When you flip through a magazine like Architectural Digest, interior design sparks your imagination in two ways: you either picture yourself living in those spaces or wonder who might actually live there. While the magazine showcases a wide variety of styles, they all share one essential trait: each environment is carefully crafted to tell a story, evoke a mood, or stir a specific emotion. And when the setting—a living room or a bedroom—belongs to a celebrity, imagining their everyday life in that space becomes even more compelling. Although decorating a home might seem straightforward, editorial interior design reveals the meticulous planning and intentionality behind every detail.
What is Editorial Interior Design?
Interior design is the art of beautifying a space while ensuring it remains functional and ergonomic. It’s not just about decorating with a trendy cushion or following Pantone’s colors of the year. It’s an exercise in creativity. In the editorial context, it goes a step further—it’s about creating a shared visual experience.
“The goal is to showcase homes or styled vignettes that reflect a lifestyle and offer decorative inspiration—usually aspirational—while also highlighting trends and styles readers can relate to,” explains stylist, set designer, art director, and interior designer Pete Bermejo, an AD Design Award winner and instructor at Vogue College of Fashion.
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How is a Set Prepared for an Editorial Styling Shoot—From Concept to Final Photo?
“The first step is to establish an idea or concept,” says Bermejo. From there, it’s essential to source retailers and sponsors, as well as the furniture and objects “that help us visually convey that concept through imagery.”
“Once the decorative elements are selected, we build the various scenes on a photography set or at a chosen location,” the expert explains.
Outdoor Shooting of the AD Diploma in Interior Styling
The concept might come from the interior designer, a brand, or the magazine itself—often influenced by the season or current trends. Before the shoot, weeks of production work go into planning. Bermejo describes it as a delicate process: finding the right furniture, choosing the location, and shaping the mood board.
“There’s really no trick to it—or at least that’s what I think,” he admits.
“The key is organization: knowing exactly which decorative elements you’re using and placing them strategically in each shot to create a lived-in style or feeling.”
What’s the Difference Between a Real Home and the Idealized Spaces We See in Magazines?
Behind every interior photo lies a complex universe of decisions. The homes featured in magazines rarely represent how we live day-to-day. Instead, they’re idealized versions, carefully constructed to tell a specific visual story. But sometimes, the magic is real.
“Usually, during a photo shoot, the goal is to ‘enhance’ the different spaces in a home by adding objects or furniture that complement it aesthetically,” Bermejo explains. “It’s about making it more visually appealing.”
“Many times, the house already has everything needed for a great photo session. You just need to know how to arrange those elements so they look their best on camera. Typically, we ‘touch up’ the space—bringing in a few extra decorative pieces—to create a more photogenic result.”
Once the photos are taken, they’re paired with text that illustrates the story or concept being conveyed. These features may also include interviews with the designer of a standout piece, an expert on the featured style, or the resident of the space.
How Do You Learn Editorial Interior Design?
Like any craft—through practice, repetition, and experience. While much can be learned on the job, formal training can accelerate the process. The Vogue College of Fashion offers specialized programs in interior design and spatial styling.
One option is the AD Online Interior Design Course, ideal for remote study alongside other commitments. For a more immersive experience, there’s the in-person AD Interior Styling Diploma. Both run for three months and are led by industry experts, including Bermejo. The advantage of the in-person diploma is its hands-on workshops. “They include styling vignettes on set and photographing real homes just as you would for a design magazine,” he says of his favorite sessions.
