Pale & Interesting (and decorating tips with glass)
Whenever an email arrives from Pale & Interesting to introduce something new I feel this sense of excitement wash over me as I really adore their online shop and look books. I have about 10 favorite photographers in the world and one is definitely Polly Wreford who shot all of the photographs that you see on the Pale & Interesting site. She is so talented, I love how sharp and crisp her photographs are but also that they don't feel lonely or cold -- which is a challenge when you are shooting rooms with a mostly white/neutral palette!
There is a difference, to me, in interiors photography these days that stands out quickly whenever I pick up an interiors magazine or book -- perhaps you can spot it too... the welcoming and the not-so welcoming imagery of homes. For instance, in Polly's work it feels like the homeowner is off to the side cooking or chatting around the dining room table as Polly works her magic in another room to create a beautiful composed photograph. But in some portfolios I see, it feels like no one lives in the home at all -- that the photographer is there all alone creating a beautiful photograph but there is something missing... a feeling of warmth and comfort, a feeling that people actually live and dream and work and play in that space once the photographer wraps up the shoot and leaves.
And though many photographers shoot styled work in hired spaces used solely for location shoots and not inhabited at all, I think the skill of the photography in such surroundings is to make them feel like people do live there. Does this make sense to you? Do you know what I mean?
Okay, back to the regularly scheduled program -- Pale & Interesting. They just rolled out their 2010 look book which is a bit like a magazine online that you can click through to get some decorating tips and to explore ideas on how to use specific products that they carry in your own home. I noticed in several of the photos above that many glass bottles were reused in different ways and as a result, they take on a whole new look. For instance, the bottles with the butterfly are the same as the bottles with the flowers and those shot with the glass cloches which is a great example of how some simple glass bottles can be a great investment as there are many different uses and ideas for arranging them in your home. One week they can be on your fireplace mantle, the next on your dining table, and quite possibly the next week they could be arranged on your entryway table in the hallway. So many options without running out to buy new things constantly - look for ones that are versatile and nothing is more versatile than transparent glass as they are subtle and understated, changing color and pattern according to what you place on, in, around or beneath them. Beautiful!
(images: polly wreford)