Episode 117
The Art of Interior Design and Photography: Enhancing Your Home's Value
The salient point of today's discussion revolves around the profound synergy that exists when exemplary interior design is harmoniously complemented by professional photography. In our conversation, I am joined by the esteemed Christine Archer of Christine Archer Interiors and the talented Carmen Garza from Gig Shots. Together, we explore the intricate dynamics of contemporary design trends and the indispensable role of meticulous photography in enhancing the aesthetic appeal of residential spaces. Moreover, we deliberate on the significance of engaging an interior designer during remodeling projects, as their expertise can transform a house into a personalized sanctuary. We also examine the current trends in sustainable living, particularly the allure of container homes and their potential to redefine modern living. Join us as we delve into these topics, providing insights that are both informative and essential for homeowners contemplating renovation.
Takeaways:
- The collaboration between exceptional interior design and professional photography significantly enhances the appeal of a home.
- Homeowners often underestimate the value of hiring an interior designer for remodeling projects.
- Utilizing an interior designer ensures that the remodel reflects the homeowner's personality and lifestyle preferences.
- Effective lighting is crucial in both interior design and photography to create a balanced and inviting atmosphere.
- Smaller spaces require strategic planning to maximize usability and aesthetic appeal without sacrificing comfort.
- Professional photography is essential for showcasing remodeled spaces, as it elevates the perceived value in real estate sales.
Links referenced in this episode:
- christinearcher.com
- christinearcherinteriors.com
- gigshots.net
- stardustbuilding.org
- idealhomeimprovementaz.com
- boxcaruniverse.com
- iFoam.com
- mrelectric.com/phoenix-metro
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Christine Archer Interiors
- Gig Shots
- Ideal Home Improvement, LLC.
Transcript
Hey, everyone.
Speaker A:Today I'm joined by Christine Archer from Christine Archer Interiors and Carmen Garza from Gig Shots.
Speaker A:We're talking about the magic that happens when great design and sharp photography come together.
Speaker A:You're gonna love this one.
Speaker B:Since the dawn of time, mankind has searched for ways to shelter themselves from the elements.
Speaker B:Over the centuries, these shelters have evolved from bamboo huts to concrete towers.
Speaker B:The last few years, there's been a push to save the planet.
Speaker B:Are you ready to embark on a more sustainable lifestyle?
Speaker B:Look no further.
Speaker B:You're about to enter the adventures of Container Home Living.
Speaker B:And now, contractor, radio and TV personality and your host for Boxcar Universe, Steve Dubel.
Speaker A:Hi.
Speaker A:Hi.
Speaker A:I'm Steve Dubell, host of Boxcar Universe.
Speaker A:And here's what's coming up on this week's edition of Boxcar Universe.
Speaker A:Christine Archer is here from Christine Archer Interiors.
Speaker A:And she's going to share her experience with today's interior design trends and the importance of utilizing an interior designer when planning your next remodel.
Speaker A:Also with us is Carmen Garza from Gig Shots.
Speaker A:She will share her experience in, in architectural photography and why professional photos for your home are so valuable in real estate sales and remodeling.
Speaker A:All that and more on this week's edition of Boxcar Universe, your home for remodeling and renovating your world.
Speaker A:And I'd like to welcome all our listeners to Boxcar Universe.
Speaker A:As we are in the desert southwest in the beautiful city of Phoenix, Arizona, enjoying this nice, balmy weather.
Speaker A:We're having like 110 degrees or today it's actually under 100, so it's pretty good.
Speaker A:And today's a very special day for all our listeners out there.
Speaker A:We are recording on emoji day, so if you have a special emoji out there for your special someone, make sure that when you hear this recording, make sure that you send them that special emoji and make sure you put a heart after it.
Speaker A:Make sure that they know that it came from your heart.
Speaker A:But we've got a lot of things, things to talk about today.
Speaker A:You know, one of the things that I always felt as a contractor for many years is that interior design for a remodeling project is so valuable.
Speaker A:And I've run across in the last 30 years of me doing construction, remodeling and being a contractor that a lot of homeowners do not like to go out and have an interior designer be part of their project.
Speaker A:They, they think that they can do it themselves.
Speaker A:They go online.
Speaker A:And I think the biggest culprit And I'll get Christine's take on this here in a little bit.
Speaker A:You know, their favorite friend is Pinterest and they go out and they look at everything on Pinterest and they, they, they take pictures and they think that, oh, well, this goes with this or that goes with that or maybe I'll get this color.
Speaker A:And you know, and then, you know, to be a little drastic, you know, if they're doing an exterior, you go down the street in a neighborhood and before the ho police come down and they see a pink house on the block, which I don't think is going to work.
Speaker A:So they, it's like a homeowner who's dangerous with tools.
Speaker A:They, they don't really have the skills and the knowledge and the expertise to go out and design a new interior for your home.
Speaker A:And especially for most of us, buying a home is the most valuable and the largest purchase that we will ever make in our lives.
Speaker A:And if you're going to do a complete remodel in your home, you want to make sure that the money spent wisely.
Speaker A:It's just like people going out saying, well, I can do this, I can add a patio on your house.
Speaker A:I don't need a permit.
Speaker A:Yes, you do, because without the permit it's going to cause you problems down the road.
Speaker A:Don't be penny wise and dollar foolish.
Speaker A:If you are planning an interior design project, you need to get an interior designer and there's nobody else that I would surely recommend is our first guest, Christine Archer from Christine Archer Interiors.
Speaker A:And Christine, thank you for being on Boxcar Universe today.
Speaker A:Welcome to.
Speaker C:Thanks, Steve.
Speaker C:Thanks for having me.
Speaker A:Great to have you on.
Speaker A:So tell me, did I say anything that you haven't experienced before in your interior design career?
Speaker C:No, no.
Speaker C:The Pinterest though.
Speaker C:I do like Pinterest for getting ideas and I always recommend to my clients to look at pictures and show me things that they're attracted to.
Speaker C:But the professional interior designer will always be able to put it all together for you.
Speaker C:Not just everything that you like, but there's reasoning behind it.
Speaker C:For texture, there's scale, which is the biggest thing that people have a hard time visualizing.
Speaker C:One thing that keeps popping into my head when you were talking about contractors.
Speaker C:When we built our house, the contractor kept wanting to put the chandelier in the middle of the room.
Speaker C:And yes, that makes sense, but it wasn't on the center of the room that I wanted it on.
Speaker C:I wanted it on the center of the furniture so the chandelier would hang down over the table correctly.
Speaker C:And that's a thing that people don't think about when you're doing construction.
Speaker C:And all those things that, those little details or where to put the outlet, you know.
Speaker A:Exactly.
Speaker C:Those are just small things that people just don't even.
Speaker C:It doesn't even cross their mind.
Speaker C:And they just assume the contractor is going to know all that.
Speaker C:And some do, some do.
Speaker C:But when you're trying to put the whole picture together, you'll have a better idea of where your lighting should go.
Speaker C:People also don't understand that there should always be a minimum of a triangle of lighting in a room.
Speaker C:So if you have just lighting on one side of the room, you don't feel balanced.
Speaker C:And you won't realize why this room isn't making sense to you because your lighting isn't equal.
Speaker A:Exactly.
Speaker A:Exactly.
