garden & gun | vivian howard’s modern farmhouse

Have you watched the delightful PBS show A Chef’s Life?  Chef Vivian Howard and her husband Ben Knight move from New York City to the small town of Kinston, North Carolina to open a restaurant and make their lives. The show documents their adventures in running a restaurant and raising twins in a small town.  I especially love the segments that show the colorful people of the community.  A Chef’s Life is sweet but real and wonderful watch.  So imagine how excited we were when Garden & Gun Magazine called for me to do a shoot a Vivian & Ben’s new house!

As we drove from Greensboro to the flatter lands of eastern North Carolina, we were struck by the beautiful fields and traditional farms along the way.  And there in the middle of a golden wheat field was Vivian & Ben’s modern house!   We fell in love with Vivian & Ben and their family and we had a great time photographing such a warm and inviting house.   The modern minimal architecture is complemented by all the personal antiques and art.  Hope you enjoy the photos and please stay tuned for some more images from our day.

Architect:  Ann Clark

style at home | magically muted christmas

Thrilled to have to the November cover of Style at Home magazine.  Thank you to Christine Hanlon and your wonderful styling – we had such fun working with you as always.  I really love the understated approach to the holidays – it is peaceful and calm and just so pretty.

bernhardt 2013 | architectural digest

Please take a look at our ad in the latest issue of Architectural Digest for Bernhardt Furniture!  This ad ran last month in Veranda & Traditional Home as well.  And to see a little more about the project see our blog post on the beautiful Salon Collection.

Photography : Stacey Van Berkel

Styling : Susan Johnson Smith

Art Direction : Ron Fiore, Susan Johnson Smith & Stacey Van Berkel

sunbrella 2013 | right at home

We recently enjoyed working with the fantastic team from Wray Ward & Gina Wicker from Glen Raven to create some beautiful images for Sunbrella.  Here are some of the recent ads that appeared in several magazines including the current issue of Garden & Gun magazine.  Check out the pretty video by Peyton Lea Productions here as well!

red egg 2013 | color

We recently did a shoot for Red Egg, one of our favorite clients and fellow Withit member!    The unlimited colors they offer for all their pieces makes me a little giddy!  Here is a little taste of the possibilities . . .

bernhardt 2013 | salon

Our Bernhardt Salon Collection catalogue had hit the Spring Furniture Market!  We love this elegant and glamourous furniture collection!  See the e-catalogue here.  Once again our hardworking & fun team went above and beyond to make this project special:  Heather Eidenmiller, Ron Fiore & Chip Poe (Bernhardt), Susan Johnson Smith/stylist (Studio Xing); Anna Marie Bradfield/model (Directions USA);  Allison Easley/hair & makeup; Maria Arce & David Hillerby/photo assistants; Bianca Pagliai & Joyce Crumpacker/styling assistants; Jon Carter & Spencer Pickle/grips. 

Here are a few of of favorite images plus a few behind the scenes . . .

bernhardt 2013 | huntington

We are very proud to show a few favorite images from our the Bernhardt Huntington Collection catalogue which will debut at this Spring Furniture Market!  And a few behind the scenes photos as well.  Hope you enjoy!

 Thank you to our fabulous team who worked so hard to make this project special:  Heather Eidenmiller, Ron Fiore & Chip Poe (Bernhardt), Susan Johnson Smith/stylist (Studio Xing); Anna Marie Bradfield/model (Directions USA);  Allison Easley/hair & makeup; Maria Arce & Alicia Irvin/photo assistants; Bianca Pagliai & Joyce Crumpacker/styling assistants; Jon Carter & Spencer Pickle/grips.  And a very special thank you to Sue Haag for bringing the herd from  Oak Grove Welsh Corgis :  Sophie, Comet, Verna, Ivy, and Mabel were a hit with everyone!  Now our whole team would like a corgi puppy . . .

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I think it is always fun to see a little of what goes on behind the scenes on a shoot . . . .

My hard working little bees, Susan, Joyce and our intern Alicia Irvin who will be graduating from RCC Photography program this August!

 Jon & Spencer looking so serious – but they are the best guys to work with on a shoot!  We are looking forward to all of our upcoming projects with them.

 Best photo assistants Alicia & Maria even run to get things done on time.

 A little dog wrangling and a little playing too.

 Susan, our resident fairy godmother /stylist working her magic!

 And Bianca had the very best job of all, don’t you think?

benjamin moore 2012 | colorlife app

My first national magazine job was to shoot my own house for Canadian Home & Country magazine (which was so exciting!) & interestingly that story is reappearing in the Benjamin Moore Colorlife App available on iTunes!  Here are a some sneak peeks –  to read my story and really enjoy the whole e-mag you’ll have to get the app. . . I will upload some real photos when we get back from Toronto.

