The strange world of an interior stylist
Should I put that on my CV?
If I told you that my job sometimes requires me to collect dust in Ziploc bags, scrub brand new chairs with sand paper, and comb the beach for the perfect oyster shell to hold an expensive pair of cufflinks, I’d sound a bit mental.
And yet…
At 6am on a recent misty morning I could be found in my garage gently brushing dust from a shelf into a little baggie, before jumping in the van and heading to London. A couple of hours later I was in the back of the van, doors open and exposed to passersby in an IKEA car park, tearing chunks of stuffing from the seat cushion of a brand new armchair I’d purchased just minutes before. Then I was scrubbing the linen cover of the chair with a wire brush and sprinkling tiny amounts of the collected dust into the armrests before vigorously rubbing it in.
Later that week the chair - plus two others I’d sourced on eBay, already pre-aged, aka secondhand - were rigged up from the ceiling of a studio ready to be photographed with models lounging in them, hanging casually in the air. Coming soon to a broadband company billboard near you.
Variety is the very spice of life, that gives it all its flavour (William Cowper knew what was up back in 1875 ).
A few weeks before ageing the brand new chair in a car park, I’d been sourcing a props list that included fake pearls, oyster shells, bright red luxury lipstick, vintage glassware and metres of red velvet and ribbon. All to be used in a Christmas shoot for a luxury jewelry brand.
Later that week I was selecting the perfect Nordmann Fir from a Christmas tree farmer for a luxury handbag brand shoot. It was July.
And last week I was sourcing beautiful plates and cutlery for a well know supermarket’s food photography for - you guessed it - Christmas.
Next up, I’ll be decorating a grand mansion for yet another Christmas shoot, this time for fashion.
Some stylists specialise in interiors, styling photo shoots for homeware brands’ websites, advertising, PR, social media etc; others are more experienced in designing sets for fashion shoots; others specialise in food prop styling. I seem to have found myself working across all of these areas (and more) which makes for a slightly less tidy looking portfolio but a much more interesting work life.
I actually started out in around 2009 working on food shoots after being introduced to photographer Matt Armendariz and his partner, Adam Pearson, a food stylist. They taught me so much at their Long Beach California studio. I was totally green and they let me learn on the job. As much as I enjoyed a food shoot and my role in selecting the surfaces, crockery, cutlery, flowers etc that would be shot with the food, I was feeling the pull of interiors and I quickly moved onto more interiors based shoots.
But in recent years my client base as a stylist and set designer has grown to include interiors and food and fashion and tech and jewelry and you name it I’ve probably styled it. I used to worry that I was a jill of all trades, master of none, but more experience breeds more confidence and I no longer feel that way. I’m probably my strongest when designing and styling interiors shoots, but I love the variety and randomness of all the other shoots I get to participate in.
Interior Styling. It’s not what you think.
When young aspiring stylists message me asking if they can learn the ropes by assisting on a shoot, I’m always tempted to ask “Do you like packing and unpacking boxes? And how do you feel about cleaning mirrors and combing rug fringing with your fingers?” “What about polishing grapes and cleaning plant leaves?”
Yes I sometimes get to design interiors sets for certain homeware brands - something I love and at which I excel - but a lot of the time I’m problem solving and dealing with logistics and handling strange requests. And more often I’m trying to find mince pies in July or using masking tape to make the ruffles on a pillow case stand up just so.
It’s a weird job that most people don’t even know exists.
I still frequently get introduced as an interior designer, sometimes by people who’ve known me for a while. A lot of people don’t know the difference and I get it. People seem to have heard of fashion stylists. Hair stylists, same. Makeup artists, absolutely. But interior stylists? Nope.
When I meet someone who has never heard of or even considered the job of an interior stylist/set designer, I always say this: Think of any advert you’ve ever seen on the telly, on a website, in a magazine or catalogue. Whether the ad was photographed in a home, on the beach, or an airplane, someone (usually a team of someones) has chosen and placed all the items you see in that image/video. That’s what I do. “Ahhhh, I seeeee…” comes the reply. “I never even thought about that”.
And then they show me photos of their living room and ask for my opinion.
Part-time agony aunt.
The past couple of months I’ve been advising both my children on their careers and other aspects of their lives, and while I’m flattered to be asked, I often feel ill equipped to offer valuable guidance. Parenting young adults seems to revolve around me thinking “I have absolutely no idea how to help you” while they’re explaining a current issue, followed by me somehow pulling something out of a hat that miraculously seems to help.
I am constantly winging it, but so far so good.
Sometimes people (your kids included) just want to be heard. You don’t always have to have the answers, but being a sounding board is often enough.
I didn’t outright tell my kids not to follow in my career path, but thankfully they both seem to have come to that conclusion after seeing me and their dad both working freelance their entire childhoods. Both my kids are creative in different ways, but are looking for ways to use that creativity without sacrificing stability and I’m so happy and proud (shout out to Ella, my eldest for getting a new full time job in Media. With perks! And a pension! And a cool office! My sigh of relief was heard around the globe).
I know I could probably never work for someone else - and I love my job (most of the time) - but I also know the ups and downs of working for oneself and I’d hate my kids to experience that. But I also want them to be fulfilled at work and - the worst thing for me - to not be bored. I know this isn’t always possible, along with actually making a proper living, and it annoys both kids when I do, but I have to say my piece.
This year I was confronted with the very real possibility of having to find a ‘proper job’. I’d had slow times in recent years but this year felt different. I found myself wondering what else I would even do. (And don’t say Interior Design. Haven’t you noticed how most seemingly successful female interior designers have a partner supporting them? Please, correct me if I’m wrong but the 5 or 6 I know of are not yet supporting the family with their income…) I still don’t know what my pivot would be because thankfully things picked up again. But that is the brutal reality of choosing a career like mine. Freedom but instability.
I really hope I can continue to do the work that I love and that I’ve worked hard at improving for the past 15+ years. When I started out years ago, I didn’t really know what the job was. I definitely had a more glamorous version of it in my head, but the truth is I like the reality of the work. I like finding solutions to unusual problems, I like sourcing strange things, I like collaborating with new teams. I believe in new chapters to our careers, especially if you work in a creative field. There is always growth and evolution as we develop our skills and as industries change. But I still quite like the chapter I’m in. I just want more of it :)
I feel this about advising my kids while not even knowing myself lol. Mine are both creative too and I have to keep fighting the urge to tell them, "do something safe and secure!" Is there even such a thing?!