Redmond Remodel | Seattle, Orange County, Chicago Interior Photographer

This remodel by Susan Adams was a pleasure to photograph! Susan infused this design with hospitality-inspired details (including a Four Seasons bed!) for the homeowners who travel frequently. Designed to be a Seattle landing spot, this home renovation was complete with luxury details that make everyday living feel like a vacation. The soaking tub in the master bathroom was so dreamy!

I’ve been traveling more and more for shoots, and some of my favorite places to travel (other than my home base of Seattle) are Orange County, Los Angeles, Northern California, Chicago and Atlanta. Traveling for photography projects is so fun for me, and always leads to inspiration and different design aesthetics. There is SO much talent in the interior design industry. Creating lasting partnerships with my photography clients gives me such joy and I love to see how their personal style carries into each project.

Check Your Vibe: Vintage Meets Modern with Revival Rugs

When we bought our house three years ago, we inherently agreed to a pretty hefty renovation process in order to bring it to a livable state.  We never set out for a fixer upper (though we were clocking many hours with renovation home shows).  We actually found the house by driving by it, and when we first stepped foot inside with our real estate agent, it was an exercise in emotional mulitiplicity.  The arches in the dining room, the crumbling floors, the craftsman fireplace, the beautiful windows, the non-functioning kitchen, the crumbling wallpaper, the insane window views.  All of it at once!

We had an offer in by the end of the day.

When we set to renovating, I wanted to preserve as much character as possible while bringing the house to the modern era with its comforts.  Though the original floors were not savable, we installed hardwood that I love.  We kept all of the cool windows and arches, and my absolute favorite spot is the living room with the fireplace that tons of time, effort, and money went into.  

My design aesthetic is very vintage meets modern.  In my mind, I’m always keeping a balance between clean, new pieces that hold up to my family’s use and one-of-a-kind vintage pieces that bring warmth and texture.  (And, always, lots of plants.)

To bring in a finishing touch to this living space, I knew we needed a special rug.  We had a placeholder there while I searched for the perfect vintage Moroccan rug.  Enter the specialists, Revival.  Revival has offices in Istanbul, Casablanca, Mumbai and Oakland, CA and sources vintage rugs that fit their high standards of quality and ethics, and at fair prices.  In addition to their vintage operation, they also produce beautiful new rugs. 

Browsing their collection of Moroccan rugs, I stumbled across this beauty.  It had the warm pinks and beiges accented with pops of blue that I had been looking for.  Truly, it stopped me in my scroll and I just knew it was the one.

Now that I have it in the space, our living room finally feels complete.  I absolutely love the way it feels so soft underfoot, and the texture elevates the room and adds such character.  I really couldn’t be any more thrilled with my whole experience with Revival!  

My first tip when buying vintage is to trust your gut.  I’m a believer that if we surround ourselves with things that make us feel good it will all come together.  I’d also highly recommend measuring your space first, ensuring that the rug is large enough for all of your furniture to have at least two feet touching.  Since you can browse by size you won’t fall in love with the wrong rug!  

Let me know, what do you think of the new look? If you’re in the market for a new rug, Revival is offering a discount code through March 6th: 10OFF-EMILYKEENEY.

Seattle Interior Photographer | Eclectic Architectural Renovation

Like many cities around the US, Seattle is full of amazing old properties that deliver big on charming tree-lined streets and character, and maybe not so much when it comes to square footage. With a competitive real estate market (and a knack for historical preservation), many homeowners are deciding to renovate older homes to create modern, inviting living spaces that cater to today’s needs. With many interior design and architectural firms in Seattle, homeowners can put a little vision into a set of very professional hands for optimal results. In this case, the owners entrusted Office of Ordinary, a women-owned and operated architecture firm to take a small and very divided Seattle home and transform it into a spacious retreat with vaulted ceilings and an open floor plan.

When I showed up to photograph this project, I was floored by the homeowner’s amazing antique collection, including bentwood Colonial chairs and historic French armoires collected over the years by the homeowner, having lived France for many years. As I picked my jaw up off the floor, Office of Ordinary’s founder, Sandy Wolf, explained to me that the space was actually designed to accommodate these pieces. To me, that effort of historical preservation and reverence for antiquity is noble, commendable, and just really super cool.

As an interior and architectural photographer in Seattle, I’ve learned to never rely on sunshine for beautiful photos. Sure enough, on shoot day it was pouring down rain and I opted for a single-trip gear haul, white-knuckling and hunched as I darted from my car to the cozy oasis of the house. By using a tripod and long exposure method, I’m able to ensure the interior photographs are bright, natural, and inviting. Dark days present a fun opportunity to share with my design clients the technical tricks to my work that make changing light conditions just another variable in creating beautiful images. The same rule applies when I’m photographing in the winter months in Chicago — even if the sky is full of clouds and snow, I’ll insist we turn off all the lights and use the powers of long exposures and bracketed images to achieve that natural glow look and feel.

Enjoy this beautiful home and check out Office of Ordinary for your renovation project!

Mercer Island Indoor/Outdoor Kitchen Renovation Stunner

This project is a stunning transformation of a Mercer Island kitchen, dining and outdoor kitchen space, also with a big upgrade for the primary bathroom. Designed by ID by Gwen and built by Bright Work Builders, this renovation offers a spacious kitchen that flows into the dining room and outdoor space with a bright and natural feeling. When I arrived on site, the homeowner had just finished a swim in Lake Washington. Over the course of the shoot I could sense the unity between the design of the space with the lifestyle of its inhabitants.

With plenty of counter space (a beautiful stone!) and a large pass-through window to the outdoor kitchen, this space begs for hosting gatherings and enjoying quality time in the beautiful Seattle climate. The covered outdoor kitchen nearly doubles the footprint of the initial space. Gary of BrightWork Builders explained how the entire roof line was extended to accommodate this new kitchen, though from a glance it appears to have been there from the start.

The kitchen has a mostly white design, with a beautiful blue island to break up the visuals. The glass pendant light fixtures act as the finishing touches and really bring the space to life. A vase of hydrangeas perfectly brought together the tones of the light fixtures and the island, with the slightly gray countertops.

An added bonus to this beautiful project, the primary bathroom got a beautiful upgrade. The blue theme carried through upstairs with a deep cobalt tile with a subtle pattern and all new cabinetry, soaking bathtub and large glass shower stall.

Enjoy this beautiful renovation!