Drool-Worthy Interior Styling Inspiration

I love how accessible great interior styling inspiration is! From books to shelter magazines to blogs, there is no shortage of beautifully photographed interiors to inspire your own decorating and photography. But what makes certain photos work? If you've ever tried taking a picture of a room in your home, you've likely noticed that what you see with your eyes doesn't always translate to camera. Just like with food styling, there's more to meets the eye when photographing interiors.
I've rounded up 8 great examples below of interior shots - from tight vignettes to wide rooms - and will break down what's working in each. Keep these ideas in your back pocket when snapping your own photos of your space!

1. Desktop Vignette Why this works: Color and balance. Bright pops of fuchsia and violet running from the upper left corner diagonally to the bottom right move the eye across the image. Lots of white keeps the bold colors from feeling overwhelming, and there's just enough black to anchor everything.

2. Gallery Wall
Why this works: Balance, repetition, and texture. The photo arrangement is balanced but not symmetrical, which lends a relaxed feel. The repetition of photo frames creates a strong focal point (notice how your eye travels there first?). And the texture of the rough fireplace wall, weathered furniture, and peeling baseboard paint is just sooo yummy.

3. Bed Vignette Why this works: Composition and color. The rule of thirds is at play here, so of course this photo just feels right. Notice how the bed takes up about two thirds of the image, and the nightstand fills the remaining one third. Also, the colors are simply dynamite. The dark grey wall and light grey headboard allow these saturated brights to really shine without feeling too "in your face".

4. Bedroom
Why this works: Color and scale. The muted palette of grey, taupe, and cream is so chic, especially in these proportions. Also: THAT ART. Hello giant mixed media piece, you totally make this shot.

5. Chandelier Vignette Why this works: Color, texture, and space. While this is not a real room, per se, it's still an awesome interior photo. The colors are all muted neutrals - both in the foreground and background - which keeps this composition from looking too busy. The amount of negative space lets the shot breathe. And the touch of botanicals adds serious interest to what could feel like a stagnant shot. (Sidenote: what the heck is up with the greenery on that chandelier?)

6. Living Room Why this works: Color, balance, and pattern. I seem to be drawn to images with deep grey as an anchor, with off-whites and accents of really saturated color. While the super-symmetrical formal arrangement could look boring in a photo, the color and pattern (in the artwork, pillows, and rug) really give this space personality. You can just tell the woman who lives here is meticulously organized but also knows how to rock.

7. Dining Room Why this works: Color and repetition. The mix of pendant patterns, chair styles, and empty vessels could feel really chaotic - but it doesn't. While there is a lot of color in this shot, if you examine carefully you'll see that there's a unity between all of the colors and the palette is actually pretty limited. The simple linear repetition of the pendants, chairs, and vessels helps calm down the crazy. And there are so many white, translucent, and wood-toned elements that sit back and allow the color and pattern to shine.

8. Kids Room Why this works: Color and repetition. All that white is such a good thing because you don't notice it - your eye goes right to the colorful artwork - but it brings calm and restfulness to what could be a too-crazy room. The repeating rectangles on the gallery wall echo the shelves and drawers of the nightstand, and also echo the simple shape of the headboards. Plus - purple owl alarm clock. So adorable.
Bonus: check out these DSLR basics for bloggers for more photography tips.
Hope you liked this interior styling inspiration and found some ideas for your own blog photography or Instagram shots. Happy Wednesday!

Images: Domino, Gala Darling, Decor8, The Curated House, Paperblog, Anthropologie, High Fashion Home, Decor8, and Sawyer Benson. Have something to say about this post? I'd love to hear from you on Twitter! Tweet me @lesleymyrick.