In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, I'm sure we all have found ourselves in front of the screen more, melting into our sofas after marathon zoom meetings, home schooling, cooking and cleaning..the list goes on. If I can muster the energy after baths and a two hour bedtime routine, I love to have a little "me-time" before I hit the hay. And what better way to decompress than enjoying some good old fashioned television entertainment (looking at you, Tiger King)!
So, the team at Wise Design got together and dreamt up our top 5 most beautiful movie and tv interiors to share with you. This week we're focusing on mine! Can I just preface this by saying it was INSANELY hard to choose.
1. Pushing Daisies
If you haven't seen this show, DO IT! Sweet, charming, quick witted, it is chock full of whimsical, over the top interiors that are rich with detail. I was devastated after it was canceled after 2 short seasons. The premise is this: "Pie Maker," Ned, is gifted with the magical ability to reanimate the dead with a simple touch. But, another touch renders them dead permanently. With the help of Chuck, his formerly deceased childhood friend and love interest (whom he can never touch), Emerson Cod, private investigator, and Olive Snook, pie waitress and hopeless romantic, he uses his gifts to bring justice to murder victims.
The sets for each episode are delightful, and many use monochromatic color schemes, saturating the interior with one color or pattern. Here are a few of my favorites from Pushing Daisies.
The Pie Shop
Ned's pie-shop features, the exterior of which looks like a pie itself, exudes charm with green checkered floors, cozy booths, wood detailing, porthole windows and red globe lamps shaped like cherries. I love the use of the gradient of greens, and repeating round elements like the bar, stools, tables, lamps, and even the windows.
Betty's Bees
This adorable set quite literally makes you feel like you're standing in a bee-hive. It utilizes a honeycomb shape that is replicated through numerous elements including the walls, floor, window mullions, furniture, and even the architecture itself! The use of yellow in every finish, fabric, and piece of furniture completes this whimsical space.
Olive Snook's Apartment
Olive Snook's apartment is an explosion of patterns and ultimate grandmotherly femininity. I love the floral overload in this space, especially her bedroom where the wallpaper, drapes, and bedding match. So good.
2. Aeon Flux
Sadly, the premise of this movie just got a got a whole lot more topical. It's 2145 and a virus wipes out half the world's population. Aeon Flux, Charlize Theron (love her) is an assassin hired to take out Trevor Goodchild, a member of the council that runs the city. The movie got "meh" reviews, but watch it anyway. It's totally worth it for the design! It's a visual stunner. I'm a sucker for futuristic architecture, and this movie certaintly tops them all! The sets use, rounded organic forms and repeating elements, like this image below with horizontal lines and circles (I guess I'm just a fan of circles?).
3. Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
I'll confess, I've probably watched this movie fifty times (before I had kids and had time for that kind of thing). Based on a book series, this movie follows the lives of the gifted Bouldelaire children, who are trying to solve the mystery of their parent's untimely death. On their way, they meet a series of distant relatives, namely, Count Olaf who is out for them, and their parent's fortune. The movie is dark and moody (my favorite) with fantastical interiors including a Reptile House (pictured below), Count Olaf's (played by Jim Carrey) house which makes use of a thematic element of "eyes" - (I find more every time I watch it), and Aunt Josephine's house, teetering off the edge of a cliff. While doing research for this post, we watched it with our kid's for the first time and they loved it.
4. Mad Men
Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a sucker for mid century interiors. My last two homes, the latter still currently being renovated, have been mid century modern gems. So, I of course, had to pick the ultimate example of mid-century interiors, Mad Men. My girlfriend and I were avid watchers of this show, whiskey-in-hand, drooling over all the sets and well, Don Draper. I love how the interiors explored different facets of mid-century design and shifted with the location, from New York to Palm Springs in later seasons.
5. The Great Gatsby
If I could live in a specific area, it would definitely be the 20s. You know, minus the Great Depression, lack of women's rights, and the prohibition, obviously. But hey, every era has it's problems, am I right?!? The Great Gatsby exudes all the things I love about the Art Deco era...opulence, glam, sleek interiors and fashion, and LOTS of sparkle. And, director Baz Luhrmen captured it perfectly. The man is a visionary. You'll know him from his other movies like the Moulin Rouge (04), Romeo + Juliet (96), and Australia. This movie, deservingly, won an Academy Award for Best Production Design. Here are a few images from the rich and opulent interiors he created for The Great Gatsby.
What are your favorite TV and Movie interiors? Leave us your top picks in the comments! And join us next week, where Ryan will share hers!