic decorations.

Final Tips

If you have a short-term rental. Come up with a hashtag for the home and make sure it’s within easy sight for guests. They can use it to tag you in the pictures they take and post on social media, enhancing your online presence. In your guide for guests, you can provide a little information about nearby places that may be additional photo opportunities, as well.