Design Series: Making a House a Home - Shelving

It’s Super Bowl weekend, and since we live in Atlanta, it’s got us locked down in our neighborhood. Much to my husband’s chagrin, this means I’m contemplating projects.

I’ve been working on making our daughters’ rooms more functional spaces for them. We’re living in a rental, and while I can’t paint the walls and do some of the things I would do if it were our own home, I can do things to make it “ours”. As I’ve been doing this for the last few months, it’s occurred to me that there are so many of you out there, trying to style a place that probably feels less your style than you’d like, or more sterile than you’d prefer.

This is the first in a series of how to make a new place feel like home. I’ve done this 12 times, and with each move, I’ve gotten better and better at making a house a home, or a flat a home. This doesn’t just apply to rentals, but I just wanted to make sure you renters realize that these are all rental friendly fixes.

We’re going to start with shelving. We’ve had so many different kind of shelving situations. The infamous “cube” shelving from Ikea, standard bookshelves, traditional built-ins, and modern built ins.

People get really bent out of shape about styling shelves. Let’s stop for a minute. Take a breath. Think about things that you really love. You could Maria Kondo this and think of ‘what sparks joy’. Now, think of things that make sense paired together. We have items from our travels on our living room built ins, as well as coffee table books that we’ve collected from our favorite places. We also have some beautiful children’s books.

I think most people have some beautiful things that they’re proud to showcase, but have zero idea how to style it. First, let’s start with the rule of 3. I typically follow the rule of 3. This isn’t a hard rule, but it’s a healthy places to start. Take three things that make sense, for instance, pottery in the same color scheme, three books of similar theme, a row of 3 shelves such as the ones we have, where there are three strong, balanced items, similar in height. Trust your initial reaction. If things appear too busy, they are.

Height is a big thing for me. It’s okay to do things in a wave- low, high, low. Just make sure that when you look at your shelves- and I don’t mean stare and overthink them- they feel balanced. Look at the diagonal. Does it have a good flow?

Lastly, you may have a lot of beautiful things, I know we do! I like to put things on our IKEA cube shelves in our storage room where I can see, them, so I can easily change out what’s in our living room, or in other areas of the house. It keeps things fresh. I’ve been to so many homes where it looks like the shelves have been thrown up on, and if they were just willing to switch things out from time to time, rather than have 800 things out at a time, they’d really enjoy their home more.

Most of all, trust yourself. Whether you’re renting or not, it is your home. Make it yours! Don’t allow yourself to get frustrated, and just keep the shelves empty. Unpack, try some different configurations, and do what feels right.

Artist Spotlight: Photographer Susan Bradfield

Susan Bradfield is an amazing photographer that I met through our children’s school in Zurich.  She is a rare breed of photographer who does portraits, landscapes, and travel photography.

Hi! I’m so happy we got to see you before we left Zurich.  What keeps you rooted there? 

I arrived in Zurich Dec 2012 and left in June 2016.  We are now back, living in Melbourne, but I try and return to ZH 1-2 times a year.  I absolutely love shooting in Switzerland.  It is so beautiful - there are endless locations to create beautiful images. The people there really seem to understand the importance of having memories created in this special place.  And of course, coming to work in Zurich is a super excuse to catch up with the wonderful friends I made here and to spend time in this incredibly stunning country.

You have a very loyal Zurich following.  For other photographers hesitating to start a business while transient, what advice do you have?

I am very fortunate to have a wonderful Zurich following and I am always so grateful for that!  My advice is to go for it!  I waited too long to get going because our posting was potentially always ending.  I finally decided one day that I had to live my life to its fullest potential rather than waiting for ‘what if?’ to happen.  And I now wish I’d got going earlier.  Having said that, don't enter such a pathway blind to what is required.  There is a lot more involved to running a photography business than just picking up a camera such as having IT skills, marketing, business, sales etc. So be prepared to learn a lot...quickly!

 How did you get started in photography?

I trained as a physiotherapist, but have a creative side to me that wasn't really satisfied with physio.  I’ve always been drawn to photography and I completed some photography courses just before having children, but didn’t reinforce what I learned.  At that point I certainly didn’t ever dare to dream I could pursue photography as a career.  Once relocated in Zurich, I completed a Diploma in Photography and I travelled a lot and learnt from a variety of travel photographers, but the turning point was a workshop with Russian child photographer Elena Shumilova which really inspired me.  I was very lucky in that my photography took off in Zurich by word of mouth.

 You have a fabulous eye for framing and styling a shot.  How does your creative process work?

I would like to say a lot comes naturally!  But it hasn’t.  I have worked quite hard at honing my eye for detail, for composition, working with light and styling a shot and for being self-critical.  Most of it comes from making mistakes and learning from them, experimenting and practice, practice, practice. I am a bit obsessed… as anyone who has travelled with me and my camera will testify…. 

 What drives and inspires you?

I actually crave to take pictures and feel stifled if I don’t - at the risk of sounding cliche, I am passionate about what I do.  My love of photography and to improve every time I pick up my camera drives me. I am always actively learning and striving to improve and develop my style.  I am inspired by people, to capture their story and soul, I am inspired by locations, by beautiful light and I am even inspired by props.  The other day I borrowed an antique book from my Dad that is Don Quixote published in 1897 and I can’t wait to use that in a studio shoot. When I can, I continue to take part in workshops with photographers that inspire me and that always pushes me more.  

