13 March 2013

More Photo Shoots and some flower love

So...  we're doing a few last-minute photo shoots for our portfolio of some of my favorite projects.  I've been working with one of my clients for about three years now and she's got a really beautiful style so I cannot WAIT to take these photos!  The other project is a newer one (with progress shots shared a couple of months ago on Instagram) and this family also has really great style.  I think in this industry we give a lot of credit to designers., but the truth is that homeowner's personal styles and tastes are what really make a home special or a project "great."  A decorator may be able to create an amazing design, but without an open-minded client who has her or his own amazing sense of style and "gets it" the designer might never get the chance to actually implement that vision.

So... onto photo shoot details:  I am truly running around like a madwoman right now.  One of the most important elements of good photos are flowers and plants.  And I'm seriously behind on it.  So, I called my go-to flower guru, Holly Heider Chapple, who has bailed me out more than once.      



Holly owns Holly Heider Chapple Flowers, an amazingly successful boutique flower studio in Leesburg, Virginia.  As I called Heidi this morning, she was preparing for a booked-up seminar and workshop she's hosting in NYC, where she and other flower experts (including a Martha Stewart Living editor) will be speaking and teaching, getting ready for multiple weddings this weekend, welcoming a new employee on board today... yet she still agreed to help me. (!!)    The woman is a true whirlwind.  In a good way.  My hero.


Her floral designs are so good!!!  Going to her website and blog just makes me want to have a party.  


Holly & I went over what I was thinking about doing for flowers in my clients' homes, and of course she had even better ideas.   She gets that I like a loose, casual, relaxed arrangements that look as if they were just picked from a home garden.  (She also knows my favorites are green and white and that I like my own flowers a little wild. ;) ;)



If you're a decorator, when you style your clients' homes for photo shoots- what's your flower philosophy and do you have a go-to flower stylist??

 
ps- Holly's company also does floral arrangements for homes on a weekly basis if you're into something like that.  (Sounds like an awesome gift to someone you love- hint hint maybe your spouse if you are reading this and your name starts with a 'D'??- ;) ;) 


If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

*All images in this post are Holly's*

15 comments:

  1. How cool to have a "flower specialist". I too love arrangements relaxed and natural. I might consider finding someone to do that for a shoot....even though we are designers, we can't design everything! And yes, thanks for mentioning the clients that really let a project flow. They are the best!

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  2. Holly is definitely talented and I can see I may be spending some good time on her blog today : )

    I can only image how beautiful the spaces look after you have designed the interior and she contributes the flowers! - Rachel

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  3. Flower sure do add to the feel/look of a room. These are beautiful flower arrangements! I do not have the knack for arranging flowers, I could learn a lot from her class!

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  4. Gorgeous flowers! Just what I needed to see while waiting for spring to arrive!

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  5. Lauren- my favorite arrangements are probably the kind you like. Right from the garden. Have you ever noticed You can NEVER wrong when you pull flowers from your own garden? why is that? they never need to be arranged. So as you can imagine cant wait for spring. Especially fo rmy Alliums to bloom!

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  6. How great you have a pro like that :) her work is so beautiful. I would love flowers every week!!

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  7. Beautiful flowers! Looking forward to seeing the pics from your new work.

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  8. What a colorful blog...Lovely flowers...:)
    It brings smile
    Android Developer

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  9. Lauren,
    Thanks for the nice blog talk last night. You're right, I look to blogs that tell stories. The other thing I love is the connections you make with folks from around the world. No matter what your passion might be there is a blog out there and someone to talk and give tips.

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  10. Pat- thank you so much for coming and it was so nice to meet you!! :)
    Big hug,
    Lauren

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  11. I would wish to thank you for those efforts you've got created in writing this post. I am hoping the exact same best perform from you in the potential as well. Corporate Housing Barcelona

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  12. wow, i love this gorgeous post, thank you

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  13. Lauren- Holly's flowers are beautiful! So talented. I'm drawn to her loose blue and green arrangements with the hydrangeas.

    I've been trying to buy only locally grown flowers - so I am really waiting for Spring and the Farmer's Markets! (We have a long winter here in Albany, NY!)

    Loretta

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  14. I couldn't agree with you more, about open-minded clients! A designer may have the style, tools, and technique but one of the "secret ingredients" to a really great design is a client who is open to new ideas...
    love reading along!
    xo Lea Hart
    http://paperandspace.blogspot.com/

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I love hearing from you- thank you for taking the time to write!! :)

*If you have a specific question, I'll try to answer it in the comments section so be sure to check back! If you're looking at an older post, email me directly. Thanks!
~Lauren