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

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!

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!

Photography by Andrew Standaert, Nicole Franzen, Landon Vonderschmidt and Jodi Mockabee

Follow @westelm for more!