FLICKING THROUGH the pages of glossy homes magazines, you'd be forgiven for wondering how real people could live, cook, entertain, do laundry and generally relax in dwellings that are so picture perfect. No doubt, some do manage it. But the pictures on those pages are the result of a lot more work and preparation than a quick tidy-up before the photographer arrives.
During a shoot, the design of an interior is shown to best effect, thanks to the skills of a team that aims to maximise the visual impact and atmosphere of the space. The photographer is the key figure, but the stylist plays a critical role. They function as an extra pair of eyes ensuring that the elements are in harmony. Do the objects appear balanced? Are the colours working together? Should anything be moved, added or omitted?
Hong Kong-based stylist Esther van Wijck, of Three Dogs Studio, says the vital elements she brings to presenting a home in its best light are 'a good sense of colour and mood, an understanding of how an object or an interior can be portrayed and ideas for props that can emphasise the space or object'. Stylists work to enhance interiors, boosting good points and hiding bad ones yet retaining the spirit of the space and the decorative vision of the homeowner.
'Stylists can enhance a home by changing around furniture and objects to give an interior better qualities such as more light, more space and more comfort, and to make it more pleasing to the eye,' says van Wijck, whose work includes styling in retail spaces and for magazines.
A pared-down, minimal apartment with neutral tones and textures needs a different treatment from one big on patterns, texture and colour. The former may need props or florals to make it look less severe. The latter may need items cleared away so it doesn't look too cluttered.
'A good stylist needs a willingness to look beyond the obvious,' says Ruth du Cann, whose styling experience includes decor and fashion.
Home styling is a personal skill - after all, you are walking into someone else's life - and because of this the stylist often functions as the conduit between the homeowner and the photographer. Making both parties feel comfortable, explaining how a shoot will progress and what it entails, soothing any fears and worries and even mediating between conflicting creative visions.