Diary of a styling assistant ........

Getting a styling assistants gig on one of this countries leading home magazines, Home Beautiful, was a tremendous highlight for me in 2014.  It really was a dream come true, I had put it on my wish list and I did everything to make it happen.  Home Beautiful is one of my favourite magazines, I buy it every month and stalk the pages from back to front and then back again. So to actually get in behind the scenes and see what really happens on a photo shoot was actually pretty amazing!!

The day starts really early (around 7am), the head stylist arrives (in this case the very lovely Julia Green), her  car is usually packed to the brim with props and flowers, Then the photographer (in this case - Armelle Habib - an absolutely amazing creative!) arrives, lots of gear and her assistant is usually not far behind! On this particular job, there were two styling assistants working under Julia's direction, myself and another girl - both of us big fat sponges and just watching every move she made. Next up the stylist and the photographer scope out the house -  this is where the fun begins - before you know it - things are being moved around, props moved in and mixed with the existing furniture - this can be as big as a new floor rug, a throws, cushions and/or artwork and as small as a pair of glasses resting on a book!!!!.  Everything is strategically positioned so that the space is best captured by the camera - every little detail counts. In actual fact magazine shoots are all about the details - can you imagine turning every room upside down and then moving it back again once the right shot is captured - it was a huge day - very long hours, lots of waiting for the right light to enter a room - some rooms easier than others. The experience was amazing, I feel very lucky. I left the house at 6pm - the shoot was not complete by then and if that was not long enough - they were all getting up the next day to get to a house Daylesford by 7am on a Saturday - their commitment to capturing beautiful homes is truly amazing.  I did learn a lot from that day, but one of the biggest learnings I came away with was that magazines love detail and colour, the house has to have the right bones, it has to be something special and it need to photograph, although in saying that Armelle is the BOMB, she has an amazing ability to make anything look fabulous - check out her website to see more of her amazing work.
I would love both her and Julia to come to my house one day!!!! ( another grand wish of mine) and make it look amazing and see it in the pages of Home Beautiful - imagine that - ohhh to dream!!!

Home Beautiful shoot

 

The latest issue of Home Beautiful has just hit the magazine stands and it features the house I assisted Super Stylist Julia Green and the amazing photographer Armelle Habib, if you haven't heard of this dynamic duo, you would have seen their work in lots of recent  magazines.  We visited the house back in April - so it has taken 6 months to hit the stands  - big lead times! This was a Hamptons style home in the burbs. We got there at 8am and didn't leave until 6pm! Huge day fluffing, moving, carrying things out and carrying things in - the amount of work that goes into a shot like this is absolutely amazing - the days are long - non stop and really physical. It was a great experience, I am so thankful I got a chance to work on such a high profile magazine (still pinching myself!!) this was totally a dream come true!

this was my favourite room of the whole house - the magnificent chandelier was from Schots Home Emporium in Clifton Hill Melbourne.

I'm still pinching myself, I learnt so much about what goes into a magazine shoot - it is not always as it appears!!! believe me!

ChaLK tALk interview

Julia Green - Green House Interiors

some of Julia's styling work @ Fenton and Fenton
photography Armelle Habib

it's not everyday you get to meet the person you have almost stalked through interior magazines. Last week not only did I finally get to meet Julia Green from Greenhouse Interiors, I actually got to see some of her work first hand in her house! I have admired Julia from afar, you see, I look at interior magazines in a whole new light. If something takes my eye I instantly look to see who has styled the spread and it just so happened that Julia's name kept popping up.  Julia is a Melbourne based freelance stylist who works for various publications such as Real Living, Home Beautiful and Herald Sun Home. She also develops and mentors up and coming designers making their debut into the retail market, she has some amazing artists under her wings - my personal favorite is Emma Cleine, you can check out all the details here.

photography Armelle Habib, styling Julia Green, artist Emma Cleine

Julia's work is amazing, her home is amazing and she is one amazing lady- I instantly felt at ease with her, could have spent the whole day looking at her house (there was eye candy everywhere!) and just picking her brain, she was just soooo lovely - I can't thank her enough for taking the time to chat to me, and answering my gazillion emails!!! - 

I asked Julia some questions about Styling and here's what she had to say!

take 5 with Julia 
1.    How and when did you get you “big break” into the world of styling??

It makes for a great story!

I sold a couch on ebay, and when the man came to pick it up, i honestly thought he was casing my House to rob it, as his head was permanently rotating and looking at everything. Turns out, he was a photographer for vogue. and he finally apologised for being so nosy, and asked me who I was an interior stylist for..... I didn't even know such people existed let alone what they did. Long story short, he was shocked that I was in a science field and not a creative one, and gave me his card suggesting I call him if I were keen to pursue a career in styling. I was heavily pregnant at the time and put his card in a drawer and thought he was just being nice! But once bubba was born, and it was time to return to work, I just couldn't go back to my old life. I pulled out the card, took a deep breath and phoned. I have not stopped running from job to job since. That was just under 3 years ago.

2.    Best piece of advice for someone trying to kick start their styling career

I suppose to back yourself if you believe you have a talent in this area, and give it a red hot go. You need to have a good business background too, as that holds you in good stead to win the jobs! Styling is a big part of it, but so is your ability to win the work... then you have to back it up with quality styling! 

3.    Who and what inspires you, and where do you look for inspiration?

Everywhere. How cliched is that?

Color... I constantly dream of new color combinations- it is almost dementing. My own house is very colorful, and I love to be surrounded by it. It makes me feel happy.

I love hard rubbish. I find hidden gems and get creative when thinking about how to revamp things...like with paint

I saw a massive flock of birds in flight the other and they formed the most amazing patterns in the sky- it made me think of a shape for an art work...

I love magazines, I love looking at the way other people live

Art inspires me the most of all... I am lucky enough to work with some super talented girls, like Emma Cleine, Pia Blair, and Renee Whyte-Costa- their use of color and materials is sublime.... so so clever. They inspire me greatly.

4. Your top 5 shops to visit in Melbourne

• Fenton and Fenton
• Nyary 604
• Turner Lane
• Hut 13
• Crate Expectations

all because the owners do color sooooo well....... and have an great eye to pull things together

5.    Your top 5 styling tips!

don't be afraid of color

mix and match random things like bed linen (different pillow cases with a colored sheet and different doona cover altogether.... I don't like structure much, I like fluidity and creative expression in things

Use art for color and expression.... art is what makes or breaks a house in my opinion

Get advice... employ someone to help you with color, designs etc.... you will pay less getting it right first time and learn a lot in the process

Don't just buy labels....

Mix old with new

and finally only ever buy things you love...