‘Whoa! Awwwww!!’.
Nicole England’s first book, Resident Dog, has been doing the rounds at our office, and that’s been the unanimous response, from interior aficionados and dog-lovers alike.
The Melbourne-based photographer has put her own unique spin on the architecture-and-interiors coffee table book, centering this beautiful hardcover not on human owners of 25 extraordinary homes, but their canine pals!
‘We see how the presence of a dog brings warmth and life to the most dramatic spaces – from mid-century raw brick to a penthouse apartment, gracious Edwardian to Scandinavian modern, from beach house to country retreat, there is always room for a dog or two,’ tells Nicole, who has been published in magazines worldwide, including Architectural Digest, Elle Décor and Wallpaper.
What’s so captivating about this book is how the dogs’ personalities shine through in each home captured. Then there are the captions detailing dog-directed design choices – you won’t be able to stop swooning AND smiling!
What inspired this unique project?
Just over one year ago, a friend/mentor asked me to describe my dream day photographing. My story included incredible architecture and interiors set on the edge of a forest and in front of the ocean, the sky was blue with milky white clouds, there was a great crew of people to work with – stylists, designers and the like – and, of course, a dog! ‘What’s with the dog she asked?’
The answer, dogs make me laugh and they bring a beautiful energy to a shoot. They soften the mood and help us connect, not only with each other but the environment that we are in.
So, you’re very much a dog-lover?
Definitely, I have always loved dogs – what’s not to love about a real, live teddy bear! We have a part-time dog that comes over with my partner’s children; Bella is the sweetest, kindest, cutest little furball, and we all adore her.
As an accomplished architecture and interiors photographer, what has been the biggest challenge photographing pooches in such spectacular homes?
I think the biggest challenge and what I love most about this project are so very closely connected: it’s the randomness of dogs that make photographing them frustrating and hilarious all at the same time.
Each shot is set up to capture the architecture in its best light, this can take up to 20 minutes. But on many occasions, by that stage, the resident dog would move on to another patch of sun, or would chase a bird, try and lick my face, steal my sock… or anything else not conducive to taking that particular image.
The shoots have not been easy, but they are the most fun architectural shoots you could ever go on.
We can imagine! If this is as good as it gets, what will you be doing next?
I will definitely be carrying on this project. I am putting together a website where I will continue to share more resident dogs and their incredible homes, including regular stories, behind the scenes imagery, a shop, and more. There will also be another book, that’s for sure!
Resident Dog: Incredible Homes and the Dogs that Live There’ by Nicole England, RRP $75, is published by Thames & Hudson. Available in November, it is currently available for pre-order here.
