It doesn’t have to be that way, though: documenting the whole process through photos and then putting those pictures into a photo book can effectively do the job of reminding you of the long journey that you went through to end with the comfort of your new home.
House renovation photo books 101
Photos
Photos are without doubt the stars of a house renovation photo book as they have to convey the story behind the renovation – often without any words to accompany them. Thankfully, finding the right picture is simple since all it takes is to select those photos that best depict the house before, during, and after the makeover. Although at first it may seem like such a photo book should only include photos of the house in a style that you might find in real estate ads – as in without any people in them – that’s not true at all. Home renovation is a family project after all, so the photo book should certainly give space for anyone who helped make the transformation of the house possible – and that includes yourself, family members, friends and, of course, the children.
Layout
When it comes to layout, there are multiple approaches to take. The simplest is to have pre-renovation photos on odd pages and the finished house on even pages, although this can be altered a bit by having each page focus on one particular place in the building. Another option is to show a montage that tells the story of what happened in a comic book style. However, the best approach is to mix and alternate between layouts, as not only does this break the monotony but it can also be used to make the reader more involved in the tale you want to tell.
Text and embellishments
Unless you want to explain the backstory behind some of the photos or you want to make the book a bit more lighthearted, it’s best to exclude text and embellishments from the final product. The reason behind this is simple: the photos can speak for themselves, especially if they are arranged in such a way that the reader will immediately understand that the pictures are showing the changes as they are made to the house. However, there a few exceptions, in particular with the words ‘Before’ and ‘After’. In fact, indicating these two words from time to time can be particularly helpful if the changes are barely noticeable by those who haven’t seen the house before the renovation.
Theme and physical appearance
Since a home renovation photo book is heavily photo-oriented, it’s only fitting that the theme of the book is kept clean and simple. Admittedly, most online photo book editors allow for users to customize the chosen style to their liking, but even if that is the case it’s better to remember to always keep the focus on the photos.
As for the physical attributes of the photo book, they should also be simple since the book has a quite conventional subject and it’s very likely that it will be gifted to others later on. As such, the photo book should be created with these aspects in mind and the best way to achieve that is by having the book ordered in medium size and with an image wrap soft or hardcover.
Continuity
A great thing about online photo printing services is that previous photo book projects are never deleted from customers’ accounts, which means two things: firstly, photo books can be shared with others online and can be reordered any time, too – a huge asset if you want to surprise family members and friends with a copy. And secondly, these photo book projects can then be edited later on, which is the perfect opportunity for those who are gradually renovating their homes over time to simply add new pages to the existing photo books with new pictures showing the latest improvements on the house as they happen.
Zoltán G.
Adam B.