Speaker A:Again, lighting is so very important.
Speaker A:And with all the changes that have come down the pike here with technology and everything, you know, from the old incandescent bulb, now we've got all kinds of different LED lights and all these different things that you could do.
Speaker A:It's important that somebody who has experience can explain that to you because like you say, somebody will come in and they'll say, oh, yeah, you know, I think the last thing that they think of is lighting because they're always thinking about all the big physical things they don't consider lighting and all these other things.
Speaker A:And not to mention, you know, the different types of smart technology that can be used with lighting and other things that you use in your home.
Speaker A:But tell our listeners a little bit about you, your experience and how you got started and what Christine Archer Interiors is all about.
Speaker C:Well, I started my.
Speaker C:I actually used to work for an interior designer shop in North Carolina many years ago.
Speaker C:And then I moved to Seattle and I decided that I was going to open my own shop, be my own professional interior designer.
Speaker C:And I started my business back then, and slowly it just kept growing and growing and growing.
Speaker C:So I've been in business now for 20 years, 28 years of owning my own business.
Speaker C:Two and a half years ago, I moved to Scottsdale and decided that I was going to keep my business in Seattle and fly back and forth.
Speaker C:And then I was going to start my business down here in Scottsdale.
Speaker C:So it's been wonderful.
Speaker A:Yeah, I mean, having it in two places has got to be a challenge, obviously, especially when you're going to start.
Speaker A:But I don't think you could have picked a better place than go to Scottsdale.
Speaker A:Because if all our listeners, if you go to Christine, a lot of luxury designs are on there, and Scottsdale's the place to be.
Speaker C:It is.
Speaker C:I love it down here and I'm so glad to be down here permanently.
Speaker C:But it's, you know, it's easy for me to jump on a plane and go anywhere.
Speaker C:I'm also doing a house right now in Austin, Texas, and it's actually the third house I've done for these people in Texas, and I've never been to any of their houses.
Speaker A:Really?
Speaker C:No, I've never even been to Austin, Texas.
Speaker C:But, you know, with FaceTime and able to get a crew to work there for me and so much easy, easier now with technology.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:But doing that, it's so great to be able to have somebody that you could trust, to be able to go in there and do exactly what you want and obviously is up willing to communicate a lot with you so that this way that the homeowner doesn't get any surprises because you don't need like that 3am phone call.
Speaker C:Never want that.
Speaker A:Why did these guys put this wall here?
Speaker C:No, never, never want that.
Speaker C:The house that I'm doing in Austin, I was able to.
Speaker C:I have great people that will work for me down there.
Speaker C:You know, I do trust, and that's one of the biggest, you know, perks, is having your trust in the people that work for you.
Speaker C:The people that work for me in Seattle have worked for me for 25 years.
Speaker C:And I do.
Speaker C:I trust them and I know they're going to do a good job.
Speaker C:And that's what you want your clients to feel about you as a designer, that you.
Speaker C:That they can trust you to know that you're going to bring a beautiful, beautiful home to them as well as they don't have to worry about if the contractor is going to show up.
Speaker C:It's not their problem.
Speaker C:Or if the wallpaper is going to go up, that's not their problem.
Speaker C:Because you are the one that are organizing all the behind the scenes to make the house beautiful.
Speaker A:Exactly right.
Speaker A:And I think dealing, like for instance, with all the subcontractors that I've used throughout the years, they have to have unique respect for you because to know exactly what you want.
Speaker A:Because there are a lot of subcontractors out there doing not everybody depending on their field, but sometimes they let their wants and desires and ego get in the way of doing it.
Speaker A:Well, maybe I should do it this way, you know, and maybe she'll like it.
Speaker A:No, you're not in that position to make that decision, you know, And I think A lot of people that need to get, they need to know that, you know, that you are in charge.
Speaker A:And any, any communication needs to go through you.
Speaker A:Because I've seen that happen before where the, the business owner or homeowner decides, well, I'll just talk to the, you know, the, the sub that's here and maybe it'll get back to me.
Speaker A:And then all of a sudden, you know, if they say homeowner says something to me and I get blindsided, is, well, did you tell me that?
Speaker A:No, I told Joe on the job.
Speaker A:Well, that doesn't work.
Speaker C:Exactly, exactly.
Speaker C:I just was up doing a remodel in Seattle, a big 5,000 square foot house remodel.
Speaker C:And I had all my guys there to give me a bids, my floor people, my carpet people, my painters, my construction people.
Speaker C:And when we were all done talking and they left, the homeowner says to me, they all respect you and they know that you're the boss.
Speaker C:And I said, yeah, I'm in charge of this project.
Speaker C:None of them are in charge of it.
Speaker C:And if anything needs to be talked about, they need to come to me first.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:I mean, and again, that's so important that people need to know that and respect and everything else that goes along with that.
Speaker A:And I think the homeowner has to be, you know, in sync with you and not just to say, one homeowner, if it's a married couple or two people with being significant others, if they're gonna make the decisions on the home together, they both need to be there.
Speaker A:Can't just do one or the other.
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker C:And this is why I had to take Psych 101 in college, because there's a lot of psychological dealing with.
Speaker A:Men.
Speaker C:And women that are married together.
Speaker A:That's our other head.
Speaker A:We're not only designers, contractors, but we're psychologists.
Speaker A:Because we have to know how to read people.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker A:Especially in that.
Speaker A:And people don't understand that.
Speaker C:You know, that is so true.
Speaker C:And what I do a lot of times, just from the very start is I'll take my fabric samples.
Speaker C:And I said, there's no rhyme or reason.
Speaker C:We're not putting this necessarily on a bed or drapery.
Speaker C:I just want to see you react if you like it.
Speaker C:And we'll make piles and I'll throw the fabric a sample at them.
Speaker C:And I look at their reaction.
Speaker C:And then if they don't have a reaction, I put it in.
Speaker C:It's not a good fit.
Speaker C:And then when we're all done and there's a pile, you'll see the similarity and what they both like.
Speaker A:Interesting.
Speaker C:Really crazy interesting.
Speaker C:But it works.
Speaker C:It really works to have them come together.
Speaker C:And I said, so obviously you told me you don't like the color blue, but you do, because look at everything that you like has the color blue.
Speaker A:I like that.
Speaker A:Let's see, we could come up with a new name for that.
Speaker A:It'd be called the Christine Interior Design Choice Pile Method.
Speaker A:Just stack them by piles.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:You should see the back of my car.
Speaker A:Oh, my God.
Speaker A:So tell our listeners a little bit.
Speaker A:Okay, so why.
Speaker A:I mean, I know I touched on it on my initial monologue, but why should homeowners hire an interior designer?
Speaker C:Well, spatial.
Speaker C:Spatial vision, I would say, is like the number one reason to do it.
Speaker C:To know the correct distance.
Speaker C:You know, what's a chair height?
Speaker C:What height should be a bar height?
Speaker C:What height should be a counter height?
Speaker C:If you say, I want a bar, but do you really want a bar or do you want a counter bar?
Speaker C:There's so many details in what you're deciding, and people just don't.
Speaker C:Most people just don't know those small details.
Speaker C:That's why they think they can do it themselves.
Speaker C:And also coordinating, like a countertop with a backsplash, a tile, so, you know, it all works together.