And two other photos of mine appeared as well.  This one is from the Style at Home story – see more photos here:  Kennebunk

for the love of... turquoise

We are thrilled for Kara Cox Interiorsbeing featured on House of Turquoisetoday!  Kara is a talented young designer who commissioned us to photograph some of her work a few months ago.  We thoroughly loved working with Kara and are happy to see her pretty new website and all the work pouring in since she launched it.

Thank you Erin from House of Turquoise for featuring Kara!  As you might know, turquoise is my favorite color too and sometimes my clients refer to it as “Stacey’s colour”.  You can be sure to always find some lovely turquoise inspiration on House of Turquoise.

Also, please visit Kara’s site to see more photos of her work.

bernhardt 2012 | mercer

We are so excited about the debut of the Mercer Collection catalogue we shot for Bernhardt Furniture at the Fall 2012 High Point Furniture Market!  We loved worked with the very lovely and talented Heather Eidenmiller (a fellow Withit member) and Ron Fiore of Bernhardt – they allowed us the freedom to be creative and guided us with their expertise.  A huge congratulations to Bernhardton winning Best of Show for their gorgeous new showroom created by Ron Fiore.

Susan Johnson Smith of Studio Xing did the beautiful styling and I am always thrilled to collaborate with her on any project.  Look for Simon Henry, my vizsla’s appearance in this catalogue.  Behind the scenes photos to come soon!

lanalou style | charming cabin getaway

We are excited to have some photos of the cabin story I shot in Nova Scotia featured on the Lanalou Style blog today. . . . this was a very special story to me since it was one of the first stories I pitched and my whole family was involved in making this happen.  And then to top it off, I won a National Magazine award for this story.

So go on over and take a look at Lana’s post today!  Her blog is very pretty and you’ll find lots of things to inspire you there.

And come on back here to see some more photos from that shoot on Monday. . . have a great weekend!

~Stacey & Maria

bright bazaar & house of turquoise

We loved that a few of our images were featured on a couple of blogs we really love:  Bright Bazaar and House of Turquoise.  Check them both out if you like color and great curation!

Links to the features:

1. http://www.houseofturquoise.com/2010/11/stacey-haines.html

2. http://brightbazaar.blogspot.com/2012/07/sundays-bright-links-no-87-alfresco.html

caracole 2012 | modern farmhouse

We are so excited to have shot the Caracole‘s new Modern Farmhouse collection for their magazine debuted at the 2012 High Point Furniture Market!   Our fun &  talented team {Maura Riley, Schnadig; Susan Johnson Smith, Studio Xing} and crew worked long hours to create this beautiful catalogue.  We shot on location at the idyllic country retreat community of Serenbe located a little south of Atlanta.  What an amazing place to shoot – rolling hills of farmland, a little village of town homes, houses & cute shops.  The Inn at Serenbe is very nice  so it would be worth a little hop down for the weekend to relax and getaway from all the busyness of modern life!

FYI:  HGTV was building their Green Home while we were there!  (enter to win it here!)

I always enjoy behind the scenes photos – I hope you do too!  We work hard but we have some fun too.  Mmmmm the pie from the Blue Eyed Daisy was delicious – we couldn’t help but eat that prop!  Many thanks to my first assistant Maria Arce & Sophia Harcourt for your tireless and pleasant work ethic!  And for your sense of humor – see if you can spot Pokey. . .

garden & gun | far-out farmhouse

I am always thrilled to shoot for Garden & Gun magazine and when Art Director, Maggie Kennedy asked if I could shoot a lovely Carolina farmhouse I started packing my gear.  Driving down the bucolic country roads, past farms and lakes, past cattle and horses, I couldn’t wait to arrive at my destination.  The very talented Ken Pursley of Pursley Architecture designed this house that I secretly wish was mine.

Ken and his colleagues welcomed me and gave me the grand tour of the property.  What a wonderful getaway from the busyness of live – a row adirondack chairs on the porch for sitting and reading, walls of windows to gaze at beautiful scenery, a tree swing and a lake, chickens, horses and mammoth donkeys.  And all you can hear are the cicadas. . .

I think you’ll enjoy seeing a few more photos of amazing job Ken has done on this house!

style at home | london style & design

A few more photos of my shoot for Style at Home in London with Debbie Travis & Erin McLaughlin. . .

After we were finished shooting, and said our goodbyes, Erin & I had a relaxing dinner at a bustling London restaurant.  And it was there that I had a pivotal British moment!  I tried my first Pimm’s. . . . yummy delicious!  Many thanks to Erin McLaughlin for the impromptu portrait of me!  I am usually on the other side of the camera.

