The Way We Live Now: The Living Room

It’s hard to believe how much our lives have changed in just three months. And who knows how our lives will evolve in the next 3-6 months - it’s anyone’s guess! Currently, we are living in the “unknowable” so I thought I’d do a sort of virtual house tour to explore ways to make rooms in our homes work for our new reality. And in the living room, who knew we would need to think about this room as a video set?

No escaping it, video conferences are mandatory for the foreseeable future, both for work and to “visit” with friends and family. Lots of us are shy on video, but those days are over. Like it or not, you’re now a video star! One important thing that can help us all look better on video is a ring light - like the one above. And since our living rooms are generally the nicest room in the house, they are now the natural backdrop for Zoom, WebEx, or whatever you’re using. Everyone you know is now getting a virtual tour of your home, so you want to be sure you’ve created the perfect backdrop. Just think about all those newscasters you see on TV - they have definitely designed the best place for their videos. In the below living room, I’d set my tripod so I’d be captured on either end of the sofa, with a lamp and part of the painting in the shot.

Another tip is to avoid shooting in front of a window. No matter how fabulous the view is, as you’ll be dark and the view will wash out. But all that natural light would make you look gorgeous, so if you don’t have a ring light, at least face the windows!

In the above room, with all the natural light, I’d definitely sit on the Chesterfield sofas. Oh, and one more reason to buy a fancy tripod (they are under $100), is your laptop has the worst angle ever for screen-chatting. The camera shoots straight up your face and gives you triple chins. Ugh. With a tripod, you set your phone, tablet, or laptop barely above eye level, then tilt the top of your screen barely towards you. Viola! Just the one chin!

I also really recommend trying a few video calls with your bestie. Video can be intimidating, and you don’t want to wing it on your first presentation. Your friend can also tell you things like”that plant looks like it’s growing out of your head,” or “No, that’s not the prettiest back-drop - try the orange chair!” Find that perfect spot in your space so you look amazing. Or set a vignette up just for video. No one is coming over anyway, so put your furniture where it needs to be so you - and your living room - look amazing!

Warmly,

Beth