Finding a Forever Home
Mid-morning sun dapples the exterior of this low-country style home in Florida. Photographed by Christy Kosnic.
This architectural shoot was personal to me. I see many homes and they are all lovely but they don’t often want to make me move.
This one did.
The photoshoot included shopping, styling, lighting, multiple exposures and sometimes just waiting — waiting for the right light and time of day to come. My job is not just to photograph a space but to capture the story of the space, to learn what makes a house a home for its owners. A perfect shot is not simply captured by light but also by the angles. The angles are the frame of the photograph and that frame must define the subject.
Shot in February and published this month in Vero Beach Magazine, I had the pleasure of photographing this gorgeous home in Vero Beach, Florida. Though built in 2003 and is relatively new, it encapsulates all that an older home has to offer: charm, warmth and interest. The homeowners are both doctors and the husband previously served in the military. During those years of training and military service they constantly enduring cramped housing, long deployments and 60-hour+ work weeks. After many years of sacrifice, they were finally able to move closer to friends and family in Florida and create a dream space for themselves and their three children.
The backyard is a playground for kids and adults with plenty of space for friends. Photographs by Christy Kosnic.
Having an outdoor space to entertain the homeowners’ nearby extended family and spend sun filled days with their little ones, on the Indian River Lagoon, was a dream almost too good to be actualized. Once the hard work paid off and the dream became reality, the couple created a relaxing retreat with lots of amenities: outdoor kitchen, pool, stone patio, fire pit, lighting and, of course, a pier on the Indian River. This carefully crafted outdoor space easily accommodates a crowd around their fire pit and outdoor kitchen. Tropical palms and sprawling oak trees frame the gorgeous views of the Indian River.
Hints of blue on the natural palette reflect the outdoor pool. Photographs by Christy Kosnic.
When I first stepped into this home, I was immediately greeted by open spaces basked in sunlight from the many windows and French doors. What really drew my photographic eye was the details. Persian rugs, antique furniture, original artwork and outdoor foliage peeking in the windows. Learning the history behind the furnishings helps me determine what and how I will photograph a space.
All photographs by Christy Kosnic.
Here precious mementos are carefully displayed: antique glassware and china, a plate from the 1800’s and a framed drawing from the turn-of-the-century.
Something I found decidedly pleasant was the windows. Rather than cover them up with heavy drapery, natural light floods the space, only using blinds when privacy is absolutely necessary.
The wife is extremely talented — although not an interior decorator by trade one would believe she was. The above kitchen was completely renovated under her careful direction. Adorned with a large kitchen Island, warm gold hardware to mirror the Florida sun and state of the art stainless steel appliances this kitchen is a work of art.
On this photoshoot, I was also able to act as stylist in addition to photographer which was a lot of fun. I accomplished this by shopping antique stores, local big box stores, and using the homeowners own things — like antique china and tropical foliage from the yard. I find it is often the little touches that frame the shot and complete the story being told in the image.
Pops of tangerine awaken this tranquil seating area. Photographs by Christy Kosnic.
What I loved most about this home is its relationship to the outdoors. There is not a space in their home where one is not connected to the landscape. This indoor/outdoor flow is further represented in the covered outdoor patio. Come rain or shine this lovely family, situated on a tranquil Florida lagoon, has space to settle, enjoy and raise their three beautiful children — and their beloved bull mastiff, seen below!
As serendipity would have it I found the homeowners’ son reading on a sun-baked window seat. This is my favorite image of all. Photographs by Christy Kosnic.
Different flooring gives the breezeway texture and personality. The fern like everything else in the home connects to the foliage outside. Photographs by Christy Kosnic.