Summer is fast approaching – even if it’s still a little chilly here in London. But while scorching summer days are feeling ever elusive, it’s super easy to bring a sense of Southern European coastal elegance into your home. Laid-back and timeless, Mediterranean-inspired interior design can create a touch of elegance and charm in any home. It’s been a popular interior design style for decades, and for good reason.

Our favourite locations taken on so far this year

In our fifth edition of the classic spot the difference, we bring you Spratts Factory. As always, it’s all a bit of fun, but if you can find all ten differences, you could get a half-price booking fee on your next shoot in August! Top tip – most of them are pretty obvious…

Giving your home an update or refresh can be a daunting thought, let alone task, especially when you have a limited budget and even less time. However, breathing new life into your home doesn’t have to break the bank if you’re smart and savvy with your ideas. Luckily for you, we’ve done the research and have thought of 15 brilliant home decor ideas that don’t cost the earth to implement, so make sure you read on and check out our 15 design ideas to spruce up your space. 

What is interior design for you? Staying on-trend? Being ahead of the trends? Or celebrating your individuality, creativity and personality? Whatever it means to you, one thing that’s for sure is that thanks to the diverse range of styles that have been brought to our shores over the years, the UK has been left with an eclectic mix of styles, making it one of the most prominent style hubs across the globe. Check out our brief guide into the most popular trends across the UK right now.

Here at 1st Option we have never been short of unique and striking properties, ranging from the most incredible family homes to styled studios all the way to renovated gin distilleries. Since lockdown we may have had to put things on hold as shooting was not possible to continue, however, since the easing of lockdown …

There’s nothing quite like a warm fire to help you come to terms with the arrival of Autumn

2015, the year that was…

With the cost of living crisis firmly taking hold and many people looking to economise as a result, it seems that more and more of us are thinking outside the box when it comes to entertainment and creating our own ‘pub’ experiences at home. On many levels this actually makes sense – when we go out it’s usually to socialise with our friends, so why not invite them round instead and enjoy their company for a fraction of the cost of a big night out?

Following on from our incredible house tour of Celine, with the fabulous owner Celine Da Silva, looking at the design elements within her home, why it’s been styled in such a way and any challenges she faced during the process; we sat down with her for a short interview to pick her brains about her favourite features, areas and why her home is the perfect shoot location.

Carrying on in the same vein as the rest of the year, June saw us take on a wealth of fantastic shoot locations. Ranging from industrial barn conversions in Warwickshire, to eclectic family homes in North West London, there’s something for everyone this month. Your next shoot location could be on this list, so make sure you stick with us as we jump into our top five for June. 

We recently sat down with Ed Reeve, the owner of the Iconic Blackwood House, situated in North London. In an incredibly insightful interview, we spoke to Ed about his job as an architectural photographer, his design style, how he built his incredible home and what it’s like to be a shoot location owner. Read on to get the full scoop from part 1 of the interview.

Following on from the impressive end to 2020, the start of this year has been no different when it comes to taking on new properties. We have been incredibly lucky over this past month taking on some incredible new residential properties, bringing a fan favourite back to your screens and seeing the takeover and revamp …

If you’re struggling in these times, perhaps overly stressed and barking mad, then worry no more as 1st Option are here to help. Paws for thought and check out our video for a few top tips to help get you through isolation.

Life is better with dogs! And many of our favourite London Locations are home to some corkers…

We recently had an evening of painting with the team at the 1st Option HQ and the results were hilarious!

The return of retro is upon us; following years of ‘greige’ and ‘fast fashion’ design trends leading the race, ‘retro’ is currently having a massive revival. Offering a great alternative to the fast homeware trend, people are now appreciating original, retro and vintage pieces for their classic design and durability. Stick with us as we deep dive into the trend, its origins, key characteristics, why it’s currently so popular and how to get it right in your own home.  

