An interior stylist has lifted the lid on the reality behind her picture-perfect photos of her house, and revealed how to use budget items to add value to your property.
Photographer Sarah Dheays, 37, has amassed 10,700 followers for sharing snaps of her stunningly-decorated family home in Perth, Western Australia.
And while the majority of Instagrammers seem to want their followers to believe they lead the perfect life, the mother-of-two, who posts under @coastalbysarah, revealed what really goes on behind her carefully-curated Instagram grid.
Instagram vs reality: An interior stylist has lifted the lid on the reality behind her picture-perfect snaps of her house – and it’s not always as they seem
Photographer Sarah Dheays has amassed 10,700 followers for sharing snaps of her stunningly-decorated family home in Perth. But on closer inspection, there’s dirty dishes in the sink and the pots and pans she used for cooking are hiding on the floor behind the kitchen bench
While the majority of Instagrammers seem to want their followers to believe they lead the perfect life, the mother-of-two revealed what really goes on behind the camera (pictured with her husband, son, aged seven, and 11-year-old daughter)
‘Quite a lot happens behind the scenes… my home isn’t always clean,’ Ms Dheays told Daily Mail Australia.
‘There’s lots of clutter, piles of laundry that has been waiting to be folded and put away for days and pots and pans from prepping dinner all moved out of kitchen shots.
‘As soon as my kids are home from school, there’s socks on the floor, lunchboxes left in the garage and my son actually puts his dirty clothes under the bed because he thinks I won’t see them. After their bath, there’s soap everywhere, toothpaste on walls, wet towels on the bathroom floor three feet away from the laundry basket and the garage has become a dumping ground of unwanted items.
‘It’s not always as ‘pretty’ as every one seems to think.’
Ms Dheays also has a beautifully set up living area but no one is allowed to go near.
‘There’s quite a lot of effort that goes into photographing the perfect picture. For instance, I have a guest room which most of my styling happens for products. No one goes into that room, that’s where I put all my props and stools and equipment,’ she said.
‘My living area is strictly a no-kid zone, and I barely sit in there myself. No one sits on the stools either, they are completely there for show, and most of my coffee table books have the laminated covers still on them.’
Ms Dheays also has a beautifully set up living area but no one is allowed to go near. She uses this styling space to take carefully-curated snaps of products
What her son’s bedroom looks like on Instagram vs reality: The mother said she also shows her followers the reality of how her home looks on Instagram stories
The most popular photograph on her feed: Ms Dheays’ super-organised kitchen pantry
The photographer has amassed 10,700 followers for sharing snaps of her stunningly-decorated family home in Perth
And while her followers only get to see her pristine white kitchen, Ms Dheays admitted she’s hidden all the mess before capturing the shots.
‘My kitchen doesn’t look this clean everyday,’ she said.
‘What you don’t see are the pots and pans that I already cooked with, hidden on the floor behind the kitchen bench, as well as the piles of dishes in the sink and the clutter I moved away in order to take the perfect photo.’
Her favourite go-to products for styling her home are 3M hooks and Blu Tack.
‘I use a lot of 3M hooks and lots of Blue Tack is involved – it’s just so much easier to use when styling,’ she said.
‘I also use fairy lights from Kmart for my flat lay pictures and photo shoots love them as they give a cosy look to all my photos.’
While the majority of Instagrammers seem to want their followers to believe they lead the perfect life, the mother-of-two said her family home isn’t always clean like her Instagram feed
The home stylist sharing her perfectly organised fridge – as she admitted putting cabbage in the ‘condiments’ tray because it ‘looked so pretty in the shot’
While Ms Dheays takes stunning snaps of her home, she said in reality, there’s ‘piles of laundry that has been waiting to be folded and put away for days’
After her children’s bath, there’s ‘soap everywhere, toothpaste on walls and wet towels on the bathroom floor three feet away from the laundry basket’ – but her followers don’t see that on her feed
If you’re looking to style or decorate your home on a budget, Ms Dheays said: ‘Always think minimalism, less is more.
‘Use 3M hooks and 3M tape on walls because they are easy to use and remove without damaging the walls, bright rugs for the living area adds great personality to your home and plants are great and inexpensive,’ she said.
‘Ikea has affordable cabinets and shelving too, organise your linen closet in baskets, pantry items labelled, that way it’s easy to find everything.
‘Have fun when styling and decorating your home, it shouldn’t feel like a chore, your home is your sanctuary.’