You Pay Attention When Someone Can Make A Prison Pretty

When someone can make a prison pretty, you pay attention. No, it’s not poor Martha Stewart we are talking about, especially since she allegedly lost the jail decorating contest. (Tough break for her fellow inmate decorating team. They must have thought they had that one in the bag!)

Technically, to Martha’s credit, these photos were not taken in a prison, but in a super cool industrial space with cement walls that could feel prison-like… That is, if Lotta Agaton, one of the Scandinavian world’s styling super stars, hadn’t created these interiors that will literally blow your mind. If I hadn’t made such a big deal about referencing the prison potential, you probably would have drooled, pinned and moved on (how I typically respond to pretty pictures!), but let’s stop and chat for a second about how the background matters, not only in these photos, but in your home.

What makes these photos so compelling, besides the thoughtful and beautiful arranging of the objects, is the juxtaposition of sheen, materials, and textures. Take away the rustic walls and these rooms might have felt sterile. Add super rustic pieces with well worn patina and the whole space would have felt different.

Backgrounds matter. Besides simply feeling inspired by these beautiful images, we can also learn something. In your own home, you are building a backdrop for yourself and your family, so think through what you want from the basics, starting with the walls. If you have a newer home that doesn’t have this kind of texture, you could consider adding paint to create a similar feel or keep the walls clean and bright, but add materials that are warm and have a lot of patina. It is the combination of new and old, glossy and worn, that take interiors from feeling liked styled catalog shots to something worthy of our family’s greatest life moments!