Now and again the perfect location for furniture photography unexpectedly appears. This was one of those rare and fortunate occasions.
Previously, we had worked with Willmark Homes (www.willmarkhomes.co.uk) furnishing show homes at their Baxter Green Site in Nottingham. In June 2022, the MD of Willmark Homes completed his spectacular family home and invited us to use it for photography.
As with all photoshoots, a recce was required to create a survey, review access and evaluate the space, light and opportunities for photography.
The home was built on a leafy hilltop in a secluded Nottingham estate, home to dozens of spectacular buildings including several Mid-Century, Californian-style properties. The building, with its elegant proportions and panoramic windows, harmonised with the Californian-style homes, fitting into the location respectfully.
The Interior was exceptional, imaginative and painstakingly planned; it was spacious, flooded with light and finished with high-quality fittings and materials. The vast open-plan living area was the main attraction, with a contemporary kitchen, sunken seating area, marble feature wall and parquet flooring. The upstairs housed five large bedrooms, three sharing a spectacular cantilevered balcony with idyllic views over the treetops. Leading off the living area were several other amazing spaces, the first being an enviable home cinema room with a powerful 7.1 surround sound system and wall-to-wall cinema screen. Adjacent to the cinema room was a cosy family room with a wood-burning stove and floor-to-ceiling windows looking out to the woodlands. Behind the kitchen was a hidden area concealing the utility room and cloakroom. Perhaps most impressive of all was the subterranean level featuring a fully equipped gym with shuttered concrete walls, a heated, 20-metre swimming pool with a living wall backdrop, shower room, steam room and cycle store (kitted out with pristine tool chests, wall mounts and a collection of immaculate bikes). The exterior was well appointed, with a large patio, hot tub and sunken firepit area. Logistically and aesthetically, the property was ideal, with good access and plenty of space for storage and manoeuvring.
Time was limited, we had six days to plan, pack, build furniture, install, photograph, create videos pack up and move out before the family moved in. With a three-day shoot required and an immovable deadline, there was no margin for error.
Monday 23.05.2022
The survey sketches and measurements were swiftly developed into a CAD floorplan allowing us to accurately determine the furniture layout. A palette of dove grey, black, ivory and silver was chosen to complement the interior fixtures and finishes and foliage was sourced to add colour and connect the interior to the exterior.
The key to making this fit-out successful was finding appropriate seating for the sunken lounge area. Our Cassie Corner Sofas were the perfect fit and became the starting point from which all other items related to. The Moray Large Chalk Rugs were chosen to define the seating areas, leaving a practical walkway through the space. To complete the seating areas we chose the Alhambra Silver Coffee Tables, whose diagonal lines and materials echoed the staircase. We were fortunate with the split-level floor arrangement, which was ideal for furniture photography as the raised level elevated background items into view of the camera. For this space we chose the Equinox Six Seat Sofa and Armchair, accompanied by the Parker Silver Coffee Table, Parker Silver Side Table and Reverie Rug, the circular forms created an eye-catching radial composition and focal point. Continuing the circular theme, we picked the Pino 6-8 Seat Silver Dining Table and Lasco Dining Chairs in Dove Grey with Brushed Stainless Steel frames. Finally, we chose the Selini Bar Stools in Dove Grey as the forms and materials harmonised with the Equinox and Parker items. All items were available for use from the showroom and stock. Everything was reserved in preparation for packing the next day.
Tuesday 24.05.2022
8.30. All available hands were on deck. The warehouse staff worked as an efficient unit, picking and wrapping the furniture whilst the design team selected, wrapped and packed the accessories. The necessary tools, photography equipment and cleaning equipment were gathered and packed onto the vans before everyone was briefed in preparation for Wednesday.
Wednesday 25.05.2022
9.00. We arrived on-site. It was a warm, dry day, meaning we could use the exterior space for unboxing and building furniture. Meanwhile, inside, all the homeowner’s furniture was carefully removed and stored in the rooms that we weren’t using. Our rugs, accessories and pre-built items were unwrapped and organised in preparation for the installation. By 2pm all furniture had been built and installed, leaving the design team three hours to dress with accessories, vacuum the floor, polish the surfaces and brush the velvet furnishings in preparation for photography on Thursday.
Thursday 26.05.2022
8.45. The photographer and design team arrived on-site; it was a bright but overcast day. The diffused sun provided a consistent light source so thankfully we weren’t battling with harsh shadows and ever-changing lighting conditions.
We had two main photography objectives. The first was to create lifestyle images for all new products, including 17 bar stools, dining tables, dining chairs, occasional chairs, coffee tables and side tables. The second was to create ‘Hero Shots’ for the website’s carousel area. We focused on the bar stools initially, once the camera and lights were set up, we worked methodically and swiftly through the shots and moved on to the tables and chairs. By early afternoon all lifestyle shots had been captured, leaving us with three hours to create the carousel images. The panoramic format of the living area was ideal for this format and the compositions formed quickly and well, allowing us time to perfect the lighting and positioning of the accessories. By the end of the day, we were on schedule, with all planned shots successfully captured.
Friday 27.05.2022
Again, at 8.45 we arrived. Today had been set aside for creating videos, predominantly for use on social media, but also for the website. We had 6 situations planned, each requiring various tracking and panning shots in both landscape and portrait formats, amounting to approximately 40 individual scenes, each scene requiring 5-10 takes to perfect. Each situation needing the preparation of lighting and tracks laying for the camera dolly. We worked at full capacity all day, aiming to create the best footage possible. By Five o’clock our available time was up, we had completed all the planned shots and were delighted with the results.
Monday 30.05.2020
We all arrived at 8.30 sharp. The family were on site and moving in, so we had to exit as quickly as possible. The drive was packed with vehicles and people were dashing around everywhere, it was another fine day, so we chose to get everything onto the patio, dismantle and pack outside whilst the family moved in through the front door. Once all our items were removed, we cleaned up and reinstalled the homeowner’s furnishings to their original positions leaving everything exactly as we found it. By 12.00 everything was loaded onto the vans, we checked that the property was immaculate, thanked the owners and made our way back to My Furniture to unpack and reinstate the showroom.
The final landscape version of the video can be viewed here.
To view all the pieces from the shoot, head to my-furniture.com, where you find a large selection of dining, bedroom and living room furniture, as well as gorgeous lighting and home accessories.
For sales and product enquiries, contact us at customerservice@my-furniture.co.uk or telephone: 0800 092 1636.
Free Delivery UK Mainland.
Alhambra
Silver coffee table, marble top
Cassie
Corner sofa, dove grey velvet upholstery
Ella
Bar stool, fluted velvet upholstery
Equinox
Curvaceous armchair, polished chrome base
Equinox
Curvaceous sofa, polished chrome base
Frankfurt
Deep buttoned bar stool, brass finish
Lasco
Dining chair, brushed brass base
Moray
Hand tufted 100% wool rug
Pino
6-8 seat brass dining table
Ravello
Sculptural bar stool, velvet upholstery
Reverie
Circular abstract design rug
Rubell
Sculptural floor light
Watson
Bar stool, distinctive diamond quilting