It’s that time of the month again! When we give you our monthly round up of the best locations to register with us over the last month. This month, we decided to opt for five family homes that differ greatly from one to the next. Make sure you read on to check out the locations, ranging from grand designs style homes, to vast renovated period properties; as always, we have all bases covered for you here.  

As 2021 rapidly draws to a close, we thought we’d provide one last chance to populate your mood boards with breathtaking interior inspiration. What a year it has been for taking on new properties! Read on to check out our top five for November; you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more varied and eclectic mix of properties. From architect-designed new builds in London, to renovated barns and tropical family homes oozing with colour, there is something for everyone this month. 

Although traditional locations can and do often fit the shoot brief perfectly, there is sometimes a place and time for something a little more unusual. Fortunately, working in London, one of the most diverse creative hubs in the world, we are lucky enough to be able to represent some of the most interesting and quirky locations the capital has to offer. So sit back and check out our top 5 unique spaces.

While at home it can become monotonous and mundane doing the same pointless things over and over again. However, why not use this time to be productive and better yourself, learn a new skill during this endless free time. Well we have culminated the perfect list for you.

North or South London – which is best? Have a look at our selection of the best of both and decide for yourself…

In recent years it’s become more and more recognised that being surrounded by plants in your living and working environments can have real health benefits, two of the main ones being improved psychological well-being and improved human health.

It’s widely thought that bringing more plants into your life can help to improve your mood, reduce stress levels and improve your productivity. There is also some evidence that they can improve air quality too.

Following on from our incredible house tour of Roma, with the fabulous owner Marta Vilella-Vila, looking at the the features that make her home unique, her favourite elements and the challenges she faced throughout the renovation process; we sat down with her for a short interview to pick her brains about her favourite features, areas and why her home is the perfect shoot location.

Following on from our incredible video tour of Nash, with the owner and outstanding interior designer Stephen Nash, looking at the the features that make his style unique, his favourite elements and the challenges he faced throughout the renovation process; we sat down with him for a short interview to pick his brains about his favourite features, areas and places on earth.

In episode 8 of Ask the Location Owner we were lucky enough to go round and have a chat with Ed Reeve of Blackwood House.

If you enjoyed the first round of our top tips for returning to work, then get ready for part 2! More quality info inside!

London may be seen as the hub for photoshoot locations, but this week we take a look at some incredible properties that are pushing London for it crown

Our latest location ‘Skyfield’ is simply beautiful. The James bond inspired ‘Edwardian-Deco’ period country manor is one of the most beautiful locations in Hertfordshire…

With the onslaught of Spring it’s also got us thinking about pastel shades, who makes the best ones and where we might like to paint them… So, we did a straw poll with everyone here and asked them to pick their favourites and tell us why they like them!

Following on from our incredible house tour of Honeycomb, with the owner and director Mark Dolan, looking at the the features that make his home unique, his favourite elements and the challenges he faced throughout the renovation process; we sat down with him for a short interview to pick his brains about his favourite features, areas and why his home is the perfect shoot location

In the first episode of our new video series, ‘My Home My Haven’, the wonderful Stephen, who is an incredible interior designer and owns our fabulous location Nash, takes you on a tour of the house, highlighting the features that make his style unique, his favourite elements and the challenges faced throughout the renovation process. If you are interested in design, this is a must watch, with a wealth of insightful, interesting and truly fascinating tips, tricks and stories!

In the second of our new series of videos highlighting some of our favourite locations, we bring you the incredibly unique and eye-catching The Rock.

As much of the UK has started to return to work, here at 1st Option we thought we’d share some of our top tips for hitting the ground running!

Stay safe and keep healthy!

As winter’s ever harsh grasp slowly untangles itself for another year, a duly welcome spring rears its head and we say hello to longer days, shed loads of sunshine and in due course, the luscious greenery that we have oh so come to associate with spring. With warmer days ahead, it will very soon be …

Check out our recent stylish shoot at London location 78 for Wormland…