Our TeamCarina Romano

Carina Romano

Photographer

Philadelphila, Pa

About Me

Carina is a freelance editorial and lifestyle photographer located in Philadelphia and part time in the Catskill Mountains of New York. She co-owns SOMAscape Studio, a small commercial studio providing local small businesses with photo and video content, with fellow Tyler School of Art Alumni, Amanda Jaffe. Her passions include interior design, journalism, and partnering with local community focused non-profits.


Latest Stories

A Renter Made a 100-Year-Old Apartment Look Like a Million Bucks (For Way Less!)
Nearly everything in Michaella Becker’s Philadelphia rental is thrifted, DIYed, or trash-picked.
Apr 30, 2025
This 100-Year-Old Philly Townhouse Went from “Blank Slate” to “Lava Lamp Chic”
Anna Ladd didn’t want a home with all the history renovated out of it. But she also wanted “something updated enough that I wouldn’t be totally in over my head with first-time-homeowner DIYs.”
Mar 5, 2025
This Baker Turned a 1925 “Landlord Special” Rental into a Dreamy Home
This second-floor apartment in a grand Victorian has gorgeous bay windows, and that’s where Ashley placed her bed. “I love waking up in my bed nuzzled between all the windows,” she writes. “It’s heaven.”
Feb 21, 2025
A 135-Year-Old "Victorian Maximalist" Attic Apartment Has Over 200 Pieces of Art
Katherine repainted all of the downstairs rooms, added peel-and-stick wallpaper, installed peel-and-stick tiles in the kitchen (to cover up a beige backsplash,) and used fabric on unfinished walls to create a style she describes as "moody, exuberant, colorful, often messy."
Jan 31, 2025
A Mid-Century Ranch Is Filled with Vintage-Inspired Color and Murals
Tours
The built-in planter in the entryway was a huge draw for Lauren and Mark, who got a friend to add a vintage mural, too.
Aug 11, 2023
“Psychedelic Rococo” and “Bubblegum Renaissance” Describe This Apartment’s Vibes
See inside a rental that transformed from a “completely empty, all-gray, kinda crusty box” to a “Lisa Frank and Y2K vibe.”
Jul 31, 2024
A Homeowner Added Tons of Storage in This Philadelphia Home for Only $400
Kevin Boyle and Mac Francis' townhome is filled with a collection of secondhand gems, and they needed the storage to display it all!
May 22, 2024
This "Patterned-Drenched" Sunny Philadelphia Condo Is a Must-See
Tours
Mixed materials (inspired by Kelly Wearstler) blend seamlessly with the couple’s lush greenery.
Feb 14, 2024
This Artist and Designer’s Philly Rowhome Has Awesome Gallery Walls
Tour the Philadelphia rowhome of artist and designer Mitch Wiesen, who cleaned, caulked, and painted to update their home.
Dec 8, 2023
A 405-Square-Foot Studio Feels Bigger Thanks to a Skillful Layout
Tours
Cara and her dog, Sterling, share this small studio apartment in Philadelphia’s Center City neighborhood.
Sep 11, 2023
This Urban Outfitters Design Director's Home Is as Playful as You'd Expect
Tours
Heather Davis is the Design Director of Concept, Print & Color at Urban Outfitters, and her home is a mish-mashed, cluttercore mix of textiles, cool chairs, and thrifted finds.





Apr 12, 2023
This Philadelphia Rental Has One of the Most Charming Bathrooms We've Ever Seen
The colorful, retro tiles in Sidney and Brandon's rental apartment's bathroom were taken from a train station in Philadelphia during the '80s... and the vibrant tiles were even used for the baseboards around the main space, too!
Mar 29, 2023
This Photographer’s Apartment Celebrates Black Culture Through Design and Art
"Being a natural light photographer I have this strong appreciation for the conversation the sun has in a space," writes Taylor Baldwin of her 800-square-foot Philadelphia rental apartment.