Speaker C:But you also want to bring texture into a lot of things.
Speaker C:You don't want all your surfaces to be the same.
Speaker A:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker A:They all can't.
Speaker A:I mean, visually, I think it's important.
Speaker A:Like, for instance, I know the trend that I've seen.
Speaker A:Right now, in fact, we're doing a project down in Ahwatukee.
Speaker A:The homeowner actually had drywall people come in and they skim coated all the orange peel texture in the entire house.
Speaker A:Ceilings, walls, everything.
Speaker A:And she said, I hate that type of orange peel or knockdown texture.
Speaker A:I want smooth walls.
Speaker A:And that had to take a lot of patience, a lot of money to retail, and a lot of money absolutely to be able to do that.
Speaker A:So, I mean, there are a lot of different things that, you know, we want to get into as well as we want to talk about some design trends.
Speaker A:But we're going to go take a short break now, but when we come back, we're going to talk about more about interior design.
Speaker A:And we're also going to speak with Carmen Garza regarding photography and how it relates to all the good things that we're talking about in real estate and home remodeling.
Speaker A:So I want everybody to hang tight.
Speaker A:You're listening to Boxcar Universe looking to transform your space.
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Speaker A:All right, we are back and you're listening to Boxcar Universe.
Speaker A:And I'd like to remind all our listeners, especially the listeners in our Phoenix Maricopa county area that if you are interested and many of you have heard me speak about this, the container pools that we have, and if you haven't heard about it, then let me get you up to speed.
Speaker A:We can actually help build a container pool for your home if you don't want to spend a lot of money putting it in ground and then when you sell the home, you have to leave the pool.
Speaker A:We can build you a container pool that will be obviously be the talk of your neighborhood, build a deck and things around it.
Speaker A:But our model for our container pool is over at my good friend Susan Frayer, the Shed Gal, better known as over on 99th Avenue and Thomas Road on the west side of Phoenix.
Speaker A:And you'll be able to check and see out in that and how that looks.
Speaker A:And what better way?
Speaker A:I mean if you put a pool in ground, the only way you could see somebody swimming is from the from the top down.
Speaker A:Well, if you do a container pool, you could put a window in the side of the pool and watch people swim like they are underwater.
Speaker A:Just like you would go to, you know, a big aquarium.
Speaker A:Okay so these are little different things that you may be interested that might fit your homes, your home exteriors, decor and your landscaping.
Speaker A:So make sure you give give me a call or check us out online.
Speaker A:You could always reach me at steve@boxcaruniverse.com but let's get back to our discussion with Christine Archer from Christine Archer Interiors.
Speaker A:And Christine, tell us a little bit about the consultation process.
Speaker A:Once somebody reaches out and says that three letter word help.
Speaker C:Well, when I arrive at your home, I always ask the client to first give me a tour of their home.
Speaker C:Talk to me through each room, what they love about it and what they hate about it.
Speaker C:And that helps me see things.
Speaker C:Like sometimes there's a piece of furniture that's in another room that could look fabulous in a room that they had never even thought about.
Speaker C:So we talk about using what you have first and then what your needs are.
Speaker C:What are you looking for?
Speaker C:And it can vary anything from a big construction project to just some accessories.
Speaker C:Even you might say, I just need it to be fluffed up a little bit.
Speaker C:And some lamps and accessories.
Speaker C:And just doing even that minimum of work can change a room drastically.
Speaker C:I always tell people that people are afraid to spend money on an interior designer, but my thought is, I will make you money.
Speaker C:And they're like, what?
Speaker C:And I'm like, the money that you put into your home when it comes time to sell, hands down, will make you money.
Speaker C:So you'll make more money off of me than you ever thought you could.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And people don't realize that because they're not thinking that far ahead and down the road that, hey, you know, I'm only concerned about the here and now and what it's going to take.
Speaker A:But I think homeowners have to take the assessment.
Speaker A:And I talk about this all the time, especially, like I said, men, because men have the biggest problem when it comes to egos, when, you know, when their significant other decides to ask them, hey, honey, can you go in the garage and fix this for me?
Speaker A:And you don't want to say no.
Speaker A:You just don't want to say no.
Speaker A:Because if you say no, it might, you might feel inferior or if you don't want to let that person down.
Speaker A:So you say yes, and then you go in the garage and you try and fake it, and then you wind up hurting them yourself.
Speaker A:So I think they have to take an assessment of, you know, do they have the skills to do this?
Speaker A:And there's nothing wrong saying that you.
Speaker A:It's like, it's like men don't like to turn around and say they don't know how to get to a place because they don't know directions.
Speaker C:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker C:No, it's.
Speaker C:A lot of people think they can really do it themselves, and more likely than not, they can't.
Speaker C:And a lot of times I get pulled in at the end because they're like, I messed up.
Speaker C:And then I'm thinking, you just cost yourself so much wasted money.
Speaker C:If you had just called in the beginning, you would have saved so much money.
Speaker A:Right, Exactly.
Speaker A:And then you think about that, and not just to mention the money, the time.
Speaker C:Oh, definitely.
Speaker A:That's involved.
Speaker A:Like, they always say, time is money.
Speaker A:Or in this case, money is time.
Speaker A:You go start doing things like this, and then it's just like, you think you've hit a home run, and then all of a sudden, when it gets done the way you wanted it to, it isn't.
Speaker A:It isn't done.
Speaker A:Doesn't.
Speaker A:It doesn't.
Speaker A:It doesn't work.
Speaker A:And it's just.
Speaker A:It's a losing battle, especially when people are on a budget.
Speaker A:You know, there should be a budget.
Speaker A:If you got a budget in there for permits and architecture, you should have a budget in there for interior design.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:And that's the.
Speaker C:That's the one thing, budget wise, that people don't want to tell you what they have to spend on it.
Speaker C:They don't like to share that information.
Speaker C:But.
Speaker C:But you're only hurting yourself.
Speaker C:We can't help you the way that you need to be helped if you can't share with us how much you want to spend.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I mean, yeah, you have to.
Speaker A:And they have to complain.
Speaker A:A lot of homeowners, they won't tell you because they.
Speaker A:They're in fear that you're going to.
Speaker A:Oh, my God.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker A:If I tell them I have $200,000 for this remodel project, and if I tell them that they're going to take all my money, you know, like, no, we need to know how much you have so we can design accordingly.
Speaker A:I said, you know, if I come back and I design something that's $300,000 and you only have 200 and you don't tell me, then naturally, when I give you the proposal, you're going to be in culture, you're going to be in shock.
Speaker A:And that's not a good way.
Speaker A:That does not promote good business practices.
Speaker C:Exactly.
Speaker A:And good, you know, you know, good feelings, obviously.
Speaker A:And then you think that the contractor's trying to, you know, take all your money, and that's not the way to start out a good relationship.
Speaker A:I mean, I don't know, Christine, about you, but I know, like, for instance, if I go into a home and talk to somebody for the very first time, you know, guess what the.
Speaker A:Well, let me ask you, what's the first Thing you do when you go walk into a home and you meet and shake hands with the homeowner, I.
Speaker C:Ask them to show me their house.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:So I do that too.
Speaker A:But even before that when I walk in, okay.
Speaker A:There's usually a four legged friend that meets me at the door along with them.
