If you ever find yourself comparing your space to the homes of instagram or pantries of Pinterest and feel discouraged rather than inspired….
First, Iyour home looks better than you think! You probably aren’t comparing apples to apples.. Let me tell you some secrets behind those perfect pics! I want to share these simple tips I’ve learned with the masses. Use these secrets & tips to instantly give your space that Instagram Worthy Home Photography wow-factor!
Photography Tip #1
Its not just filters anymore- there are presets that you can use that improve the look of a pic by 1,000%. To overhaul your pics with these transformative presets: 1. Download the LightRoom App; 2. Browse Etsy for drool-worthy presets; 3. Try not to spend hours going down the preset rabbit hole 😉 -buy one & figure out how to upload it into the LightRoom App (somehow I have to relearn this every time like its a foreign language, ha) **be sure you are getting a mobile preset rather than the desktop version. Transform your pics! Too dark, too many shadows, colors don’t look just right.. just order a preset to fix it!
Photography Tip #2
Secondly, The Angle. You want a straight on shot of the whole space. Use the lines in your shot (ex: a doorway) to see if your camera is tilted vertically. Use the floor board, ceiling line, or horizontal line from a piece of furniture to see if your camera is tilted horizontally. The angle you are holding your camera (or phone) takes a little practice to figure out. Mess with the height and angles you are holding your camera to get the top, bottom, and sides. Heres one example of pics from my Home Coffee Bar…
See what a difference it makes in the overall look of the pic… automatically Profesh & Polished when its a straight on shot.
Next time you take a pic of your space use these 2 tips and oogle over your own house the way you do at other’s!
Keep Yourself in Mind-
Also, appreciate YOUR systems, styles, things! For encouragement in this area, hang out with other people that are on board with that too! One of my favorite online places to hang out is the Nesting with Grace Facebook Group. It was formed by a blogger, Brooke Christen, of the NWG blog… but now is just a huge group of her loyal, sweet, smart and savvy followers who offer encouragement and great decorating advice working with what you’ve got.
For example- if you have this piece that was made by your husband or grandpa and it isn’t trendy & most people wouldn’t stop and notice it- but it gives you the warm fuzzies- that is one amazing piece! Your space is ultimately for YOU. Thats something I always have to remind myself too. If something I like is breaking a decor rule, or I don’t feel like the masses would appreciate the style of something- but its the way I love it- its for me. I’m the one living in the space and ultimately the reason we decorate and spend time and energy cultivating the “feel” our home gives us is to enjoy our time with our people here!
For example- I want my patio to be cooler than the beer gardens around here, so we want to sit out there and have a glass of wine on a beautiful evening together. I want my living room to be inviting as possible. Meaning that the kids and their friends can touch and tousle all the pillows and throws. A living room we can actually live in.
There are More Important Things than Instagram Worthy Homes
Also, recognize that there are stages of life where the busyness ebs and flows. We’ve lived in this house for 8 years and I didn’t have the time, energy or spare $ to do anything to it for years. I was a stay at home mom with a 6 month old and 2 year old when we moved in, and quickly added our 3rd soon after. Looking back on the pics of the tiny girlies with all builder beige walls as the backdrop.. I wouldn’t change a thing.
I’m grateful my energy and focus wasn’t on the house. It would have been distracting bc there was so much going on every minute of the day just playing with the kids and making friends and experiencing our new city together.
This is the year my youngest went to kinder- woohoo! So, now have some hours to dedicate to painting closets, figuring out new organization systems that are practical for our fam & spend some time & energy to make them beautiful 🙂
My passion is falling into organizing all those “hidden spaces.” Organizing and beautifying the mess behind those closed closet/pantry doors & adding pretty labels. It lowers the stress in this busy season of life with school, sports, tutoring, friends & keeping up with active kids. It has also become a tool towards minimalism. If its important I’ll make a spot for it… if not it can go.
I need to check myself from time to time on WHY I’m doing this. Its time to check in when I’m short with my kids. Or I don’t go outside and play for a week and a half because I’m too busy with my projects. Then it’s time to refocus. Time to put things into perspective and ENJOY this stage of life. I only get them in the afternoons and they’ve got sports several nights a week, so if its a day off of all of that, homework is done & the weather is perfect- get my bootie outside with them! Enjoy their energy and the beautiful Texas sunshine.
So most importantly, remember to enjoy the stage of life you’re in… pin those projects and save them for later if you are in a busy swing of life. Be proud of yourself for where your focus is at. Comparing is just not beneficial because everyone is in different eras of their journey with different focuses!
You’re amazing, if your space working for you- that is all that matters.
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