UPDATE: Got a virtual happy hour, brunch or dinner coming up? Scroll down for our NEW happy hour and kitchen backgrounds down below!
Ah, working from home. Whether you’re a WFH pro or are just getting started, there’s a major learning curve when it comes to video conference meetings. Can you see my screen? Am I on mute? Is that your husband in the background? And if you’re into home design – Is that *really* what my house looks like on camera?
That blurry, front-facing camera lens can be pretty unforgiving. I’ve learned that my video chat background is a bit lackluster, to put it lightly. I’m working from a Brooklyn apartment that hasn’t been fully moved into yet – and on frequent video chats with my stylish West Elm colleagues, it shows. While I might now have some time on my hands to make that WFH space look better IRL, I want to show you a shortcut that will get all of us to our dream homes by that 3pm meeting. Today.
That’s right, it’s a virtual background! And no offense to Zoom’s pre-set options, but we’re not talking about a generic outer space scene or a panoramic shot of the Golden Gate Bridge. We’re talking about real-life living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and more that we’ve featured right here on the Front + Main blog. The Creative Team at West Elm HQ kicked off this trend internally, joining meetings virtually from the West Elm Holiday House, this stunning A-Frame home and more, much to the delight of everyone else on the call. (Hey, a little levity can go a long way these days.)
When I heard about it, I had to give it a go – and might’ve had a little too much fun doing it.
Now it’s your turn! Here’s how to change your background on Zoom: First, find your favorite background photos below and save them to your desktop. Then, on Zoom, click the gear settings in the upper right corner. Click “Virtual Background” from the bar on the left, then press the plus sign to upload the photo of your choice. These scenes honestly look pretty realistic (pro-tip: just don’t move around too quickly!). It will show up as the mirror image, but you can toggle that off if you’d like.
Download your favorites below! And if you use one during a meeting, snap a sneaky pic and tag us @westelm.
UPDATE: Got a virtual happy hour coming up? Scroll down for our NEW Happy Hour backgrounds down below!
Photography by Landon Vonderschmidt
An Insta-Famous Mid-Century Living Room
Designed by West Elm Emeryville – see the full tour here
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NYC Waterfront Views with a Big Ol’ Bird of Paradise
From Olivia Rink & John Philp Thompson’s apartment – see the full tour here
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Chic & Modern City Kitchen
Designed by West Elm Alexandria – see the full tour here
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A Brassy Brooklyn Pad with Lots of Light
Designed by West Elm Dumbo – see the full tour here
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Your Work Hard, Play Hard HQ
Designed by West Elm Denver – see the full tour here
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Industrial-Glam Loft Space
Designed by West Elm Oakbrook – see the full tour here
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Keeping Calm in the Bedroom
Designed by West Elm Nashville – see the full tour here
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Might As Well Pretend You Have a Dog?
Designed by West Elm Dumbo – see the full tour here
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Bright & Airy Living Room Goals
From Olivia Rink & John Philp Thompson’s apartment – see the full tour here
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Meeting Adjourned Because This A-Frame Is Incredible
From our A-Frame Revival story – see the full tour here
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A Warm & Comfortable Workspace
Designed by West Elm Providence – see the full tour here
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Checking Emails By the Pool
Designed by West Elm Scarsdale – see the full tour here
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Aren’t These Ceilings Amazing?
From Lindsey Tobler’s home – see the full tour here
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Ultra-Cozy Cabin Vibes
From Zosia Mamet & Evan Jonigkeit’s Hudson Valley home – see the full tour here
Photography by Landon Vonderschmidt and Seth Smoot
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NEW: Virtual Happy Hour Backgrounds!
Is it 5 o’clock yet? Turns out work isn’t the only thing we’re using Zoom for these days – from one-on-one catchups to full-on Zoom parties, virtual hangouts are the new normal. Let’s make the most of it! For your next virtual happy hour, download one of our 10 new party-ready backgrounds. You can pop bubbly in the Queer Eye loft, mix up some cocktails at a home bartender’s apartment, or throw on a caftan (or a bikini!) to pretend you’re in Palm Springs.
As with the last crop of backgrounds, these photos are all from real-life home tours featured right here on the West Elm blog. That’s why they look so real – they are real! Click the links below for a full tour of each home.
To download these images, save your favorites to your desktop and upload them to Zoom with the instructions above. If you use them, take a pic and tag @westelm so we can see!
Cheers, everyone!
Dreaming of a Mountain Getaway
Designed by West Elm Australia – see the full tour here
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Warm Woods in the Kitchen
Designed by West Elm Emeryville – see the full tour here
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Cocktails in Caftans in Palm Springs
Designed by West Elm Palm Springs – see the full tour here
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As Seen on Queer Eye!
From The Fab 5 Loft – see the full tour here
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Apartment Bartender’s Pad
Designed by West Elm Denver – see the full tour here
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Patio Drinks for Two
Designed by West Elm Scarsdale – see the full tour here
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A Quirky Home Like No Other
Designed by West Elm Austin – see the full tour here
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Find Us By the Bar Cart
Designed by West Elm Dumbo – see the full tour here
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A Modern Open-Concept Kitchen
Designed by West Elm Nashville – see the full tour here
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A Palm Springs Pool Party
Designed by West Elm Palm Springs – see the full tour here
Photography by Landon Vonderschmidt
NEW: Modern Kitchen Backgrounds!