Speaker A:And the first thing I do is make friends with the dog.
Speaker A:Because when I make friends with a dog, I have my first step in gaining the confidence of the homeowner and says, this guy is a dog lover, he's okay.
Speaker A:And it made people laugh, but it's the truth.
Speaker A:And I think on my hand, after 30 years of doing it, I think on one hand I can only count the number of dogs that I couldn't make friends with.
Speaker A:And that's not because I didn't try.
Speaker A:So I mean that's always makes good business relations.
Speaker C:That's something I actually have not thought about.
Speaker A:Gotta think about it.
Speaker C:I'm telling you, it works.
Speaker C:Obviously everybody loves animals and the dogs, but I never thought of doing it for that reason.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And then, and the other thing too is if somebody has an animal, I gotta believe in some way, shape or form that is going to figure into some part of the design in a remodel.
Speaker A:Because some people, they may want a doggy door.
Speaker C:Well, this is a funny story.
Speaker C:This was many years ago, a little girl's room and she had a gerbil and they had me design with the fabrics for this gerbil house for her bedroom that matched her bedroom.
Speaker C:It was probably one of the craziest things.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker A:Well, okay.
Speaker A:Hey, you know, if it works for you and you've got the money for it, that's all it counts.
Speaker C:You know, priorities, everybody has different priorities.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You know, but you know, getting talking a little bit about, you know, the before time, before that, that homeowner decides to call you when somebody has an urge to be able to go and want to do a remodel.
Speaker A:You know, years and years ago people used to look in magazines and things like that and they used to tear out pictures or oh, I like this, I like that.
Speaker A:And that's what people, a lot of people do with Pinterest now, where they look and they, they save some of the stuff they look at.
Speaker A:But on the other hand too is this how many of our listeners out there have gone out and looked at pictures of homes and things like that and you think that the, the home and the area and everything else worked, but you know, the picture just didn't cut it and it didn't show the value and the elegance, we'll say, of that particular home.
Speaker A:And I gotta believe that it has to have something to do with the experience of the photographer.
Speaker A:And that brings me into introducing our second guest for today, Carmen Gazza from Gig Shots.
Speaker A:And Carmen, welcome to Boxcar Universe.
Speaker A:First time here and thank you for being here.
Speaker D:Thank you for inviting me.
Speaker D:This is wonderful.
Speaker A:Well, this is all good stuff here, you know, but tell our listeners a little bit about you and how you got started in doing your photography work.
Speaker D:Wow.
Speaker D:I was a kid living in Chicago and I was surrounded by art and architecture.
Speaker D:Beautiful architecture in Chicago.
Speaker D:There's some classic historical buildings there.
Speaker D:And I was always in awe every time I went to the city.
Speaker D:And as I became a young adult in my late teenage years, I would go downtown.
Speaker D:My friends wanted to go out.
Speaker D:I said, let's go downtown.
Speaker D:And there I would bring my little snap and shoot camera and I would take pictures of not just buildings, but sections of buildings.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker D:To make them look abstract and very geometric and artistic.
Speaker D:And that was even prior to going to art and photography school.
Speaker D:I always had my friends had a sketch pad in their hands.
Speaker D:I had a camera in my hands.
Speaker A:Let me guess.
Speaker A:It was a.
Speaker A:It was an early Kodak.
Speaker D:I. I had a Kodak.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker A:Did you ever have a Polaroid?
Speaker D:I was just gonna say sometimes there was a Polaroid.
Speaker A:All right, I like that.
Speaker D:Those weren't the types of pictures you take with a Polaroid.
Speaker D:It was just more like people, your dog or your cat, you know, it wasn't meant for a good photograph.
Speaker D:It was just a quick one.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Just one.
Speaker A:Just to hold the memory.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker A:That's it.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker D:So again, this was something I've always loved doing.
Speaker D:I maybe didn't realize it at an early age until I became a young adult.
Speaker D:And then I.
Speaker D:After.
Speaker D:After high school, I decided to go to art school and art school in downtown Chicago.
Speaker D:In the middle of all of that was amazing.
Speaker D:Was.
Speaker D:Was such a great background playground, I guess, so to speak.
Speaker D:Everywhere you look, there's art.
Speaker D:There were artists, there were art, there was music, you know, I mean, you name it, I'm into all of it.
Speaker A:That's one thing about Chicago that I learned when I moved from New York there.
Speaker A:That, yes, even though it was.
Speaker A:It was Chicago and they always like to call it second City in relationship to New York, but it does have a lot of culture and a lot of artwork and it's got a lot of history.
Speaker D:Absolutely.
Speaker A:Especially the Chicago.
Speaker A:What was it?
Speaker A:The Chicago river on St. Patrick's Day, it's green.
Speaker D:And the school where I went to school, Wright College of Design, was in the Sun Times building.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah.
Speaker D:And that was right next to the river.
Speaker D:River.
Speaker D:We used to take a two hour lunch during St. Patrick's Day, if it was during the week.
Speaker D:And our teachers were down there drinking green beer.
Speaker D:And we weren't.
Speaker D:We weren't quite 21 yet.
Speaker A:Don't tell the education department.
Speaker D:No, but they owned the school, so our teacher and his father owned the school, so it was okay.
Speaker D:They kind of did what they wanted to do, but they said, come on, kids, let's go and let's go watch the parade and let's watch them dye the river green.
Speaker D:And two guys in a rowboat every year.
Speaker D:And it remains a green every year.
Speaker A:Yes, I know.
Speaker A:I mean, it's traditional history.
Speaker D:Absolutely.
Speaker A:That's amazing.
Speaker A:That's amazing.
Speaker A:But yes, downtown Chicago does hold a lot of history, and I think it was probably a great place for you to start, you know, looking at photographing different types of architecture.
Speaker D:Yes, that's where my career began and my interest began in photography and specifically black and white architectural photography.
Speaker D:And, you know, like I said, my friends had their notepads, I had my camera.
Speaker D:We'd go out to lunch, we wouldn't even eat.
Speaker D:We were such artists, really.
Speaker D:We would just go.
Speaker D:We weren't hungry.
Speaker D:We just wanted to be creative.
Speaker A:You weren't one of the starving artists, were you?
Speaker D:No, we weren't starving.
Speaker D:If we were starving, we'd eat one of the snacks out of the vending machine, you know, or we'd go eat popcorn corn somewhere.
Speaker D:But no, we, we didn't starve.
Speaker D:We were fine.
Speaker D:We were healthy.
Speaker D:We.
Speaker D:We just ran on adrenaline and creativity and we, we would prefer to do our art than, you know, sit down and stuff our faces.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:And on that note, we're gonna go take a short break.
Speaker A:We're gonna go stuff her face and tell we're gonna be talking with Carmen a little more about the architecture of photography and how it relates to, for instance, the interior design work that Christine does as well as real estate sales, which, I mean, you know, I think when we got into the point of, you know, doing Zillow and other real estate online firms, I think the first thing when people go do look for, they want to take pictures.
Speaker A:Obvious.
Speaker A:They want to look at the pictures and see, well, do I really want to go look at this house or not?
Speaker A:And if the pictures look.
Speaker A:Look shabby or if they're not Done in the right light or the right angle, you got to pass them by.
