After 3 very long and exhausting weekends, I’m finally all moved into my new motherhood portrait studio in Plymouth, MN! I had my first session there yesterday – a first birthday family and cake smash session. They opted for family and one-year portraits outside while coming into the studio for the cake smash photos.

This was great as it gave me the opportunity to check out the outdoor areas around my building. We didn’t have to walk far to find a grassy area with tall trees for their photos. The weather was perfect and the lighting was great! It also helped that their one-year-old baby boy was so happy and smiley, making my job incredibly easy.

I want to show some before-and-after photos of my new space. I knew the second I toured the building and saw the space, it would work perfectly for me and my clients. I was looking for a larger main room and a closet area for storage, and that’s exactly what this space offers. The main space is about 400 sq ft, and the closet is about 100 sq ft.

Before I get into too much detail, here are the before pics taken with my cell phone when I toured the space:

I had asked about removing the carpet to put in new vinyl or laminate flooring, and I was told that I could do whatever I wanted to with the space. Since the carpet was brand new, I opted to go over it with laminated flooring.

The walls were already painted a cooler off white leaning towards grey in color, so I didn’t have to do a thing with them. The color worked perfectly with my new flooring and white trim.

The flooring I chose is from Lowe’s. It’s the Stainmaster Laminite Flooring in Ambleside Elm. I wanted a light floor in a warm tone with a white wash look to add light, warmth, and airiness to the space. It really is amazing how much the space changed after the floors went in. I also used an ornamental cover trim to cover the carpet trim in the main room. I didn’t finish this in the closet because this trim was expensive, and I didn’t think it would matter in the closet.

This was a labor of love, and I can’t post this without giving a HUGE shout-out to my dad! I had every intention of doing this project myself, and I’m so glad he offered to come along and help. It was definitely a two-man job and ended up taking longer than I had initially expected.

The floor and the wood trim took up 3 full weekends! You’d never believe how this place looked just 2 weeks ago – there was sawdust everywhere along with a work table, saw, and multiple tools. If you ever plan to do a job like this, especially with laminate, as it’s much harder to cut than vinyl, do yourself a favor and grab a buddy or two.

My husband came along to help when it was time to move all of my furniture and props from the old studio to the new one. This took multiple trims using our 2 SUVs, but it saved me a little bit of money on having to rent a U-Haul.

I still have to buy a mini fridge for water, bring in my Kuerig coffee machine, and buy snacks for my client area, but that’s coming this week in preparation for my first newborn session in the new studio, which is on Sunday.

Photographers, if you’re looking for a space for your photography studio, there are many things you’ll want to take into consideration for you and your clients. These were my must-haves:

suburban location with free parking for my clients
minimum of 500 sq ft with a separate storage area
First floor or elevator access for clients to bring a stroller if needed
An area for shooting outdoor photos within walking distance
A thermostat in the room to control the temperature
ability to replace flooring and paint the walls
bathrooms

There are two things that my previous studio had that this one doesn’t, but they weren’t dealbreakers by any means. Those things are a window looking outside and a vending machine.

I did have a window in my old space, but it was always covered because I never used natural light in my photos. But it was nice to be able to see outside to check the weather or watch for clients to arrive.

The vending machine was nice to have, but hardly anyone used it, plus it was expensive! I’ll be providing water, coffee, and snacks for my clients anyway, and there is a grocery store and multiple fast food places just 5 minutes from the studio.

I’m looking forward to having my new and returning clients here! My calendar is booked full through the end of October with a mix of studio and outdoor sessions, but I’m looking forward to this winter and having you here.