Last November, my friend Jessica asked me if I was interested in sharing an office space with her. She had found a new location for her therapy practice and had an extra room. I was so excited at the thought of having my own photography space and also getting to work beside a friend I love.

When I saw the place, I was a little unsure. It was small. The walls were a shade of orange with blue carpet….but I love stretching my creative muscle & I believed I could make it into something beautiful, so I signed the lease and got to work!

November also happens to be my busiest time of the year. So between the steady stream of family photos, holiday sessions, and juggling my own family, I did what I could.

I started with painting the walls white (almost 3 gallons of paint later, the orange is long gone). Another friend helped me find flooring and my husband spent his evenings after work laying it for me.

Next, I added some soundproof panels between our offices that turned out to make an interesting honeycomb-patterned wall that I love.

Finally, I got to shop for the fun things!

I tried to think like I was on the show Tiny Homes. I was constantly pacing around the room, thinking of ways I could best utilize the space to keep it flexible for different types of photo sessions and also have a place for me to get some work done.

I found a wall-mounted desk that I can pull down when I want to work and pop back up when I need more space.

I purchased an air mattress to use as a bed set. (I do a lot of sweet, snuggled-up-on-the-bed photos, especially with newborn families.) I like that I can deflate it and put it away when I don’t need it.

I fell in love with this lightweight, rattan chair and can’t wait to photograph moms and little ones in it.

I thought about what elements I love to use when visiting my clients’ homes and went searching for a floor-length mirror. I found this beautiful gold easel mirror…perfect for reflective shots and for clients to check their hair before photos.

Lastly, I needed somewhere for moms to lay their babies. One day, I decided to ask on my Instagram story if anyone had a Moses Basket they were wanting to sell and within 20 minutes, I heard back from one of my clients. She had one I could pick up that day.

I added some finishing touches….pampas grass (cut from my parents’ front yard), a floor vase, a large basket, shelves, and blankets. I added a cute blue Keurig because…coffee, and long, dreamy sheer white curtains. My talented friend in Maine made me this gorgeous acrylic sign for the door. It arrived this past weekend & I can’t wait to hang it up!

So here we are in January and I can’t believe that I’m sitting in this finished space, better than I had even dreamed up. I can hear Jessica working in the room next to me and I’m over here sipping coffee while typing out this blog post.

Yes, the studio is small, but it’s also really cozy & beautiful and I love it.

I’m thinking it’s the perfect spot for maternity and newborn sessions, specialty holiday sessions, headshots, and so much more. I’ll still do work on location, but I’m excited to have another space to offer up.

The tall ceilings, white walls, and soft textures make for absolutely gorgeous photos. I had my first newborn session here the other day and I was thrilled with how the images turned out.

I hope to add a ceiling-mounted backdrop stand and a few more things in the future, but I’m ready to invite you here now. I can’t wait to welcome you into my little studio. In fact, I’m hosting Valentine Mini Sessions here on February 4th. I hope you’ll come & see me.

As I sit here looking around the finished space, I’m so grateful to my husband, parents, and friends for pitching in. Thank you for painting, hanging shelves, laying floors, and lending me tools. Thank you for shopping with me, texting me ideas late at night, enduring my constant barrage of “update photos”, and thank you always, always for encouraging me.