Speaker A:You got to go on to the next listing.
Speaker A:So I want everybody to hang tight and we'll be right back.
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Speaker A: y for your free inspection at: Speaker E:Hi, I'm Erica Thompson, the dominating designer, a hard working artist with a sense of humor.
Speaker E:What is the dominating designer process?
Speaker E:It's just like what you see on tv.
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Speaker A:All right, we are back and you are listening to Boxcar Universe.
Speaker A:And, and I have to tell you, you know being, being a, a talk show host here and, and TV host, you know I, there are days where I have the, the pleasure of having two beautiful women in studio with me talking about some great topics that I like and it's all good.
Speaker A:So ladies, I really appreciate you being here here for all, for everything that you do.
Speaker C:Thanks for having us.
Speaker A:I think you add a lot to the show.
Speaker A:We appreciate it and thank you.
Speaker A:And it, I mean that, I'm not just saying that.
Speaker A:I, I really, I really mean that because you have to be appreciative of, of the things that happen in your life and I think bringing this together and talking about interior design has always been a passion of mine as well as again having, having I think pictures are one of the best advertisements that people can do in an ad in an album or online.
Speaker A:I think that's so very important and people get ideas like stuff that Carmen that you would photograph and Christine would actually create in somebody else's home, I think is important.
Speaker A:Some of the best, most expensive remodel project that I have done, I've always had a professional photographer come in at the very end and be able to photograph.
Speaker C:I always do that.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I mean, I think it's so important to be able to do that so that not only that, the homeowner has a record of it and they'd be able to keep it.
Speaker A:And obviously that would be something that would culminate a good remodel experience.
Speaker A:Because, you know, there are times where, you know, when people tell you before you get started, you know, the last couple of times I used this contractor, you know, it was not a good experience.
Speaker A:Well, you know, I take that personally because I want to turn around and I want to make this experience, the one with me, the best one that you ever had.
Speaker A:To put all those bad memories behind you and forget about them and only remember the good experience and all the people that were involved in the remodel, from the people that did the photography work to the interior designer to the subcontractors, you know, because everything that you bring into a project reflects on you, the organizer and depending on who it is.
Speaker A:And I think it leads to credibility and how honest people are and to know that you're not just in it for the check.
Speaker C:I think it's so important to have a photographer because it's a great way to document the before and the after.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker C:And it just helps your business so much.
Speaker C:So people are so like to see the before and after.
Speaker C:And that's the biggest, like, wow.
Speaker C:Event for me.
Speaker D:Exactly.
Speaker D:And then you have the photos that can bring it larger, make it larger than light, and it'll make or break the project.
Speaker D:It can.
Speaker D:And, you know, if you have an outstanding professional set of photos you have, there you go.
Speaker D:It goes in your portfolio.
Speaker D:It goes in your contractor's portfolio, everyone and your homeowners, all of that.
Speaker D:And then it's easier.
Speaker D:You have that as credibility, as Steve said.
Speaker D:And the more you have, the more.
Speaker D:The more professional you are.
Speaker D:And people aren't going to think twice about hiring you or someone like me or me and basically say, hey, we need outstanding professional photos for this project we're working on, and you come highly recommended.
Speaker D:We like your work.
Speaker D:And let's go from there.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:So, Carmen, I have a question for you.
Speaker D:Sure.
Speaker A:With people that you've done photography work, architectural photography, specifically interior work, have you ever gone and spoken to a homeowner and gone in.
Speaker A:And obviously, when you.
Speaker A:Much like Christine, when you go into a home and you do a tour to see exactly what you're gonna photograph, are there things that you make suggestions to people to, like, maybe move around to stage it better so it photographs better.
Speaker D:Absolutely.
Speaker D:I.
Speaker A:How did I know that.
Speaker D:It'S a suggestion?
Speaker D:It's not.
Speaker D:It does.
Speaker D:You know, it's not mandating it, but it's.
Speaker D:It's a professional suggest.
Speaker D:And I have a degree in art and photography.
Speaker D:I know what looks good aesthetically.
Speaker D:And, you know, I have a lot of experience with other interior designers.
Speaker D:So, yeah, I think I have a knack for what looks good and what doesn't look good in a space and, you know, to utilize.
Speaker D:The main thing is, with me, I live in a small space, so I've had to be very creative on how to use that space.
Speaker D:I have a lot of big furniture that I have had throughout the years that I've acquired.
Speaker D:And putting that into a small space, you have to become creative on how you use it.
Speaker D:And I think I have that solution where I live.
Speaker A:And I have to believe, for instance, in photographing small areas, like, for instance, if you were gonna photograph a container home.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker A:That you would not only have to have certain angles, but you would also have to have certain lenses to give the illusion that it was bigger.
Speaker D:I have a full set of lenses.
Speaker D:I've been shooting for 36 years.
Speaker D:So, yeah, I have two cameras.
Speaker D:I have five lenses.
Speaker D:Yeah, no, it depends on the project.
Speaker D:There's ways of making things look better, I'll just say, than they do in person.
Speaker D:And.
Speaker D:And that's about selling.
Speaker D:That's how you sell a place, and that's how you make it better.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, I agree.
Speaker A:I mean, these are things that are important that people need to see.
Speaker A: ds that are going out here in: Speaker A:Christine?
Speaker C:Well, right now, which is really big is the lighter color wood.
Speaker C:Seeing a lot of that back, we used to have, like, the dark espresso wood floors, and now that's kind of gone out, and we've gone back to the real light, natural colored wood floors, and we're bringing that into kitchens as well.
Speaker C:Not doing the whole thing in wood, but part of it, whether it be the island or the upper cabinets, and then maybe pairing it with a colored cabinet or a beige.
Speaker C:Beige cabinet is really big.
Speaker C:Beige.
Speaker C:And the lighter wood combination.
Speaker C:And like I said before, texture is so, so very important.
Speaker C:So you would bring that in probably with some kind of tile as a backsplash, or even your hood above your stove, and maybe make do a plaster hood on top.
Speaker C:Of it to bring another texture into the room.
Speaker A:Exactly.
Speaker A:You know, we did something like that, that in the very first TV remodel show that I did Fine Wine and design, where we had the hood and we built hand built a funnel on top of it and then textured it to blend in with the surrounding wall colors and textures, as well as the countertop and the tile backsplash.
Speaker A:And then it had a little bit of applique design in the middle of it to just give it to make it pop, you know, so it didn't look like something straight, like off the wall.
Speaker A:And I think again that putting designs like that of any kind on walls in it, besides whatever pictures you might put up, just gives it a little extra touch and says something about it.
Speaker A:Because I think your home always should reflect the personality of the owner.
Speaker A:Always.
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker C:And that's my job.
Speaker C:My job is to bring your personality into your home.
Speaker C:This is your home.
Speaker C:It's not my home.
Speaker C:It's not the way I want to live.
Speaker C:It's the way you want to live.
Speaker C:And this is the things that you like and love.
Speaker C:And that is my job to bring that to you.
Speaker A:Yeah, I mean, it's so very important because, you know, I think going back several years ago, probably in.
Speaker A:Oh God, probably just before the crash in 08, when, you know, when people were getting loans and it was just money was just flying out the door and doing stuff, people were buying homes.