 We’ve spoken about not sticking to one specialization or style in photography, and how that can make it difficult to become successful.  You’ve built a great following and client list both in Australia and Switzerland.  How have you gotten around that?

It is difficult not to be niche because people like to be able to label you, and it can be confusing if they can’t.  In Switzerland I was both an outdoor family and portrait photographer and there was a clear separation between that and my travel photography.  In Melbourne there is still that separation, however I have added studio portraits and newborn photography into the mix.  I market and shoot and love all of it.  I have just opened an on-line store for my travel prints which is exciting. Time will tell where I head.

 Australia has an incredibly competitive photography scene.  How do you stay fresh and how do you navigate the ebb and flow of the market?

I don’t have a problem staying fresh.  There is so much to motivate and inspire me. I navigate the market by communicating with clients as I always discuss their expectations before a session. Luckily, I am quite diverse in my skills so I can adapt easily to changes demanded by the market. 

 For novice photographers like myself, what camera and lenses would you recommend?

Get a simple DSLR, do a workshop (ahem, Cara!!!) and reinforce what you've learnt over and over!  Use your phone to practice composition and perspective etc.

Also, do you have a favorite editing software for newbies?

Stick with iPhoto or a basic program until you are ready to commit to something like Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop.  Complete a small course beforehand so you know what you are getting yourself into and you can navigate around it with some confidence.  

It’s very risky to choose a creative career.  What advice do you have for creative hopefuls?

Running a small business is always risky if that’s the pathway you choose for a creative career.  It is complicated by having to spend a lot of time doing things that are not creatively focused but are necessary to running a business e.g. marketing, accounting, etc.  I think believing in yourself and producing work you love is the key to success. 

 Lastly, you have two children.  What advice do you have for them as they choose their career path?

I have always told my children to do something they love and be true to themselves. I completely believe this.

 Thank you so much for doing this!  I’m incredibly inspired by your creative spirit, drive, and sense of adventure.  Your photos are amazing, and I absolutely love your IG feed!!

For those of you that are looking for a fab photographer, Susan will be in Zurich in April 2019. For prints, visit her etsy shop.

Treading Water

We bow, we don’t break, we branch out.  Women have this ability to see the entirety of things, the ability to find the good stuff, the ability to connect people- that’s the sisterhood showing its best self.

Eight years ago, I looked at my husband and told him that I had a feeling his career would take off in a way that would cause us to move around.  He, being the most humble person I have ever met, laughed at me and kind of brushed me off.  A year later, we were told that we’d be moving every year or so for a program that would accelerate his career.  Here we were in our mid-twenties, about to go on the ride of our life, with our beautiful one-year old baby in tow.

Fast-forward almost a decade, and we’ve got three little girls, have lived in 8 homes, 3 countries, and 5 cities.  Our kids are the most chilled out travelers you’d ever meet.  They’ve eaten food you’ve only seen on “No Reservations” or read about in “National Geographic”.  They don’t care what language you speak, or what you look like.  They care if you’re kind, fair, and are willing to play hard on the playground.

My husband and I have learned to get by in different languages and to quickly immerse ourselves in other cultures.  It’s changed the way we parent, the way we view family, and in some ways, it has helped us learn to appreciate just how valuable family time is.

You might be thinking to yourself, this woman is bonkers.  Cultures aren’t that different, Western Europe is all the same, people are people no matter how you shake them, and I’m here to tell you that you’re wrong, but also that you’re right.  People are people. True.  But, the way you’re raised, the idea of what is and is not safe, what’s moral and immoral, that’s cultural, my friends.

Who are you at your cultural core?  As an American, I’ve learned that other countries don’t lean on the cultures of their ancestors the way we do (to be fair, the vast majority of those counties are older than ours).  How has it impacted your choices, who you are, your beliefs, and what you like to do?

For me, the last four and a half weeks have consisted of my family and I trying to navigate our feelings about being back in the US.  It feels differently than it did from when we moved back from Italy.  Very differently.  We all feel like cultural melting pots, and we can’t figure out where we fit.

You know how we turn into our spouse and our friends the more we’re around them?  You don’t mean to, but you do.  That’s how living in a different culture for an extended period of time is.  You gradually start to absorb certain aspects of that culture, whether you want or mean to.  So, leaving that culture, in the same way that starting with a new set of friends, or a new spouse, is difficult.  The thing is, when you’re returning to your own culture, everyone assumes you’ll be fine, but the reality is, you’re trying to wear jeans that used to fit, but they just don’t. 

I’m in a fortunate situation where even though I left a place that my family and I really loved and felt at home in, we have moved to a place where there are so many people that we love so much.  I have such amazing friends here in Atlanta, the kind of deep friendships that some women just don’t seem to think really exist.  I’m here to tell you, sisters- your people are out there.  Just be open, be kind, and give it time.

I know that I’ll see my Zurich and Florence sistahs sooner than not, and that I’m so lucky to have my Atlanta sisters to welcome my family and I home, and help us adjust.  I know that in a year, I’ll have a different perspective, but right now, right now I’m trying to tread water to stay afloat.  I’ll swim to shore soon.  Just not yet.