Living Space - Tudor Grove

Tudor Grove; a home and property steeped in history and filled with character. I was first introduced to her by Abby, whose mother, Camille, inhabits Tudor Grove's many walls. Having photographed Abby's home the previous year, I was especially excited to see Camille's, expecting a similar commitment of style applied to an historic context. Not disappointed, I spent my first visit eagerly soaking in each room trying, unsuccessfully, to take in every, single detail. Camille is a collector; of books, art, plants, photographs and natural curiosities, among other things. It is impossible to see it all at once and even now, many months later, I am still discovering pieces in the images that I missed with my naked eye. 

Welcome, to Tudor Grove.

Living Space is a personal project inspired by real spaces being inhabited by real people in a very real way. If you know of a home that would be a good subject for this series, please get in touch with me, here.

7 living space | a family home in greenwood

6 living space | the home of abby kasonik and roderick coles

5 living space | a fry's spring family

4 living space | an artist's home in charlottesville

3 living space | young house love

2 living space | amy's house

1 living space | two designers in charlottesville

Stephanie Fishwick in Matchbook Magazine

I am thrilled to have images I captured of Stephanie Fishwick's home featured in Matchbook Magazine. Stephanie is an amazing artist and calligrapher, and her home reflects the personality that is so clearly shown in her work. 

Where I've Been...

This has been such a busy spring + summer.  Between producing our first publication at Beyond the Flavor, shooting more interiors and food than ever before, and growing a little human, it's no wonder that there has been no time to blog!  I am hoping to get all caught up and share the fun projects I have been working on these last few months before the little man arrives in October.  Until then, here's a peek at some of what's been happening since May...

See you soon!

AH

Living Space | A Family Home in Greenwood

I adore this home outside of Charlottesville in Greenwood, VA. The Abbots have called this house, built 180 years ago as the Greenwood School for Boys, their home for nearly twenty years. Their three girls grew up here, as have their golden retreivers, leaving traces of family in every room. A true Living Space in every way, when I visited last December I knew I needed to return to document this special place.

The house itself is dripping with character, from uneven plaster walls to exposed beams across the ceilings, and is adorned with the simple, chic style of a family who loves comfort, nature and art. Each room is comfortably bright even on the grayest of days, nearly causing me to give in to the desire to curl up with a book or magazine on a slip-covered chair in a light-filled corner. With the family dogs pressing their noses to the glass doors, I moved through each room slowly and meticulously, taking moments to sit on a couch, touch a blanket, and observe the art on the walls, trying my best to imagine how the family who lives here inhabits each space.

Welcome to the Abbots'!

Living Space is a personal project inspired by real spaces being inhabited by real people in a very real way. If you know of a home that would be a good subject for this series, please get in touch with me, here.

6 living space | the home of abby kasonik and roderick coles

5 living space | a fry's spring family

4 living space | an artist's home in charlottesville

3 living space | young house love

2 living space | amy's house

1 living space | two designers in charlottesville

living space | abby kasonik and roderick coles

This is the home of Abby Kasonik and Roderick Coles. I knew before I stepped across the threshold that their home would be extraordinary. She's an artist, he owns The Curious Orange, and together they've created a living space filled with a collection of furniture, art, and objects that reflect the creativity that drives their life. I first met Abby when I photographed her backyard studio for Cville Abode. She invited me into her home for a tour and I immediately fell head over heels for her style. Lush fabrics, dark wood, gilded mirrors, found objects and giant house plants had me swooning in each room we entered. I am so grateful that she agreed to be part of my living space project, inviting me back on a cold morning two weeks ago.

These images are not styled. Abby understood my intention to capture details of the life lived within the walls of her home, and purposefully refrained from throwing out flowers past their prime or removing laundry from an upstairs bed. I adore her. Because the point of this project is not to capture perfect, spotless interiors. The point is to capture real life in an evocative way. To attempt to insert myself into these spaces and see them the way their owners' do. To sit on the couch and take a moment to look around, to let the light hitting the pillow beside my shoulder move me to capture an image of that one little detail that makes sitting on that couch, in that space, at that time...special.

Abby and Rod, thank you for allowing me into your life for one morning. I hope these images evoke the same emotion for you as they do for me.

If you have or know of a living space that would photograph well for this series, please contact me here.