Speaker A:They weren't living in it.
Speaker A:They were just buying and flipping homes and doing certain things.
Speaker A:And there was no character, we'll call it in the homes.
Speaker A:They may as well just gone to Motel 6.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:My goal is to always make something special and original of your home and bring in something that you wouldn't expect but you love.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I mean that this is.
Speaker A:This is what, excuse me.
Speaker A:This is what makes it.
Speaker A:Makes it special.
Speaker A:And when people, you have family and friends over, you want to.
Speaker A:You want to have something special there to show them that it's yours or something that, you know, like I always say, it doesn't make a difference, in my opinion, that if you had the skills to do it yourself, if you did a repair or remodel, or if you had somebody do it for you and it came out, you know, perfect, the bottom line is you paid for it.
Speaker A:Either way, it's yours.
Speaker A:So why would you take the chance of screwing it up if you didn't have the skills?
Speaker A:Pay the professional, get it done in a timely, efficient manner and call it yours and call at the end of the day.
Speaker A:And then obviously when they do something like that and the neighbor or the family member comes over and it's like, who designed that for you?
Speaker A:And I was, oh, Christine Archer came by and designed that for me.
Speaker A:And I'm like, do you have her phone number?
Speaker A:I want to call her.
Speaker C:That's my biggest way of getting business.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah.
Speaker A:Is referrals, personal referrals.
Speaker C:And the way I get the referrals is one friend sees a job that I've done and then another friend and it just, I do their house and it just.
Speaker C:Just kind of snowballs that way.
Speaker D:That's the same for my business.
Speaker D:Yeah, it's the referrals.
Speaker D:It's the people you've done great work for.
Speaker D:Yeah, love that.
Speaker A:And I gotta believe, Carmen, that, for instance, there are many, many realtors.
Speaker A:They go, Lord knows, the Phoenix area, Maricopa County.
Speaker A:Has I even lost count?
Speaker A:Somebody told me how many realtors we have in this area.
Speaker A:And there are so many.
Speaker A:And when people need to get, get their, their home shot to put up for sale, like on, like I said earlier, like on Zillow or, or, or any of the other real estate websites, that they have to look good.
Speaker A:I mean, I know I took pictures with a custom home that I built and when I first got it and I took pictures of myself, you know, with a digital camera, which is fine, but, you know, when I went, when I went to sell it, but I had the professional photographer come in and the angles that they took and you could see, you could see the difference between what you could take on your phone versus what the professional.
Speaker A:There's no comparison.
Speaker D:No comparison.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:So and it's again, it's all about how you present the home.
Speaker A:Yes, yes, absolutely.
Speaker D:And hire the right people from the very beginning.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker D:Spend a little bit more money because at the end you're going to make more money.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Don't always look.
Speaker A:Yeah, you never.
Speaker A:When you're spending that kind of money, it pays.
Speaker A:Don't be cheap.
Speaker D:Off the subject.
Speaker D:Just slightly, a little bit here.
Speaker D:I was asked to photograph a wedding many years ago, and I really don't photograph weddings.
Speaker D:I have.
Speaker D:It's not something that I like.
Speaker D:I enjoy doing.
Speaker D:It's not.
Speaker D:I'll leave it to the wedding photographers to do it.
Speaker D:Maybe I don't have enough patience for it.
Speaker D:There's a lot that goes into a wedding.
Speaker D:But as a friend, I was friends with both of them.
Speaker D:I said yes.
Speaker D:I said, why not?
Speaker D:Sure, I'd love to.
Speaker D:I was honored to be asked.
Speaker D:And it Came down to.
Speaker D:Unfortunately, I don't know if they had an idea of.
Speaker D:Even though they both had been married before, I don't know if they had a value on this second or third marriage of theirs because they didn't want to spend.
Speaker D:And, you know, I mean.
Speaker D:And I was pretty competitively priced.
Speaker D:I know that.
Speaker D:But on the lower end.
Speaker D:And they ended up hiring a relative that was just out of college to.
Speaker A:Shoot the dreaded family member.
Speaker A:I can do it.
Speaker D:To shoot their wedding.
Speaker D:And they didn't even have a professional camera.
Speaker D:And I mean, I just thought, hey, you're gonna look back at.
Speaker D:You're gonna.
Speaker D:First of all, I said, you're gonna want to look back at this and say this day and look at these beautiful pictures and the moments that they.
Speaker D:You're, you know, you were photographed.
Speaker D:Because that's the special times.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker D:Anyone can take a picture of you cutting your cake.
Speaker D:Anybody.
Speaker D:But it's how it's done.
Speaker D:It's at the other moments when they're looking for that special time.
Speaker D:The other professionals, non professionals, don't think of that because they don't know.
Speaker D:They don't know to do that.
Speaker D:It's just like, let me get these standard pictures again.
Speaker D:Anybody can do that.
Speaker D:Your guests are going to be taking pictures of you with their phones.
Speaker D:Let them send those to you, but hire the photographer to shoot all of the other special moments that are gonna take place and those pictures as well, that you're gonna want.
Speaker D:But.
Speaker C:But.
Speaker D:I was flabbergasted, actually, when that happened.
Speaker D:I mean, there were friends, and I just thought, wow, okay, I'm going to tell you, and this isn't why it happened, but three months later, they got divorced.
Speaker A:Oh, my God.
Speaker A:That must have been an omen.
Speaker A:Well, it's good.
Speaker D:Hope they're not listening.
Speaker D:No, I didn't mention their names, but, you know, it's just.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:Maybe they weren't sure about things.
Speaker A:Maybe they were still arguing about.
Speaker A:Why didn't you get the professional photographer to come in here and shoot these?
Speaker D:Oh, yeah, that's it.
Speaker D:That's what broke them up.
Speaker A:I guess that's what did it.
Speaker A:That's what did it.
Speaker A:All right, we're going to take a short break.
Speaker A:When we come back more, we're going to talk a little more about designing and interior design in tiny and smaller spaces, like container homes and some of the things that you need to do.
Speaker A:And, you know, people are out there and.
Speaker A:And, you know, the.
Speaker A:The big craze now is adus and casitas and all that.
Speaker A:Kind of good stuff.
Speaker A:And you know, there, just because you're smaller spaces doesn't mean that you, you know, can't, you know, plan and have special things in your own because you have a smaller space and the design is so very important because time, I should say, space is so small, but you want to make it so that it's usable.
Speaker A:And these are things that you need to take into account.
Speaker A:We get into that when we wrap up the show right after our next break.
Speaker A:So don't go away.
Speaker A:You're listening to Boxcar Universe.
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Speaker F:When a circuit breaker trips or a fuse blows, it's indicating that you have a problem with some other part of the circuit.
Speaker F:If your breaker trips more than once, you should have a qualified electrician come out and take a look at it.
Speaker F:Contrary to what may be acceptable, you really shouldn't try to continuously try to reset the breaker because there may be a problem somewhere else down the circuit and you could be causing a fire hazard.
Speaker F:There could be a loose connection or some other form of problem on the circuit and every time you reset the circuit breaker, it could be causing a spark at the other end.
Speaker F:We recommend having a qualified electrician come out and check on the condition of the circuit and make sure that the circuit does not have any problems and it could just be a bad breaker also.
