What Interior Stylists Really Look For in a Shoot Location

Last night I was teaching Styling for Interiors at UAL, and the topic of shoot locations came up.

When you think about it, the way we shoot in other people’s homes is pretty unique. We roam around their rooms like we own the place, leave our things in every available corner, and if we’re shooting for more than one day, there’s every chance we’ll block access to the TV room, garden or the spare bedroom.

In class, we were talking about how interior stylists plan props once the location is booked, and I showed everyone how I scour location agency websites. I think they were genuinely amazed by what’s available. If you need a manor house, they have it. A sea view, countryside cottage, warehouse, church, school or even an aeroplane – they have that too.

It made me realise how much of our job people never really see.

Why shoot locations matter so much

When we’re searching for a shoot location, of course, it matters how it looks, but there are so many practical things that matter just as much. Sometimes more.

If we’re shooting for a brand or a magazine, we need enough room to spread out prop boxes so we can actually see what we’ve got. The photographer needs space for kit, which is sometimes extensive, and of course there absolutely must be room for lunch, at the very least, one shelf in the fridge.

We also think about things most people would never notice. If there’s parking nearby. Whether assistants can get there easily with armfuls of props. If the owner is happy for furniture to be moved around. A house can be absolutely beautiful, but still not work for a shoot.

We don’t just choose the nearest pretty house

People often assume we find these properties easily, but the truth is we scour location websites for hours looking for the perfect space. And I mean REALLY perfect.

A couple of years ago, I travelled all the way to Plymouth for a Christmas shoot because the location was absolutely spot on. The location will shape the entire shoot.

The flat tyre I got on the way was less welcome. I had to unpack an entire car full of props, including a 7ft Christmas tree, on the side of a country road, just to get to the spare wheel. Glamorous, it was not!

Geography matters too, although budgets often dictate whether we can leave London or not. Sometimes there just isn’t the budget for hotels, (extortionate) petrol and meals out. We need to think about parking, congestion charges, whether assistants can get there easily on public transport and if prop vans can load in and out without causing complete chaos.

If you’re curious about what actually goes into a styling shoot day behind the scenes, Have a read of me Day in the life of an interior stylist I wrote about it in more detail

When location photos don’t match reality

And then there’s the reality that location images aren’t always quite what they seem.

I once arrived at a rural location where we were planning to shoot in the kitchen all day. When we got there, most surfaces were covered in seedlings, jars of home-made pickled vegetables and an impressive layer of dirt and dust. It was completely unusable.

We would have ended up losing an entire shoot day so we got in touch with the location agency, and they asked the owners to clear and clean it all up, and we extended the hire FOC. Thankfully, we were able to add another day onto the schedule, but that’s not always possible.

Since then, I always double-check that the house still looks the same as it does in the agency photos. If I’m relying on a pink sofa in the living room for my shoot, I’ll confirm it’s still there before we arrive. If time and budget allow, I’ll always do a recky beforehand too.

That’s why relationships with location agencies are so important. Most of us know the agents well and regularly ring them with incredibly specific requests like:
Have you got a nursery with green walls and a wooden cot?

True story.

And somehow they nearly always know exactly what you mean – and which of the locations on their books is just right.

The truth about renting your home for shoots

One thing we also discussed in class last night is how invasive shoots can feel if homeowners aren’t used to them.

Newspapers constantly run features about making money from your home by renting it out for shoots, but they rarely mention that crews arrive early, furniture gets moved, cupboards get opened, props take over every room and your home suddenly becomes a working set for the day. Sometimes well into the night.

Yes, homeowners are being paid, but if there are children needing dinner and bedtime while fifteen people are still moving lighting around downstairs, it can suddenly feel far less glamorous than the newspaper feature suggested.

If you want to know exactly what is involved in renting your home out as a shoot location check out this FAQ. It’s definitely not for everyone:
It’s a fascinating side of the industry that most people never really get to see.

My favourite location agencies

If you’ve never fallen down a location agency rabbit hole before, be warned. You can lose hours scrolling through manor houses, cabins, schools, churches, cottages and every imaginable interior backdrop you never knew existed.

Over the years I’ve built up a list of go-to agencies I depend on. These five location agencies are my first stop:

Love Locations Lovelocations.co.uk/

Brilliant for characterful homes and locations that feel genuinely lived in rather than overly polished. I also recorded a podcast episode with Love Locations all about sourcing shoot spaces and what really happens behind the scenes:

Light Locations Lightlocations.com/

One of the industry staples with an enormous archive of properties ranging from classic period homes to ultra-modern architectural spaces.

Always great for stylish family homes and interiors that feel editorial but still achievable.

Beach Studios Beachstudios.co.uk/

One of my favourites for coastal light, relaxed interiors and beautifully calm shoot spaces. Perfect when you want that soft, natural feel that works so well for lifestyle and interiors brands.

JJ Spaces Jjspaces.com/

A brilliant resource for modern architectural locations, clean lines and contemporary interiors. Ideal when you need something visually striking that still feels warm and liveable.

We have some fab locations on Inside Stylists Too InsideStylistsShootLocations

If you do fancy disappearing down the rabbit hole yourself, you can also find some brilliant shoot locations

If you’ve ever worked on a shoot, I’d love to know the strangest, most brilliant or most challenging location you’ve ever used. Leave a comment below.