It’s never been more common to want to create the “perfect” home - and share it on social media.

It’s normal for people to save photos of inspiring places to a digital mood board, hoping to recreate it with their own design choices in mind. Platforms like Instagram and Pinterest have given even non-HGTV stars the opportunity to share their favorite rooms and aesthetic with an audience.

For those of you who haven’t jumped into the into the influencer fray just yet, one question is probably lingering in your mind: “How the heck do they take such great pictures of their home?”

It’s not as difficult as you might think, and you definitely don’t need to have a perfect home or an exorbitant budget in order to create images that give people a beautiful peek into your home. Follow our tips to take great pictures of your home, or the interiors that you’ve designed.

3 Tips for Photographing Your Home

Find Your Light

Lighting is the most important aspect of taking a great interiors photo. Whether that has contributed to the trend of grand rooms with floor to ceiling windows and light, bright color tones, we can’t say, but that aesthetic certainly lends itself to great photography.

When you’re setting up your photograph, try to take it from an angle in which the lighting source is behind you. Having a bright window in your frame can blow out the rest of the dimension in the photo (though, this Photoshop trick can remedy that).

Create Small Moments

Taking a photo that accurately represents an entire room in one frame is difficult to do unless you have a very minimal aesthetic. Capturing a large room with a lot of interesting items can get busy very quickly. In that scenario, try creating small vignettes that you can photograph instead.

For example, instead of trying to take a shot of your entire living room, consider arranging your frame to include part of your sofa, an end table, a piece of art framed on the wall, and a few interesting knick knacks or home goods that tell a specific story.

Show the Real Stuff

Perfect is so boring, and the interiors world is starting to come to that realization. While stunningly crisp white furniture and untouched decor was popular in the past, the explosion of interiors influencers on more democratic platforms like Instagram and Pinterest has allowed us to see the beauty in the imperfect.

If you have a child, show their toys splayed across your living room. Maybe your pet likes to spend time on the furniture - show your blankets rumpled and your pillows askew. If you haven’t quite figured out your aesthetic yet, or haven’t finished a DIY project, show the process and your progress. People are craving something real today. This is your chance to be a part of that conversation.

Learning how to capture great photos of your home takes time, but don’t let that stop you from getting started. Use our quick tips above to start honing your skills, and tag us (@dune_giftandhom) in your photos so that we can see them!