Speaker F:But you definitely want to have a qualified electrician check that out.
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Speaker A:All right, we are back and you're listening to Boxcar Universe and we are here with Carmen Garza from Gig Shots and Christine Archer from Christine Archer.
Speaker A:Interiors and we are talking interior design and architectural photography today.
Speaker A:And maybe with a little sidebars of weddings maybe.
Speaker A:But yeah, no, that was a, that was a, that was a funny story really.
Speaker A:But I mean you just, you just never know.
Speaker A:But you know, again people, it goes back to the point of like, take your time to basically think about how you want whatever you're doing to appear, you know, and from the photography end, if you're doing photos of the property or into what you're doing and you know, listening about, well, is it a big space, is it a small space and what do I really want to get out of it?
Speaker A:But thinking about small spaces, like we had mentioned before, container homes and adus in any kind of casita that might be traditionally built out of wood is something that needs, again, needs design because you know, you could have a 300, 500, 750 or maybe a 950 square foot casita or you could have a container, a small 20 foot container and concede it back and putting on your property.
Speaker A:But you know, what do you want to have it?
Speaker A:Do you want to have just a kitchenette or in a one bedroom?
Speaker A:How many people is it going to be for?
Speaker A:I mean all these things need to be considered.
Speaker A:How would you go about putting together a design for something small like that?
Speaker A:Christine?
Speaker C:Well, first of all, it's all about what their needs are.
Speaker C:How many people are going to be in this small space?
Speaker C:That's like the number one question.
Speaker C:Are they going to be in there watching tv?
Speaker C:Are they going to eat?
Speaker C:Are they going to entertain in this space?
Speaker C:So those are the first questions that I would ask and then I would, whenever the answers are, say that they wanted to have room for kids to sleep over when they were grandkids.
Speaker C:Maybe we get a pull out sofa that's very comfortable, but that we have a space for the kids when they come visit.
Speaker C:Maybe we have a table that flips up onto the wall that you can bring down and put chairs around and have a dining experience or make it a work surface and a dining experience.
Speaker C:So those are just a few ideas of what to do with a small space.
Speaker C:A lot of times people, even if they have bigger spaces, I say let's start in one room and do it correctly and then once that room's done, you can go on to the next room to work on.
Speaker C:But doing the one room correctly is more important than trying to do everything at once.
Speaker C:So that's what I would recommend.
Speaker A:Yeah, I mean, I know some of the smaller units, like one of the ones that I had looked at in one of the customers that I have is actually interested in doing.
Speaker A:Now, you may not think this is big, but this is a small adu for the back of their property for when their relative comes down is 255 square feet.
Speaker A:And basically it's an.
Speaker A:It has to be an open floor plan because it's like one big studio.
Speaker A:That's basically what it is.
Speaker A:And in designing that, you have to understand because in there you're going to have.
Speaker A:You have a.
Speaker A:You could have a bed, you're going to have a small kitchenette, you've got to have a shower to be able to bathroom.
Speaker A:So all of that has to be there in one place.
Speaker A:All that has to be designed properly.
Speaker A:And also, again, depending on what you put in, the casita is also going to depend on something that you have to check out with the municipality that you live in to see.
Speaker A:Make sure that whatever you're going to put in there is going to be allowed in an accessory dwelling unit or a secondary living space on your property.
Speaker A:And those things we could definitely help you with too is we're giving all that information and doing that, we'll call it the frontal work, to find out exactly what you want to build and what you want to have there.
Speaker A:Is it feasible?
Speaker A:Is it going to work?
Speaker A:Is the city going to approve it?
Speaker A:And then obviously, how long is it going to take?
Speaker A:You know, one of the things that I saw at the recent home show here in Phoenix was talking about small things was Murphy beds.
Speaker A:And that's another way if somebody has something that you have a Murphy bed in the room, which when it's up, it's not going to take a whole lot of room.
Speaker A:But you know, when it's time to go to sleep, you could just bring it down and everything should be fine.
Speaker C:Yeah, I've seen people with Murphy beds and then have a desk that's part of the Murphy bed and then you just pull it out and then now you've got a guest room or a bed for yourself to sleep in.
Speaker A:And there are.
Speaker A:There are companies out there in the country that specialize in types of furniture for tiny homes and container homes and stuff like that.
Speaker A:So that this way you could put it all together again.
Speaker A:Though the help of an interior designer would be.
Speaker A:Would be ideal for that because scale.
Speaker C:Is so important in a room.
Speaker C:And that's what a lot of people have trouble with, is finding the right scale for the right room.
Speaker C:And especially if you're in a tiny room or a tiny house, then you really need an interior designer to help you with that.
Speaker A:Sure, sure.
Speaker A:Carmen, how hard is it to photograph a smaller home or a tiny home like that versus a big home?
Speaker D:It's a challenge.
Speaker D:Let's just say it's not impossible.
Speaker D:But again, as you mentioned before, you have to have a plethora of lenses.
Speaker D:And not only that, you have to know how to use them.
Speaker A:That's true.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Just to have them.
Speaker A:Does it count?
Speaker A:Well, I got all these lenses.
Speaker A:No, but again, you're paying when you come in to do work for somebody, you're not only paying to have it done, you're paying because the person that you hired, you're paying for their experience.
Speaker D:Absolutely.
Speaker A:I mean, without it, you know, I mean, it's just like a contractor.
Speaker A:You know, I always say, you know, don't have your landscaper do your roof because he doesn't have the skills to do it.
Speaker D:And don't have your roofer do your landscaping.
Speaker A:Exactly.
Speaker D:But so on that note, no, it's.
Speaker D:Don't have your teen, you know, your cousin that's not a photographer.
Speaker D:Do your photos professionally for a wedding.
Speaker D:Well, for anything.
Speaker D:Okay.
Speaker D:For anything that's important to you.
Speaker D:But as far as to answer your question, more, more specifically, Steve, I think it's all in the angle.
Speaker D:It's all in how much of it you're going to include in the photo.
Speaker D:It's in lighting it as well.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Again, lighting's so important.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker A:You know, in the way you photograph, but then also in the interior design of a small home.
Speaker A:What kind of lighting do you want?
Speaker A:I mean, do you want to have directional lighting or do you want to have different types of LED lights?
Speaker A:And again, positioning, like we were talking about earlier, positioning of the lighting in the home is going to be very important.
Speaker A:And again, some people may not believe this, but you're right.
Speaker A:It affects your balance of yourself.
Speaker D:And lighting in a photograph is also affecting.
Speaker D:It's important.
Speaker D:It can make a photograph not look as good if it's off, or it can make it look spot on if it's perfect.
Speaker D:And it is.
Speaker D:The types of lighting, too.
Speaker D:I'm glad fluorescent lighting is not used as often.
Speaker C:Hallelujah.
Speaker D:I never liked.
Speaker D:I don't even like fluorescent lighting.
Speaker D:Steve.
Speaker D:He knows that the one thing that.
Speaker A:Used to drive me crazy when it first came out were those squirrely halogen lights.
Speaker A:They.
Speaker A:Oh, that.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker A:They go in a regular socket and.
Speaker D:They get really hot.
Speaker D:Oh, yeah, they're really hot.
Speaker A:And then, you know, they had all these kind of.
