6 Secrets of Cover-Ready Interior Design You Should Know

True design is invisible. It lies in functionality, ergonomics, and everyday aesthetics. But for interior photography, a wow effect is needed. A decorator always works with the photographer on set. Their job is to make the interior lived-in and achieve that wow effect for photos. We explain what tricks make "cover-design" so appealing.

Perfect Color Palette

One of the favorite tricks of decorators and designers is matching all elements in the frame within a single color palette. Books on shelves, flower pots, textiles, picture frames or posters, a throw blanket on the sofa, seemingly carelessly placed to animate the composition – all of these are harmoniously selected.

But in real life, the color palette is often disrupted first. If changing color tones breaks the image, it means the interior lacks a foundation.

Design: Inna Velichko

Perfect Order

Before the shoot, perfect order is always arranged in the frame. No extra items remain here. This is especially true for minimalist and loft-style interiors.

In real life, the living space gradually accumulates everyday details that nullify the effect of the design: a towel carelessly left, a gallery of jars on the countertop, shoes not put away by the door, a charging cable for a smartphone or laptop, a comfortable pillow under the back, a case for glasses and bills on the nightstand – all of these in random colors.

Design: Anna Muravina

Perfectly Selected Decor

On the other side of the coin – perfectly chosen decorative elements: vintage items, paintings, lifestyle accessories, even everyday-use items fit right in. In most cases, homeowners see all this for the first time. The designer had prepared ahead of time for the shoot, planned the frame, collected necessary accessories from all over the city, moved furniture, and arranged flowers in vases. Few will remember wall color or whether there were curtains in the room. Without these details, a space looks significantly less impressive.

Besides, an abundance of decorative elements either turns the owner into a "Cinderella" or the interior into a dust collector.

Design: Enjoy Home

Perfect Lighting

Another clever trick is achieving perfect lighting in the frame through additional studio light. Even a dark corner will look sunny under such conditions. In real life, of course, the light won't highlight colors and textures as effectively, so the image will be simpler and darker.

Design: Lavka-design

Bold Choices

The center of the frame features a bold, eye-catching design decision. For example, a kitchen island and an impressive composition on it. Attention is not drawn to the rest of the less successful setup. In this case, the cramped space arises precisely from the bulky island.

Professional Photography and Photo Editing

And the most obvious and popular – using professional photography equipment and post-processing in graphic editors makes an interior much more inspiring than amateur photos. For the desired effect, proportions can be altered, and furniture adjusted. For example, these photos artificially created an illusion of a spacious room.

Design: Zhenya Zhudanov

On the cover: Design project Enjoy Home.