Cooking’s more fun with friends and family. We bet you’ve been doing a lot of it lately, so the next time you’re making brunch, set up a Zoom call and get everyone in the kitchen together, virtually! You and your friends can all make the same thing – banana bread, anyone? – or you can take this time to really do things your way. When you’re all cooking remotely, your BFF’s dairy intolerance is one less thing for you to worry about.
Now I’m sure your real kitchen is just fine, but there’s a good chance you didn’t get around to that kitchen reno before all this social distancing went down. That’s okay! It’s way more exciting to dial in from a fantasy kitchen anyway, and that’s where we come in.
We’ve rounded up some of our favorite kitchens from home tours over the years. From a designer’s colorful California kitchen to the all-white/open-shelving kitchen you’ve probably saved to your Pinterest board a dozen times… we’ve got a wide range here, so take your pick! You can see the full home tours – and shop the rooms – through the links below. To use these photos as your background on Zoom, save them to your desktop, then upload them to Zoom with the instructions above.
Which one’s your favorite? Let us know in the comments below, and if you use our backgrounds, tag @westelm so we can see!
Scandi-Meets-Cali in the Kitchen
From the Midwest Malibu kitchen renovation – see the full tour here
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Bring On the Color!
From Eric Trine’s California home – see the full tour here
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A Plant-Filled Brooklyn Kitchen
Designed by West Elm Dumbo – see the full tour here
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Straight From the Vision Board
From Aimee Kirk’s California home – see the full tour here
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Can’t Resist a Cool Staircase
Designed by West Elm Boulder – see the full tour here
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Breakfast in the Woods
From Zosia Mamet & Evan Jonigkeit’s Hudson Valley home – see the full tour here
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The Open Shelving of Your Dreams
Designed by West Elm
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Eclectic Artwork on Display
From Diego Olivero’s Brooklyn home – see the full tour here
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Who Wants A Cocktail?
Designed by West Elm Denver – see the full tour here
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Keeping It All Natural
Designed by West Elm Scarsdale – see the full tour here
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Photography by Andrew Standaert, Nicole Franzen, Landon Vonderschmidt and Jodi Mockabee
Follow @westelm for more!
Emma
March 18, 2020
This was such a fun post! Thanks for making things a little brighter 🙂
Rose LaPira
March 21, 2020
Very nice! Thanks or sharing.
Patricia Farrell
March 21, 2020
Can I use these virtual backgrounds with my webcam? What software besides Zoom would work?
nicole
March 24, 2020
This is awesome – where is the link to download?
Grace Rasmus
March 24, 2020
Hi there you can just save/drag these individual images to your desktop and upload them to Zoom from there!
Grandpa north
March 26, 2020
Like to use multiple backgrounds
Carol
March 26, 2020
Thanks
Carole
March 29, 2020
Wow! That is so cool! 2 questions – Can we use any pictures from the site, or just these in this post? And will this trick work on other platforms like FB live?
karen
April 2, 2020
We need a virtual early childhood preschool classroom, since most of us are teachers. A classroom, gym or libary would be great!
Sherye
April 18, 2020
Thank you for sharing the beautiful room designs.
Mark Ellis
April 26, 2020
neat but how about some home office examples
Mark
May 1, 2020
These are great! Do you have any spectacular office views? or home libraries?
Samuel
May 2, 2020
I like it
Tony Higginbottom
May 2, 2020
My problem is my computer responds “computer doesn’t meet requirements”
when green screen tag is unlocked.
And with a green screen, the virtual background flickers non-stop.
Can you suggest a remedy please ?
Ron T.
May 3, 2020
Great – how to switch bkgd!!!
Nanette Renzi
May 6, 2020
Grace, you are a kook and I just love your writing. This really brought a buncha smiles to me today. Can’t wait to share this blog and try some new backgrounds for gloomy Illinois. (OK I chose all the pool/palm tree ones). Thanks!
nancy
May 18, 2020
How do you download a background?
JPW
September 23, 2020
they are really nice! Thank you for sharing.
Sachin
September 28, 2020
Excellent
Khaam
October 11, 2020
I want Virtual backgrounds
gab
October 11, 2020
impressive
Hannah
October 15, 2020
Danke
t.ike
October 16, 2020
nice!
dylaynea
October 27, 2020
love it
Lorraine Cochrane
November 4, 2020
Great!
Arrabel
November 11, 2020
Nice view amazing
Dylan
November 25, 2020
it is nice thanks for sharing
Lisa McDonald
December 17, 2020
This is simply wonderful , very innovative and extremely useful
Bennett Pine
December 18, 2020
Beautiful
sudha
December 27, 2020
beautiful background its my dream house
Md.Humayan Kabir
February 1, 2021
Plz My Zoom Virtual Backgrounds Setup.
luis
February 1, 2021
i want to do the background
Yvonne Moore
February 7, 2021
This is really amazingly beautiful.
Greene, Donnie
February 8, 2021
great
sally-anne street
February 9, 2021
love the idea of creating your very own perfect home without having to decorate and oh the envy of your co associates.
JB
February 11, 2021
Beatiful