Seattle Interior Photography | Modern Organic Kitchen

April 06, 2023 in interiors

This kitchen went from new construction builder grade to custom luxury with the help of interior design expert Triple Heart Design. This kitchen renovation takes everything wonderful about Pacific Northwest modern organic design and blends it together to create a modern-yet-warm design that naturally takes center stage in the home.

Dark lower cabinets are balanced by bright countertops and custom open shelving in an non-traditional built-in style, bringing a bit of a library vibe to this airy kitchen.

I had the pleasure of styling this kitchen, working remotely with Triple Heart Design to nail down every detail. When I style my photography projects, I look for tones and materials. For this kitchen, I brought in some handcrafted details like the wooden bowl and large pottery. Since there are lots of modern elements in this space I also reflected that in the styling, including the white serving dish, the dried grass arrangement and black dishes.

Design: Triple Heart Design

Contractor: Jordan Valente

Styling & Photography: Emily Keeney

Seattle Bright White Kitchen | Interior Photography and Video

March 13, 2023 in interiors

I recently had the pleasure of styling and shooting a beautiful all white kitchen for Lux Design Builds. It was a fun-filled shoot day, and I'm sure you'll be amazed to see how this kitchen looks anything but sterile or boring! The detail in the hardware and finishes gives it a dynamic, layered look that’s absolutely gorgeous.

My favorite approach to photoshoots is to take an active part in the styling. Not only does accessorizing a space intentionally bring a visual edge, but it adds a storytelling element to the shoot that comes through in photos. I jokingly say that I’ve been preparing for this all my life, but I’ve been collecting unique home accessories since I was a teenager. Pieces that I bring to photoshoots live around my house and are constantly getting shuffled and rotated. I spend time with these accessories and they all have stories.

When I style an interior photoshoot, I look at the space beforehand in photographs and do some pre-planning. I collect pieces into a bit of a mood board and use that as a launching point for the rest of the accessories that I collect. I try to avoid over-planning and allow for some last minute changes once I’m on site on the photoshoot day. I always bring more than I need and make swaps based on the overall chemistry of the room.

A well-styled space will bring your eye through the photo intentionally, drawing the viewer to observe the design details in an authentic way.

Enjoy this beautiful kitchen!

Lux Design Builds does a great job gathering client testimonials (they have many happy customers). This video was created to show off their work and hear from their clients. I shot and edited this video as well! Adding interior design video coverage is a great way to show the space in a different way. I imagine all my favorite HGTV shows’ big “reveal moments” when I shoot video. It should feel aligned with the photos and take the viewer into the scene in a a fresh way.

Seattle Airbnb Photographer + Video | Cave B

February 25, 2023 in interiors, travel

After a long Seattle winter (with still a good amount to go) I was more than enthusiastic about a daytrip over the pass to Eastern Washington. It’s really magical to emerge from the densely mountainous and green Snoqualmie Pass into the brown rolling hills of our desert land. To be greeted with pristine blue skies is such a gift in these darker shorter days.

Just inside the Cave B property is a unique and hyper-modern building project designed by the Seattle architectural firm Olson Kundig. Several groupings of neo brutalist dwellings are strewn about the desert property. Floor to ceiling windows and interiors that seamlessly transition to exteriors create an almost glamping-like effect (except with indoor plumbing and insulation). The view stretches over the Columbia River Gorge where you can walk to summer concerts.

Plato’s Cave is a new vacation rental on Airbnb that offers guests an experience of this stunning landscape. A perfect place to escape the Seattle grind and be surrounded by beautiful architecture, this new space has two bedrooms and two bathrooms and boasts a beautiful firepit lounge and hot tub.

As an interior photographer in Seattle, I’m used to lots of craftsman details, so to photograph an uber modern structure was such a fun change of pace. The interior design is muted and cool in tone, a refreshing shadow in a sun-drenched desert otherwise. The technical challenge in this project was bringing the view of the outdoors into every shot. I stray from real estate photography in which an almost otherworldly clear view out the windows is the norm, and everything is over-bright. I want it to feel like you’re really in the space, with the photos portraying an editorial and lifestyle approach. Reading the light and shadow of each individual space, I tailor my natural-light approach to finding the best balance of nuance and detail.

Enjoy beautiful Plato’s Cave!

My Favorite (and free!) Home Decor Hack

February 24, 2023 in nature, interiors

In my kitchen silverware drawer, I keep a pair of clippers handy for routine plant maintenance and spontaneous trips to the yard to forage. Before I begin, I’ll tell you that I don’t live on acres of land or have particularly great gardening skills, and you don’t need them for this! A fresh and modern way to bring some nature indoors and to add visual impact is a dramatic arrangement of greenery in a simple vase. You simply head outside, find something that looks good and snip away!

A few tips and reminders:

Use good clippers! You can get them affordably at a home improvement or hardware store.

Forage wisely. Be aware of where and what you’re clipping. Don’t disturb protected wildlife areas, or your neighbor’s yard!

Bring your vase with you. Sometimes translating scale can be a challenge. If you have the vase you can clip and fill at the same time (and it makes less mess inside).

Dead or alive! Living greenery is really wonderful, but dried branches or flowers can be really amazing too, and even last longer since you don’t need them to stay in water. Look for interesting shapes and differing lengths.

For a more modern, minimal look, go with a few longer branches, and vary the lengths.