I was surprised to learn that Pimm’s is hard to find in the United States.  And so the find-the-Pimm’s-saga started. . .  I checked my local ABC store and they told me that all the state liquor stores in each state carry the same items and no Pimm’s in North Carolina.  I looked into ordering some online but the shipping was pretty expensive.  Then we called liquor stores all up and down the eastern seaboard while driving to our assignment in Kennebunk, Maine (see post).  Finally we had success in Virginia and then scored a couple more bottles in New Hampshire.

No one panic –  I don’t have a drinking problem – the bottles are lined up in my pantry either awaiting a summer party or a really cool shoot!

style at home | debbie travis’ london

We were so excited to have the opportunity to travel to London with Style at Home editor Erin McLaughlin to shoot Debbie Travisfor the magazine!  I remember Debbie from her original TV show The Painted House so it was pretty fun to show up at her London townhouse and her greet us with her sparkly smile.  Of course since The Painted House, Debbie has gone on to do many amazing things from more television shows, producing, creating her own licensed products for various companies and winning lots of awards.  She is now restoring a property in Tuscany and even holds a girl’s getaway.

We spent two wonderful days with Debbie, one photographing her delightful townhouse and one exploring the inspiring design stores about London.  Debbie was kind enough to shuttle us around the windy London streets in her car.  She knows the neighbourhoods like a pro – I was glad I wasn’t driving!

I was wowed by the Designer’s Guild – so many beautiful patterns and colours, gorgeous furniture and accessories everywhere you look!  What a treat to be there with Debbie and Erin both. . .  After a lovely lunch and a trip to Portobello Road it was a wrap.  Just one more thing to do – get a photo with Debbie for my mum!

And off Erin and I went to get some Pimm’s (more about that tomorrow).  Read more about Debbie’s London here.

toronto star | at home with anna olson

Last week I received a very fun phone call from Scotland!  I was surprised to hear Justin Ryan (of the dynamic duo Colin & Justin) on the line looking for some photos of Anna Olson I shot for Canadian Home & Country magazine a couple of years ago.  With some rushing around we were able to get the photos to the Toronto Star on time for their deadline & the article appeared on Friday.  You can see it here.

Anna was so wonderful to work with and we really enjoyed spending a little time with her at her house in Welland, Ontario.  There were so many pretty photos from that day, I thought it might be nice to share some of them!

style at home | color me pretty

We are so exited to have the April cover of Style at Home Magazine!  Flying to Maine last year in the dead of winter was a wonderful adventure.  Our team came from three corners, me from North Carolina, Margot Austin from Toronto and my assistant Leah Zimmerman from the big apple.  We all met and stayed at the wonderful Kennebunk Inn, famous for it’s lobster pot pie!

Our job was to photograph a big beautiful house that belongs to the owners of Au Lit Fine linens in Toronto.  Kennebunk, Maine is a wonderful historic vacation spot with old stately homes lining the streets, lots of delicious seafood, beaches and antique shops.  In the middle of winter, it was a bit different – cold and a bit deserted but we all fell in love with it anyway.

I have included a few more favorite shots, a few behind the scenes and some terrible iphone photos of our delicious meals at the Inn.  Can’t wait to go back and have some more lobster!

Maria and I were lucky enough to return in July to photograph for Au Lit – more on that later this week . . .

style at home | color for christmas

I just loved shooting holiday stories for Style at Home magazine last year in Toronto!  Christine Hanlon produced and styled this shoot – isn’t she amazing?  After seeing the pink ruffle pillow I went straight to Home Sense to buy one for my mother – they didn’t have pink but a lovely champagne colour instead and she loves it!   We were so busy shooting this day I didn’t really take any out takes but I’ve included a fav shot of the chandelier and a wider one of the chair and presents.

style at home | cozy ottawa holiday

Style at Home editor Erin McLaughlin & I drove to Ottawa on a cold snowy day last December on our way to a shoot in Canada’s capitol.  As we drew closer the snow got worse and worse & the next morning we woke up to sleet and ice.  We were determined to make it to the shoot so we drove verrrrrrrry slowly through the streets of Ottawa.   And what a lovely surprise it was to have Chip Hamann & Alain Doom welcome us into their cozy and stylish house.  We also met the gracious Irene Langlois of Irene Langlois Interiors who helped make this home charming and ready for entertaining.

Alain & Chip prepared the food, lit the candles while Irene hung the last of the holiday decor.  And despite the ice & snow, good friends arrived, champagne was opened and the lovely party went on into the evening.  .  .