A hotel room at the Park Hyatt Zurich: the made bed in the foreground, two velvet armchairs at a round table by the curtained window

Staging for interior spaces

Published 28 November 2020

Tips and tricks for professional photography and aesthetic staging of interior spaces and architecture.

The Importance of Styling for Your Interior Space

Meticulously staged photographs are crucial when marketing rental properties or hotel rooms because they give the viewer a genuine feel for what their experience in your space will be like.

What does styling actually mean?

It can be as simple as adding plush cushions to your shot, or as complex as analyzing composition balance and adjusting your scene accordingly. Keep your styling warm, inviting, and as professional as possible.

Create order by unplugging all technical devices

Wires and cables from TVs and computers often look messy in pictures, so you should remove them.

Declutter, but not too much.

Otherwise, you get a sterile feeling in your photo that is unmistakable. Leave one or two plants or objects for a human touch.

Composition

Strictly speaking, this refers to the way the subject of your photo fits together. Keep your composition in mind, e.g. by applying the rule of thirds (which basically means photos look better when their key elements are off-center).

Think about your camera lens

You might be thinking – Architecture photos? I better pull out my wide-angle lens, but frankly, although it is a great tool to have in your setup, please do not use it excessively. Distortion in your final shots is passé at best.

Use a tripod

You might find that your photos are always tilted slightly to the left or right, even when you think you are completely straight. Invest in one and it will be your friend for life.

By the way, bright cloudy days are best

The quality of shadows in indoor photos taken on a cloudy day is truly soft and beautiful.

Lighting your interior spaces with natural light

You will sometimes see advice to close all curtains and turn on all lights. I say a clear NO to that. Artificial light can cast a horrible yellow tint over everything, making it look very unnatural. You would have to soften the color temperature of artificial light with filters. Please be careful here. I strongly recommend working primarily with natural light.

Edit. Everything. Every photo.

Photo editing software is a must. Change your camera settings to save your photos in RAW format, and you will be amazed at how well you can edit them. There are many editing programs to choose from: the kind you use does not have to break the bank or can even be free if you use trial versions.

Edit, but not too much

Over-editing your photos harms your listing more than it helps. It might even give the viewer the impression that you are trying to hide something by boosting the saturation on your image far too high.