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It was only recently that Atlanta-based photographer duo Tim Wedig and Andrea Laxton won a Silver Graphis Award for their work with Shaw Contract, a designer and manufacturer of commercial flooring and carpet solutions. However, it’s the culmination of a decade’s worth of collaborations, starting in 2013 and showing no signs of slowing down. Last year, the photographers explored further territories through Shaw Contract’s joint project with West Elm, a brand synonymous with modern furniture and home decor.
With a sharp eye for shooting interiors and lifestyle photography, sometimes within the intersection of these two specialties, Tim and Andrea were ideally positioned to work on this project. Additionally, having a longstanding relationship with one of the clients certainly helped.
We’ve been fortunate enough to have worked with Shaw for a while, and have really fine-tuned our shoots to give them exactly what they need. Tim and I have a great eye for detail and lighting so that the product is the hero, all while finding balance within the overall scene.
This time, though, Shaw and West Elm’s common objective would present a unique challenge: presenting a collection that “embraces the warmth and comfort of home wherever you may be… a collaboration that feels like home.”
Tim and Andrea would have to photograph rugs, tile, and broadloom that bring West Elm’s design sensibilities to commercial interiors, allowing people to make themselves at home wherever their choice of workplace is.
During the planning phase, the photographers had to keep in mind a delicate balancing act, ensuring the location complemented both the residential and commercial aspects of the imagery. In essence, the colors of the environment had to accommodate two sets of products harmoniously: the broadlooms and rugs from Shaw Contract and the furniture and props from West Elm.
The broadloom designs include a range of textures that simulate the look and feel of handwoven rugs. Shaw was inspired by the handcrafted textiles and natural yarns in West Elm’s residential line. These unique styles pushed Shaw to utilize a combination of different yarns and machines in new and innovative ways to capture the aesthetic that West Elm is known for.
The carpet tiles were intentionally designed to coordinate with some broadloom styles, offered in top-selling colors applicable to diverse commercial environments. Shaw created a selection of distinctive products to give their customers flexibility, making design easy and accessible.
The photoshoot took place at the Shaw Create Centre over two days in April 2022, an optimal location that creatives of different varieties could turn into their playground. While that privilege is usually reserved for designers at Shaw, it was one that Tim and Andrea greatly benefited from during their visit.
The space is beautiful to shoot in. They have large atrium windows that help create beautiful light. It’s a pretty open commercial space that allowed us to create smaller sets, which worked really well to create that residential feel within a corporate environment.
Both sets of clients were present during the shoot, allowing the photographers to have an instant feedback loop as the photos were taken. While certain shots had to be retouched and adjusted afterward, Tim and Andrea accomplished the aesthetic required by both Shaw and West Elm.
The images speak for themselves, even getting featured in Interior Design Magazine’s Fall Market Tabloid. This and all the previous projects have only encouraged Shaw to hire the duo repeatedly and without hesitation. Most recently, Tim and Andrea’s photography was featured in Shaw’s Collective III campaign, a selection of carbon-neutral flooring solutions that focus on large-scale rhythmic field patterns. And to think this long-term partnership came to fruition by accident.
Back in 2013, we were approached by an agency to actually shoot a bra and underwear campaign, but the timing did not work out, so we were offered the Shaw Contract shoot instead, and we’ve been with them ever since.
It was a change of plans that put a different kind of fabric in front of their cameras, but a change the client and photographers don’t begrudge.
See more of Tim and Andrea’s work on their website.
Credits
Creative Director: Joselyn Northrop
Product Manager: Annie Skrmetti
Product Launch Manager: Sara Richards
Producer: Katherine Prato
Stylist: Brandi Shelton