Capturing modern Southern style with a holiday twist.
We were thrilled when Southern Living approached us to photograph their 2025 Idea House decorated for the holidays. Located in nearby Keswick, Virginia, this year’s house was designed by Virginia-born Charlotte Moss of Charlotte Moss & Co., and brought to life by a team of talented architects, builders, landscape designers, and more. After the design team transformed every room in the house, and many outdoor areas, into a holiday showcase, we spent a day photographing each room with a focus on the seasonal details. From a wide view of the house’s exterior at dusk to the daintiest ornaments on the Christmas tree, we aimed to represent each thoughtful touch of holiday spirit.
The Process
Before our shoot with the Southern Living team, we scouted the location on a day when the house was closed to public tours. This allowed us to explore the layout of the house and see the amount of natural light in the space. We love being as prepared as possible for a full-day shoot so that we can use our time on set as best we can, and seeing the rooms ahead of time helped us plan our shot list.
The Shoot
On a clear November morning, as the Southern Living team put the last holiday decorations in place, we went to work. To take advantage of the best lighting conditions, we began shooting upstairs at the rear of the house in the girl’s bedroom. We loved seeing the creative ways that the design team approached Christmas decor, like paper garlands crafted from the pages of a vintage book, and holiday needlepoint in progress.
After establishing the visual style in the first room and confirming it with the client, we moved on to the rest of the house. Each room had a personality of its own and a unique way of expressing festive details. The boy’s room featured retro Christmas albums on vinyl, the guest room used a gorgeous birdcage to showcase glass bird ornaments, and the bathrooms boasted holiday soaps and floral arrangements.
The understated decorations continued throughout the upper floor in the form of pillows, garland, and holiday-themed magazines on display. As we descended the central staircase, we saw that it was graced with a garland made by hand from magnolia leaves and adorned with wide ribbon. The entryway downstairs featured a dramatic Christmas tree made from dozens of pinecones collected from the property. It was clear that so much time, talent, and effort went into every piece, so we were inspired to capture everything in its best light.
The living room displayed the pinnacle of the holiday decor, with glass ornaments, traditional dried fruit decorations, and lots of garland. A warm fire made the room so welcoming, and the decorations continued beyond the large windows; the stone patio featured a table for al fresco dining with its own holiday motif. We made sure to carefully frame these images to capture as many details as possible, both inside and out.
Another special touch for us was seeing lampshades provided by our client, The Shade Shop, throughout the house. We recognized some of the designs, like the tortoise wallpaper shade below, and many others were custom made just for the Idea House. This level of bespoke detail made the house a joy to photograph.
The seasonal decor in the craft studio complemented the room’s birds and birdwatching theme with birdseed wreaths and bird ornaments. And we recognized the wrapping paper as wallpaper remnants from many rooms we’d already photographed in the main house. The screened porch—one of our very favorite parts of the house—looked like an inviting place to read and sip hot chocolate by the fire.
There was so much to see and photograph in the Idea House, and Southern Living ultimately selected more than 100 images to use on their website and social media channels. We enjoyed being behind the scenes in this immaculate house and hope our photos help bring this special place to life.
