Nate Sheets Photographs A Soft Lit Contemporary Home in Middle America
Today’s project of the week takes us to a little ‘ole state that we don’t hear from too often — Kansas. We’ll be checking out this lovely house in Spring Hill, right outside of Kansas City, Kansas. It was photographed by Kansas City, Missouri based Architectural photographer Nate Sheets. I love bringing this up, strictly to show how confusing America can be, and have been dying to make a “we’re not in Kansas anymore” joke. Anyhow, this is a truly lovely project chock full of leading lines, soft sweeping light, and neutral colors. Nate’s photographic style compliments this home perfectly, and I can’t wait to show you guys!
Nate photographed this house for Laura McCroskey with McCroskey Interiors and mentioned that Carthage Stoneworks who installed the countertops and marble, as well as the builder, Cornelius Homes, joined in on the shoot. This is a great testament and reminder that cost-sharing is beneficial to all parties involved, and it should be something you’re offering! I digress (again).
“This was a really fun project to shoot,” Nate starts. “It took me a day and a half to shoot. We were lucky to get amazing soft light all day [because of the snow], which I’m a sucker for.”
He also mentioned that the kitchen needed a bit of extra “punch” so he supplemented the soft snow-day light with strobes. Nate blends it in masterfully, and there is not a trace of that flashy feeling — instead, these shots of the kitchen feel perfectly balanced and sublime.
This next set is a juxtaposing view of the connection between the kitchen and living area. Nate shows us the flow between these two spaces by giving our eyes a passageway to “walk” through the scene, but provides little anchors like the chair (left image) and island and cooktop (right image) to essentially remind us where we are.
Nate’s simple vignettes translate the contiguous details like the colors, texture, and lovely light that make this project outstanding.
“I used a decent amount of scrims to shape light and supplemental lighting when needed,” Nate shares. He explained that with the soft light pouring in from outside, the living room photographs were made entirely with ambient light that was molded and harnessed to perfection.
Nate goes on to say, “What I loved most about this project was the leading lines. It set up for strong one-points, especially in the vertical shots. I also tried to frame the casing to create depth and add a bit of interest in compositions.” He did a stellar job, and the repetition in the lines created by the casing, the beams running across the ceiling, and the varying edges of the walls, frames, builtins, and mantle, create a nice rhythm and a strong geometric feel.
There is a quietness about Nate’s images that I adore. He gives us a great sense of place, and the scenes he crafts — like this one — make it feel as if we just happened upon this moment. His use of a model shows us the massive scale of the room and its gorgeous windows while contributing to the serene and thoughtful ambiance of this photograph.
The balance in exposure and careful attention to color-casts is something I really appreciate about Nate’s work. His images feel tidy and clean, but there is enough subtle color here and there to make it feel true to life and not overly sterile. The subtle gradient of shadows lends depth and interest.
Now we’re in for a fun treat. Nate takes us to the tack room which has the same gorgeous wood and warm contemporary design that is sported by the rest of the house. I love his perspective and how we are able to see out into the stables, as well as the rhythm created by the railing and echoed by the bridles on the wall.
“I was really excited when I found out I get to work with a horse,” says Nate. “I’m a big Anjie Blair fan so I got to pretend to be on her level for a brief moment,” he laughs. Well done Nate, this is such a lovely project, and I’m sure Anjie would agree 🙂
A massive Thanks to Nate for writing in and sending us this beaut! All of his work is equally as gorgeous, so head over to Nate’s website natesheetsphoto.com and give him a follow on Instagram @natesheetsphoto for more quality inspiration!
If you have a project you’d like to be considered for Project of the Week, you can submit it here.
