I recently came across these beautiful photos I hadn’t seen before. They are from Elle Decor’s May 2009 issue, so chances are you may have already seen them. These breathtaking interiors belong to actress Alexandra Wentworth and her husband, news-anchor George Stephanopoulos, situated in Georgetown.
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The room has a neutral backdrop with splashes of different shades of purple. Love the quirky area rug with purple squids. Alexandra has been collecting seashells since childhood, and they are displayed throughout the room. I especially love the giant clam shell in the fireplace.
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See how much the wall color changes in this photo from the former. It looks a lot warmer here. The ceiling is also painted light blue.
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One wall is dedicated to Alexandra’s collection of sea shells and sea fans.
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The wall color could be something like BM Opal.
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Their home was designed by Elisabeth Martin, and after a look into her fantastic portfolio, I came across a few more photos from Alexandra and George’s home. I didn’t realize how much color adjustment they use in the magazine pictures (which probably explains the changing wall color). The colors are entirely different, but beautiful nonetheless.
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I notice there are no squids on this carpet, I wonder if they changed the carpet to or from this? The room also has a different layout, and the sofa is actually not indigo but aubergine. Also, the back of the built-in shelves are not actually blue-green but dark gray!
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So what have we learned today? Well, we shouldn’t be too sad when our living room does not look as good as the ones in the magazine photos. Good lighting and color adjustments makes a whole lotta difference (+ a professional photographer).
At the end of the day, I love the glossy magazine pictures, retouched or not. To me it is not about recreating reality, rather showing possibility (is it even possible?). What are your thoughts? Are you Pro or Against interior photoshopping?
–> You can read the whole article and see the rest of this home on Elle Decor’s website, see Eleisabeth Martin’s portfolio here!