I finally created my dream at-home photography workspace and I’m so excited to share it with you today! I’m not currently in business, so my home office/photography workspace is primarily used for editing family photos, photography education, gathering inspiration for my next photography project, storing my gear, and connecting online with other photographers. I love having my own creative space that inspires me to dream big, push the boundaries with my photography, and challenge myself with new techniques and creative exercises. Plus, it’s a perfect escape for reading and quiet time. My two girls also love to sit at my desk to work on homework or craft projects.
Prior to building our dream home in 2018, my photography office was a small desk in our bedroom or whatever corner I could find that wasn’t already taken. So, the thought of designing my own photography space was super exciting. Interior design has been a passion of mine since childhood when I would drive my mama crazy moving my bedroom furniture around weekly. When I finally had a space to let my vision run free, I knew I wanted to create a photography workspace that was truly inspiring and representative of my style.
Here’s a walkthrough of my new boho meets Southwest at-home photography office design!
Curating my vision.
I’ve always been described as unique, and my new personal photography workspace needed to reflect that. I curated a collection of things I love from vintage, quirky and unusual pieces. I had a Pinterest folder of ideas long before our home was built. And actually, years before Pinterest was created, I would tear my favorite pages out of magazines and make my own folder of inspirational designs.
Most of my home has a neutral palette so I wanted to add a little fun and a lot of color in my space. I would consider my style to be a little boho with a touch of Southwestern. An eclectic mix of styles is the perfect blend for me.
I love yellows and greens but my hubby is not a fan. Having a private space gave me the opportunity to incorporate these colors into my design. Finding the perfect print on my rug, curtains, and this funky cowhide chair made the space come all together. My new photography workspace offers a creative reprieve in the midst of the neutral Texas Hill Country style throughout the rest of our home.
Adding function and design.
It was challenging to find just the right design elements. I wanted pieces that – like my photography — tell a story.
Desk
This vintage farm table makes the perfect desk. I distressed it and added in a cute stand with three storage baskets to make it a perfectly beautiful and functional design piece.
Storage
The yellow lockers weren’t always this pretty. On the contrary, when we purchased them at an auction, they were quite ugly. I’m not a great painter and these certainly gave me a run for my money. With each brush stroke I swore I would never paint again, but I’m love with the way they turned out.
Color
A local antique shop posted these beautiful green french shutters on Facebook and I immediately sent a message asking them to save them for me. When I picked them up, the shop owner told me that they are from France and she won them at an auction. This Texas girl was pretty excited to imagine the beautiful old building or historic home they might have been on. I adore them for my little space.
Display
This pretty dresser seemed to be just the right choice for a printer table. Plus it offered extra storage space — pretty and practical. We have open shelves in our modern farmhouse kitchen, so adding the shelves above the dresser to display my thrift shop, Goodwill and garage sale vintage cameras works perfectly. This is probably my favorite part of my space.
Door
The final touches were to display some photographs I love, a few décor pieces that mean a lot to me, and to add an authentic barn door re-homed from an old farm that I could slide closed for a little peace and quiet.
“Decorate with what you love, not what is trending. Trends come and go but staying true to you will never go out of style.”
Here’s my photography office inspiration board on Pinterest if you want to see a little more of the planning process.
The design elements for my photography workspace:
Desk: Here’s a similar one on Wayfair.
Cowhide office chair: Target
Lockers: I won these auction. Here’s the paint color.
Dresser: Here’s a similar one at Walmart.
Storage baskets: These are from Ross, but Target has similar syles.
Vintage camera collection: Thrift Shops, Goodwill, Garage Sales, eBay, Etsy, KEH Camera
Curtains and curtain rod: Target and Target
Rug: Rugs USA
French Shutters: I bought these from my local antique shop, but you can sometimes find pieces like this on Facebook Marketplace.
Gold butterfly lamp: Target
Camera Print: SmallWoodHome (no longer available). Here’s a similar one from Etsy.
Gold mirror: Target
Wreath: Target
Picture frames: Target and HomeGoods
Letter board: This one is from Ross, but here’s a similar style on Amazon.
Locker storage items: TJMaxx, Dollar General, Ross, Marshall’s
Southwestern blanket: Here’s one similar to mine on Mission Del Rey.
Wood carved paper tray: At Home
Three compartment organizer: At Home
Yellow chairs: Here’s a similar style from Wayfair and here is the paint color.
10 Tips for designing your own at-home photography workspace:
1. Create a design plan.
Decide what the space will be use for. Make a list of what you need and pick out a color scheme. Don’t be afraid to use different patterns, textures and layers.
2. Design for function.
Design for the purpose of the space. If it will be a multi-purpose space, find pretty storage boxes to store items while not in use. Make it pretty and functional.
3. Use the space you have.
The space doesn’t have to be big or elaborate. It could be an extra closet in a guest a bedroom or a corner in your dining room. No matter the location or size of the space, making it your own is key.
4. Utilize what you have.
The space doesn’t have to be expensive to be beautiful. Look around your home for key pieces that can be used in your design. Moving things around can make them feel new again and save you money.
5. Think outside the box.
Find another use for a piece of furniture. For example, use a dining room table for a desk or a tv armoire/cabinet for storage.
6. Don’t be afraid of paint.
Painting is an inexpensive way to add new life to an old or tired piece of furniture. Transform a plain brown dresser into a vintage style storage cabinet with white paint and a little distressing.
7. Choose statement pieces.
Find statement pieces for the space and design around them. For example, hang framed artwork that means a lot to you or find a new function for a piece of furniture you inherited.
8. Find unique secondhand pieces.
Use Facebook Marketplace, online auctions, garage sales, Goodwill, Etsy, Ebay and resale shops to find unique pieces. This is an affordable and easy way to find items no one else has.
9. Personalize your space.
Decorate with something you or your kids created, like paintings, artwork, etc. Putting those special pieces in a frame will add a personal touch to the space. Printing your photographs for display is also important and can make the space feel personal.
10. Make it yours.
Decorate with what you love not what is trending. Trends come and go but staying true to you will never go out of style.
Photos by Vicki Smith
More inspo for designing your own photography workspace or office at home:
27 Liberating steps to creating a photographer’s ideal workspace
45 Organization hacks for your photography business and workflow
How I turned my garage into a beautiful photo studio: a video tour
7 ways to incorporate modern, functional design into your photo studio
Inspiring Space: An office tour with photographer Allison Corrin French
Photo Studio Tours
so good
Thank you so much! đŸ™‚