Your Denver Boudoir Studio: A Tour

Some of the more popular questions I get during phone consults with potential clients is, “What is your studio like?  What are the colors?  Do you have furniture and props?”

To answer these questions, I’m heading back to grade school for this blog post today: show and tell!

The first thing you should know about my studio is that it’s actually a home studio!  Before covid hit, I kept looking at the spare bedroom in my condo, empty and unused.  I was unsure of what I wanted to do with it.  Should I get a roommate?  Turn it into an office?  Use it simply as storage for my overflowing thrift habit?

I realized none of these options would work.  Too old and crotchety for a roommate.  Too big for an office, as I really only need surface area for my laptop.  A waste of space if I was only going to use it for storage.

So, I decided to go with an option not on my initial list: a boudoir studio!

To get it whipped into shape for my incoming clients, I hired my cousin Austin to expose the brick on one of the walls.  My home was built in 1896, so it was hella rad to let some of its original beauty come through from behind the plaster (and don’t worry, I tested it all for asbestos — we’re in the clear!).

Next, I touched up the paint, hung my trusty lace curtains, and added some new furniture into the mix.  I try to thrift as much of the décor as possible.  All the mirrors inside are from my neighborhood ARC, with the other pieces hailing from Ross and Ikea.

I chose my colors intentionally and carefully.  Keeping the color palette as neutral as possible was my top priority so that you can wear almost any color of the rainbow during your shoot.  Fire engine red, classic navy, forest green, even rich eggplant — they all pair well in this little room.

And lastly, to top it all off, I have the best home accessory a girl could ask for: my corgi Sherman!  She is the sweetest loaf of bread you’ll ever meet.  She’ll be the first to greet you as you come upstairs for your shoot, and she always tries to sneak in and sit at your feet while we’re working.  I promise — she loves you already!

Although it’s not as big as a normal photography studio, this spare bedroom packs a punch.  Small but mighty for sure.  As you cruise through my blog a bit more, I hope you’ll see that I’m confident in working every angle of this room during your shoot, all down to the last drop of that perfect south-facing window light.

Ross, Ikea, and thrift stores — the three places I love shopping for studio furniture.

Classic tufted white furniture will never go out of style, especially for boudoir.

I know, I know — fake plants get a bad rap. Tell that to my less-than-green thumb!

River Birch candles smell divine and are even eco-friendly. Designed and produced in the good ol’ USA.

I may or may not be obsessed with candles. These ones from Public Goods are out of this world.

You can take the girl out of the club, but you can’t take the club out of the girl.

I love the detailing on this antique brass plant stand.

My cousin Austin did all the heavy lifting to expose this brick wall for me. I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out!

These $15 Ikea curtains are everything. In the winter and spring months, the sunlight transfers little floral imprints onto your skin for some truly unique shadows.

Stunning collage artwork from my friend Karen Fisher.

My faithful life partner, Sherman — she will want to sit on your feet while we shoot!