5 living space | a fry's spring family

4 living space | an artist's home in charlottesville

3 living space | young house love

2 living space | amy's house

1 living space | two designers in charlottesville

living space 5 | a fry's spring family

This is the fifth installment of my living space series, in which I spend a few hours in a home capturing the details of the lives lived within its walls.

I was first introduced to Adrienne and her home when I photographed her children's playroom for Cville Abode. We have a mutual friend, Anita, and when I put a request on Facebook for my next living space home, Anita sent me Adrienne's information. I immediately recalled how much I loved the space she's created for her family, mostly from thrifting and salvaging unique pieces. This Fry's Spring bungalow nestled in the trees gave me the opportunity to really play with shadow, and I embraced the moodier feel of rooms when they are lit only by the light streaming through the craftsman windows. I love the subdued palette puncutuated by the ocassional pop of color and Adrienne's eye for spying beautiful pieces in unexpected places.

Thank you, Adrienne, for inviting me into your home!

If you have or know of a living space that you would like to see documented, please contact me here.

4 living space | an artist's home in charlottesville

3 living space | young house love

2 living space | amy's house

1 living space | two designers in charlottesville

living space 5 | a preview

It has been since March that I posted my last Living Space feature...I can't believe it! Last week I photographed a beautiful home and am so excited to share the full series of images. Here's a little preview of what's to come...

living space | young house love

This is the third installment of my living space series, in which i spend a few hours in a home capturing the details of the lives lived within its walls.

This is the home of Sherry, John, Clara, and Burger, the folks (and dog) behind Young House Love. I know you're all wondering...are the four of them just as charming/funny/sweet/cute as they seem on their blog? Yes, yes they are. They were so kind to invite me in for my version of a house-crashing (check out their latest on the YHL blog...gah! That house is gorgeous!) and I was in lifestyle photo heaven with all of the details and love they've poured into their home. 

Thank you, Youngsters, for having me over. It was a pleasure to meet you and to capture these images of your lovely living space.  

if you have or know of a living space that would photograph well for this series, please contact me here.

For the second installment of living space | amy's house, click here.

For the first installment of living space | the home of two designers in charlottesville, click here.

living space | amy's house

this is the second installment of my living space series, in which I spend a few hours in a home capturing the details of the lives lived within its walls. this one belongs to my friend amy, a small business owner, wanna-be-interior designer (her words, not mine...I think she's a pro!), and mommy to ben. I adore amy's taste, and her unwavering kindness in letting me borrow some of her fabulous pieces for my own staged shoots. if you're in charlottesville, no doubt you're familiar with SCARPA, her other baby. and my very favorite boutique.

also, if you're not from cville, or know somebody coming to visit, this beautiful home is available to rent through stay charlottesville!

if you have or know of a living space that would photograph well for this series, please contact me here.

for the first installment of living space | the home of two designers in charlottesville, click here.

living space | two designers in charlottesville

As an architectural photographer I have the opportunity to photograph some really amazing spaces. Typically I am hired by the architect, or the builder, to produce images for portfolios and websites, or for publication in magazines and books. Because those images are all about the architecture, they typically don't focus on the ways in which the occupants of that space have made it their own. The small details that turn the designed shell into a home. 

When I walk into a room that I've been hired to photograph, I immediately take note of the space as a whole. I think in terms of my wide-angle lens, determining where to stand the tripod in order to capture the maximum amount of space in a single frame. I look for the existing lines that will make for interesting compositions, the way a chair or couch needs to move in order to reveal a completed edge beyond. Clutter is removed, lamps are swapped out, vases and bowls and sometimes even furniture are brought in and specifically placed. As I look through the lens, an assistant moves a bowl of apples 1-inch to the left, removes and replaces a pillow on the couch, turns a lamp on and then off. The images are styled, and in that process the lives of those who live there is largely removed.  While I enjoy that kind of architectural photography very much, I've wanted to challenge myself to capture living space rather than just space itself. To see beyond the big picture to the finer details of the lives lived within it.

This is a personal project and one I am excited to share with all of you. The first subject of this series titled living space is the home of two Charlottesville designers, an architect and a landscape architect. You're already familiar with Fred's work at Wolf Ackerman (which I've featured here and here and here) and you can see some of Mary's here.

If you have or know of a living space that would photograph well for this series, please contact me here.

This beautiful home is currently on the market. See the listing here!