At the beginning of every year, I create an oversized inspiration board, filled with images depicting the kind of work I aspire to create throughout the year. It stands about two metres tall on a key wall in our studio, so I can’t forget about it — I literally look at it every day. It’s part mood board, part vision board, and year by year, it’s become a little bit of a visual wish list of the projects I’d love to work on throughout the year.
This year, I noticed something different creeping onto the board: there were a lot more cottage-style homes, beautiful old windows, textured walls, dark timber, soft linen, pieces collected over time, and spaces that felt lived-in.
I kept being drawn to images like that, so I leaned into it and continued adding them to my board.
For context, I’ve always loved working on the modern, architectural-style homes we so often style. But something this year was drawing me to embrace the style of my own home a little more.
Not long after completing the board and getting stuck into the project list for the New Year, I received an email from Jacinta, the owner of Salt Living — one of Australia’s much-loved, family-owned and independent bed linen brands — asking if I’d be interested in styling their upcoming shoot. What’s more, she was interested in using my home, Oxleigh House, as the location for the shoot.
The timing and nature of Jacinta’s enquiry almost felt too perfect.
Jacinta’s brief was to introduce their latest collection through a series of images that felt warm, relaxed and authentic; the kind of imagery that makes you want to cancel your plans and settle into an afternoon at home with a cup of tea. There was a touch of New England coastal, a little bit of farmhouse, and plenty of that slow-at-home feeling that I was pinning to my board just weeks earlier.
Like with any shoot, we started the process with one of our creative consults, where we talked through the overall feeling and direction of the shoot, as well as how and where the images would be used. All of this is so important when it comes to making the most of a shoot, ensuring the images can be used well and have an appropriate shelf life.
Then the fun really began.
Prop sourcing commenced, I created multiple sets and stories within my home, the gardens were given a little makeover, and new furniture and décor were sourced to complement Jacinta’s brief.
In the weeks leading up to the shoot, I was constantly tweaking the run sheet, refining the shot list, and finalising products and props — all while keeping an eye out for those dream styling pieces that you don’t necessarily need or plan to find, but somehow find you anyway, and end up becoming defining pieces that you can’t imagine the shoot without.
One such piece was a new artwork commissioned especially for the shoot at the last minute, painted by local Australian artist Lauren Horton. (Can you spot it in the image below?)
Meanwhile, at home, I kept rearranging and updating the styling to help give the house more of that cottage, traditional feel we were aiming for.
After months of preparation, prop sourcing and planning, shoot day finally arrived.
Across the two-day shoot, we worked to make the most of every corner, curating vignettes and capturing as many beautiful images as we could for Salt Living’s new collection.
There was beautiful linen, vintage pieces, flowers, good food, a house full of great people, lots of laughs, and all of the tiny details that go into making an image look effortless.
And now? The linen is packed away. The props have found their way home (like always, some stayed with me and will be added to my growing repertoire of styling pieces). My house is slowly returning to its new normal.
And now, we wait with great anticipation for the launch of the new images.
Salt Living Cottage Collection — coming soon.
To be the first to know when it launches, make sure you’re signed up to their newsletter here.
Styling by Wholehearted Studio, Shoot Photography by Mindi Cooke,
Journal Photography by Emma Peterson for Wholehearted Studio.