Feb 27, 2023
It'll Be Tough to Pick a Favorite Mural in This Colorful Philadelphia House
Emma Chasen and fiancée Carolyn Chernous' home is a mix of eclectic, maximalist, Art Deco, retro-inspired styles, and a TON of hand-painted DIY colorful murals.
Jan 5, 2023
This Artist's Incredibly Unique Home Celebrates Spooky Season All Year Round
Tours
Photographer turned novelty chandelier maker, Adam Wallacavage, has completely transformed his South Philadelphia brownstone, filling it with Victorian style furniture, DIY plaster elements, funky art, oceanic sculptures, his own incredible octopus chandeliers, and more. This house is Halloween ready no matter the time of year.
Oct 24, 2022
This 350-Square-Foot Mid-Century Cottage Is Absolutely Dreamy, Inside and Out
Tours
After her divorce, Erin got rid of most of her belongings for a fresh start. Her Philadelphia cottage gives her the space to huddle with friends during cold months and maximize what's most important to her.
Sep 12, 2022
A 190-Square-Foot Afrohemian Studio Apartment Is Inspired by the Renter's Mom
Tours
Crystal Wyatt owned a house in Philadelphia for more than 18 years before needing a change, going tiny in this 190-square-foot rental studio apartment in Philadelphia's University City neighborhood.
Sep 1, 2022
An Industrial Philadelphia Loft Apartment Is Like an Eclectic Disco Greenhouse  
Tours
Photographer Kat Malo only had a few plants when she moved in, but when she saw how well they were doing in this light-filled space, she fully embraced being a plant parent and now has over 50.
May 12, 2022
This Small Maryland Cottage Is Incredibly Cute and Utterly Enchanting
Maddie Kulig, owner of Philadelphia-based lingerie brand Madalynne Intimates, purchased this cute cottage less than a year ago in Galena, Maryland with her husband, Ryan Kulig.
Mar 24, 2022
A Pennsylvania Farmhouse Has Cozy Fireplaces, Log Cabin Walls, and Lots of Light
Amanda and Dan moved from California to Pennsylvania in April 2020, eventually buying this farmhouse with lots of architectural character.
Jan 31, 2022
Art and Stories Fill the Walls of This Shared Philadelphia Rental Rowhome
Lots of furniture in Tiffany, Joseph, and Ashley's rental rowhome is salvaged, found, or antiqued.
Dec 14, 2021
A Philly Time Capsule Has a Gold Kitchen, Pink Bathroom & Other 1970s Colors
This art teacher and museum educator draws inspiration from "estate sales in untouched time capsule houses, old magazines, and period movie and TV show sets" for decorating her own 1970s Philadelphia house.
Jul 26, 2021
A 1800s Philadelphia House Has Some of the Best Exposed Beams
Zach and Hugh are “interior design enthusiasts, home renovation-attempters, and backyard chicken dads” and run the popular blog and Instagram account This Yunky House.
Jun 3, 2021
This 450-Square-Foot Apartment Proves You Can Be a Maximalist in a Small Space
Decorating her home is an outlet for her creative energy and most of the brightly colored paintings scattered throughout the space are her own.
Mar 4, 2021
A Philadelphia Home Has Dreamy Exposed Bricks & a Vintage Mix of Furnishings
Sue Eggen is an artist and creative director at Urban Jungle, shares this Philadelphia home with and writer and librarian Nathaniel Eddy.
Dec 14, 2020
This Is One of the Most Beautiful, Livable Tiny Houses We’ve Ever Seen
And we bet you'll think so, too.
Nov 19, 2020
This South Philly Home Has 100 Plants, a DIY Fireplace, & a Heart-Shaped Window
Valerie Green's house was renovated just before she bought it, but it wasn’t her style, so she's spent the past few years updating without undergoing too many major renovations.
Sep 21, 2020
A Philadelphia Row Home Is Packed With Cheery Color Inspiration, Inside and Out
There are smart storage ideas... as well as one of the cutest jewelry storage ideas maybe ever.
May 7, 2020
Plants and DIY Projects Make This Philly Rental Apartment Cool
Chelsea and Warren's home—a two-story apartment in the Olde Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia—is perfectly reflective of the merging of their two lives.
May 1, 2020
This Apartment Has an Overflowing Plant Room, a Bold Bedroom Nook, and Much More
This designer has created an utterly gorgeous minimal retreat in Philadelphia.
Jan 13, 2020
A Light & Bright Eclectic Modern Philadelphia Row Home
After buying the house, this couple had a 30-day remodel marathon putting in all new hardwood flooring, painting just about every surface, replacing light fixtures and more.
Jun 18, 2019
This Entrepreneur’s Philadelphia Loft Is a Productive, Inspirational, and Gorgeous Home
House Tour
Digital and experiential brand designer Melissa Alam lives in an 1800-square-foot loft, where she also hosts events like the annual conference for women called FearlessCon.
Jun 4, 2019
This Pennsylvania Home Has Such a Good Mix of Vintage
Name: Jes and Caleb Plain Location: Lancaster, Pennsylvania Size: 1600 square feet Years Lived In: 9 months, owned Though they both grew up in Central Pennsylvania, Caleb and Jes have spent their entire relationship elsewhere. Nashville, Philadelphia, Los Angeles…and even a year on the road in an 18-foot travel trailer. This 1950s brick home in Lancaster is the first roots they’ve put down close to their families.
Apr 30, 2019
A Beautiful Vintage-Filled Studio Apartment in a Former Church
Name: Deanna Leone, Jessie Mademann (and Thurston & Shermie the cats) Location: Fishtown, Philadelphia Size: Large Loft Studio (don’t know the square foot) Years Lived In: 2.5 years, renting Fishtown is one of Philadelphia’s many booming neighborhoods, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find a unique (and affordable!) home in the area. When you’re as creative as Jessie and Deanna, settling for a typical white-wall one-bedroom isn’t the ideal.
Apr 30, 2019
3 Friends Buy a Cozy Mountain Cabin Together in the Catskills
Name: Amanda Jaffe, Kate McCann, Carina Romano Location: Fleischmanns, New York Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: Less than a year, owned Sometimes friends get together and profess their love of the same tall mountains and winding roads. For Amanda, Kate and Carina (me!), these confessions and conversations resulted in buying a dream getaway together in the ever-inspiring Catskill Mountains.
Apr 30, 2019
A Sunny, Stunning Loft Apartment in an Old Textile Factory
Name: Liz Sparacio Location: Northern Liberties — Philadelphia, Pennslyvania Size: 2,400 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, renting Liz resides in a natural-light filled loft space that was origionally part of an old textile factory in the Northern Liberties neighborhood of Philadelphia.
Apr 30, 2019