Laurelhurst Renovation | Seattle Interior Photographer

I’m so excited to share this renovation with you today! In one of the historic neighborhoods of Seattle, this home got a full lower level refresh with a new kitchen, living room and dining room. It’s beautifully designed for its resident, a baker (who graced us with scones on the shoot day — they were props and then became our snacks!). I worked with the Seattle interior design team Corr & Steele on this shoot day. A wonderful pair, we collaborated on making each shot just perfect.

My approach to photography is all about collaboration and creativity. I focus on maintaining consistency in my work through careful composition, natural lighting, and elevated styling. The best shoots happen when both my client and I enjoy the process of capturing beautiful spaces. I'm passionate about what I do, and shoot days are always enjoyable. By shooting tethered to a screen, we can make small adjustments to styling and composition, resulting in inviting, editorial-quality images. When it comes to editing, I prefer a clean and natural style, with minimal use of Photoshop tricks. I achieve a bright and natural light look without the use of flash, which I feel makes for a flattened image.

I’m based in Seattle but take projects all over! I was recently in Orange County and Atlanta, and often take photography projects in my hometown of Chicago. The best thing about traveling for interior photography work is seeing how architecture and design styles vary depending on the location.

Design: Corr & Steele

Construction: Darren Patt Construction

Bainbridge New Construction | Seattle Interior Design Photography

Capturing the essence of a custom-designed home on Bainbridge Island is an interior photographer's dream. When the design brilliance of Noble Interiors meets the staging finesse of McKith Interiors, we get this — a stunning and unique space that feels anything but builder-grade. As a photographer, stepping into such a thoughtfully designed space means there are few tough angles, and my job is just to compose beautiful images based on light and texture. McKith Interiors reached out to photograph this home in an editorial style. It’s hitting the MLS but real estate photos often display a home in a really specific way, and they wanted their work to be shown in a more lifestyle, natural style. This is my specialty, and I love it when I can show a space in detail with artful compositions. I get even more excited when my clients get excited about this process!

One of the most captivating aspects of photographing this home is the seamless dance between the hard finishes and thoughtful staging. Noble Interiors' design ethos, often rooted in embracing natural elements, ensures that the spaces work with natural light in a tonal quality. This not only highlights the architectural details but also creates an inviting feeling that translates through photographs. At that point McKith Interiors caught the baton and paired the space with artfully crafted furnishings and decor that highlighted the natural beauty of the home, keeping in mind its peaceful PNW setting.

The best part about when the design and furnishings are a perfect match? Editorial-worthy photographs that effortlessly blend the warmth of natural light with the sophistication of a well-staged interior. Each image not only showcases the beauty of the space but also evokes a sense of lifestyle and aspiration. From the soft glow of afternoon light filtering through the windows into the cozy great room to the dramatic interplay of the office through the striking arched glass doors, every moment captured reflects this excellent mashup of light and design.

It was so much fun to photograph this project! Haley McKinley, the owner of McKith Interiors, shadowed me on this shoot holding the “client iPad” where you can see images as I’m taking them. It’s the best way to go about a shoot like this where details really matter and small adjustments to composition make a big difference. With her brilliant eye, we were able to rotate things just a bit or nudge a chair this way or that to create visually balanced editorial images that feel different from traditional real estate photos.

Interior Design: Noble Interiors

Staging: McKith Interiors

Seattle Airbnb | Interior Commercial Photographer

The first thing I noticed walking into this absolutely perfect Airbnb rental home in Seattle was how well the original charm of the home was preserved in its modernization. We love crown molding AND updated heating!

The owner of this short term rental is a master of curation when it comes to vintage and antique items. Nothing is worse than walking into an Airbnb or VRBO and finding wall-to-wall fresh-out-of-the-box decor sourced exclusively from Amazon. It’s not to say that we don’t need convenience in our choices, but I love a collected space.

For one thing, it’s far more sustainable to repurpose items that are already in existence. There are so many good things already out there! Additionally, curating a space intentionally takes a lot of dedication to the overall balance of aesthetic. When we travel, we want to experience a place or a new city, and the place we stay can be just as meaningful as many of the other destinations and activities.

Think back to some of your favorite vacations and tell me if you can recall at least some details about the home you stayed in. In a world with Airbnbs available around every corner, spaces like this totally stand apart.

Of course, the icing on the cake is photographing it intentionally. In over ten years working with people and spaces, I’ve learned about approaching a space with a curious eye and informed skillset. Creating balanced compositions comes from a large background in art, and telling the story through a branding eye comes from many years of experience. I love the feedback I get from my clients when they tell me their space has rented at a higher rate and higher frequency because of their photography. My personal mission is to embody and inspire joy, and this kind of shoot brings me in such alignment with that purpose.

If you have a space you’ve designed I would love to hear about it! Get in touch via email: emily@emilykeeney.com.

Seattle Interior Photographer | Eclectic Architectural Renovation

Like many cities around the US, Seattle is full of amazing old properties that deliver big on charming tree-lined streets and character, and maybe not so much when it comes to square footage. With a competitive real estate market (and a knack for historical preservation), many homeowners are deciding to renovate older homes to create modern, inviting living spaces that cater to today’s needs. With many interior design and architectural firms in Seattle, homeowners can put a little vision into a set of very professional hands for optimal results. In this case, the owners entrusted Office of Ordinary, a women-owned and operated architecture firm to take a small and very divided Seattle home and transform it into a spacious retreat with vaulted ceilings and an open floor plan.

When I showed up to photograph this project, I was floored by the homeowner’s amazing antique collection, including bentwood Colonial chairs and historic French armoires collected over the years by the homeowner, having lived France for many years. As I picked my jaw up off the floor, Office of Ordinary’s founder, Sandy Wolf, explained to me that the space was actually designed to accommodate these pieces. To me, that effort of historical preservation and reverence for antiquity is noble, commendable, and just really super cool.

As an interior and architectural photographer in Seattle, I’ve learned to never rely on sunshine for beautiful photos. Sure enough, on shoot day it was pouring down rain and I opted for a single-trip gear haul, white-knuckling and hunched as I darted from my car to the cozy oasis of the house. By using a tripod and long exposure method, I’m able to ensure the interior photographs are bright, natural, and inviting. Dark days present a fun opportunity to share with my design clients the technical tricks to my work that make changing light conditions just another variable in creating beautiful images. The same rule applies when I’m photographing in the winter months in Chicago — even if the sky is full of clouds and snow, I’ll insist we turn off all the lights and use the powers of long exposures and bracketed images to achieve that natural glow look and feel.

Enjoy this beautiful home and check out Office of Ordinary for your renovation project!