Speaker A:Well, you can't throw it away because it's.
Speaker A:It's hazardous.
Speaker A:If it breaks, you better make sure you've got eye protection.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker A:And I thank God they've gone.
Speaker A:And, you know, now we've got LEDs which last like forever.
Speaker D:30 years.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's like forever, so.
Speaker D:And it's a good, clean white light.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker D:And actually, I think that's really nice for photographing, but they do.
Speaker D:I don't have to use my lighting.
Speaker D:You can use the existing lighting within a house, which I think is important because people want to see what is this house going to look like when I'm living in it.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker D:Not when a photographer is using their lighting.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:And you have to.
Speaker A:Have to think about this, too.
Speaker A:I got to imagine, Christine, that if somebody's going to do an interior remodel and they have certain lighting that's in the house.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:A lot of this stuff, you know, if you go out somewhere, they take samples and you want to see how the samples look in your lighting.
Speaker A:And if you don't want it, if you don't like your lighting, then maybe getting the lighting changed the way you want it before you start doing the remodel might be the way to go so that you could see all this great new stuff that you're.
Speaker A:That you're planning for.
Speaker A:Because it'll.
Speaker A:I'm sure it's going to look different in.
Speaker A:In a cool white light or a soft, you know, a soft white light.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:So it's.
Speaker A:It's, you know, and, and.
Speaker A:And then you have to take into account, too, though, not just the lighting that we can create through different types of bulbs, but also the lighting that's in the house coming through the window.
Speaker D:Ambient lighting.
Speaker A:The ambient lighting.
Speaker A:That's absolutely true.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker A:So there's a.
Speaker A:There's a lot there.
Speaker A:There's a lot there to consider.
Speaker A:But.
Speaker D:And the lava lamp in the corner.
Speaker D:Oh, the lava or the squid lamp.
Speaker A:Well, that might.
Speaker A:Well, that's just something that's decorative, you know.
Speaker D:I'm kidding.
Speaker A:There's some out there still.
Speaker C:Lord help me.
Speaker A:Well, see, that's another thing of psych.
Speaker A:I don't have one psychologically.
Speaker D:Everyone in this room has one.
Speaker A:The psychological.
Speaker A:Psychologically, you have to think about that because you have to turn around and say, well, how do I tactfully tell this homeowner that his lava light is not going to work in my new design?
Speaker D:It's a squid lamp.
Speaker A:Well, one's a squid lamp.
Speaker A:And now the old lava light, where it used to float up and down.
Speaker D:You know, Christy's shaking her head no, don't do it.
Speaker D:I agree.
Speaker A:Come on.
Speaker A:All right, all right.
Speaker A:Who wants to fester?
Speaker A:Who had a lava light back in the day?
Speaker C:I never did.
Speaker D:Not me.
Speaker C:Never.
Speaker D:Nope.
Speaker A:I had one back when I lived it.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:See that?
Speaker A:I had one when I lived back in New York back in the day.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Really?
Speaker A:I mean, that was.
Speaker A:That was the thing.
Speaker D:Yeah, but go get lava wise back then.
Speaker A:Back then, you know, but, you know, and I still see a couple floating around in some people's older homes, you know, with the old wood case design, you know, books in the shelf.
Speaker A:And then what do I see in the corner?
Speaker A:There's a lava light over there.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:One of my friends has one still.
Speaker D:Yeah, it barely works, but he's.
Speaker D:He won't throw it away.
Speaker A:It's history.
Speaker A:It's history.
Speaker D:I think so.
Speaker A:Kid yourself.
Speaker D:I don't know.
Speaker A:I used to have.
Speaker A:I don't have it anymore, but I used to have the very first Polaroid.
Speaker A:Talking about cameras.
Speaker A:Very first Polaroid that came out my dad bought years and years ago.
Speaker D:The white one.
Speaker A:The white one.
Speaker A:The black and white ones.
Speaker A:I had that one where you used to turn around.
Speaker A:You have to use the stick and smear the stick over the picture to get it developed.
Speaker D:No, I didn't have that.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah, he had that one, and then he had the other one.
Speaker A:The next grade up is when they.
Speaker A:It still shot black and white, but it did it on its own.
Speaker A:You didn't have to, you know, smear it with that stick to help it develop.
Speaker A:It developed on its own.
Speaker D:That stuff is.
Speaker D:It's a chemical.
Speaker A:It was icky.
Speaker D:You don't want to get it on your skin.
Speaker A:It was icky.
Speaker A:You know, but there were a lot.
Speaker D:Of things back then that we probably would never pass through the FDA today.
Speaker A:Yeah, you know, what can I say?
Speaker D:Anyway, but that's another show.
Speaker A:That's another show.
Speaker A:All right, ladies, tell our listeners how they can contact you.
Speaker A:Christine, how can our listeners reach you?
Speaker C: -: Speaker A:That's great.
Speaker A:And, Carmen, how can our listeners contact you at gigshots?
Speaker D:So the best way to reach me is through my website.
Speaker D:It has all my information there, including my phone number, but basically, it's Gigshots.
Speaker D:It's G I G S H O T S.netnot.com.
Speaker D:please don't go to dot com.
Speaker D:It's dot net.
Speaker D: -: Speaker A:All right, ladies, thanks so much for being here today.
Speaker A: e road as we progress here in: Speaker A:Because, I mean, hard to believe where the first six months of this year goes, but we're working our way towards the end of the year now.
Speaker A:We're in July here.
Speaker A:We get through this hot season.
Speaker A:And I think.
Speaker A:Christine, before we wrap everything up, would you agree that people are more interested in taking a look at doing their remodels when they get past this heat spell?
Speaker C:Well, definitely, because more people are in town once they get past the heat.
Speaker A:Spell they're coming back from.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:All of all the people that you're going to go up and see in Seattle, they live here, right?
Speaker C:Well, half of them do, actually, which is just kind of never expected to happen.
Speaker C:But honestly, one of the remodels I'm doing right now in Seattle is one of my neighbors that I met, and we ended up when I lived in Seattle, living 18 minutes apart.
Speaker C:Never knew each other, and now I'm getting their house ready to sell.
Speaker A:Well, there you go.
Speaker D:That's great.
Speaker A:You just never know.
Speaker A:But thanks for all our listeners for listening to Boxcar Universe.
Speaker A:Remember, we are your source for cutting edge information on remodeling container homes and container pools.
Speaker A:So if you are interested in any of those and want to build that, let us help you build your dream container from design to whatever outdoor exterior that you would like.
Speaker A:And we can make it that you live in a sustainable lifestyle, which is one of the things that we talk about here.
Speaker A:And please don't forget when you think about that, we can also help provide you solar so that you can really save some money and stop paying the utility companies for all that, for all that power.
Speaker A:And just basically, like I said, like to say, flushing your money down into that black hole, let the solar, let the sun.
Speaker A:It's free.
Speaker A:It could work for you.
Speaker A:And let's put solar on your home.
Speaker A:But you could contact me at any time.
Speaker A:You can email me at steveoxcaruniverse.com and Boxcar Universe can be heard on any podcast player.
Speaker A:And always remember, let us remodel and renovate your world.
Speaker A:We'll see you next week.
Speaker A:You're a great American.
Speaker F:I love you.
Speaker B:It.
