Behind closed doors
You learn a lot about people when you’re on a photo shoot. A little like long car trips, there’s a lot of waiting around, providing fertile ground for more diverse and meandering conversations. I’ll admit, I’m a chronic oversharer, but for those who aren’t quite so open, sometimes a shoot is perfect for letting a few secrets slip (with a gentle nudge from me, obvs).
One of my favourite discoveries from a shoot was on a trip to the finished homes of The Block last year. Although I’m always impressed by what the show’s teams come up with in a short time, on small budgets and with few resources, I’m not always so enamoured of the styles they create. So as we wandered through, inspecting the spaces, I shared a running monologue of what I did – and did not – like. In one instance, I strolled into a room and visibly cringed at the kitsch boho aesthetic.
“Boho is so not my thing,” I said with an eye roll. Silence followed. Always one to fill an awkward pause, I turned to the lovely Shannon Vos and dug myself into a deeper hole, with: “I mean, could you live here?”
Turns out, boho is Shannon’s thing... not that there’s anything wrong with that. I just didn’t see it coming based on his and his brother Simon’s style on The Block. I love the concept that what we present to the world might not be the style we immerse ourselves in at home. Although I’m not a particularly girly girl, I probably need to own that at my home, things are definitely not sleek and modern. You may even find a few unexpected floral accents.
This was the starting point for Shannon’s piece about finding your style on page 36. Sorry for outing you, Shan, but thanks for sharing.