Set Design: Influencing Interior Design Trends

Set Design: Influencing Interior Design Trends

The Oscar season is now long over, and while many turned their attention to “who” the stars were wearing, our attention was focused on the creative art, the production and set design that made each film truly spectacular. We take a look over the next couple of weeks at some of the movies that have influenced and contributed towards several key interior design trends.

The skill set of a set designer has often been interwoven with interior design. In fact, having an architectural or interior design background is not unusual among set designers. Film sets have often proven to be the inspiration behind many interior design schemes. Breakfast at Tiffany’s, James Bond, 2001 space odyssey, Star Wars are just a few that have been the inspiration for interior schemes. From the furniture, accessories, to the colour palette and more. Graham and Brown has showcased wallpaper that could be used for a Tim Burton animation inspired decor, while Hillarys Blinds showcase a range of film inspired home design ideas that can be achieved through window treatments on their blog.

The influx of set design influencing interior design has seen many interior brands collaborate with fashion designers, set designers or artists to produce a range of products. A wonderful  example of this is Tektura wall coverings who teamed up Helen Strevens to produce a range of quirky, hand-drawn wallpapers which clearly draw inspiration from her craft as a set designer. Helen has produced  hand drawn, interior backdrops for Peter Jackson’s country house, as well as designing sets for The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit, and The Lion, The Witch and the The Wardrobe.

When we think about films that have been praised for their design schemes, Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel comes to mind. Receiving an Oscar for the production design, the film was  noted for its striking colour palette which has become synonymous with Wes Anderson’s films. The film referenced vintage photochroms- colourised images from black and white negatives. This is evident in the candy coloured hues, sepia tones and bold primary colours used throughout the film, including muted greens, pinks and bright reds. Against this are elements of Art Deco and unusual items sourced from all over Europe, such as the antler desk  that set decorator Anna Pinnock (Life of Pi)  found at Alte Dekorationen that can be seen below in the trophy room scene with Deputy Kovacs (played by Jeff Goldblum.)

The mix of vintage hues and Art Deco in The Grand Budapest Hotel has influenced the interior trend for mixing colour, texture and pattern with statement vintage or unusual design pieces, such as a reclaimed trunk or statement sofa to achieve the eclectic look. Use a statement rug to draw the eye in either a deep Marsala red or a bright pink, whist furniture and walls are kept neutral in dusky pink, mauve or cream shades. Or for a trendy take on the ‘trophy room theme’ try incorporating a stags head or statement wallpaper like printed tree patterned  “Woods” by Cole & Son to recreate the film’s fantastic staging ideas.

Another Wes Anderson film The Royal Tenenbaums also uses a similar treatment of colour to provide a strong visual language and backdrop to the film. The quirky use of colour, and  the whimsical objects that fill each scene are all deliberate. Each item or colour used symbolises or  reflects on a character’s emotion, to create a “feeling” or “reaction” from the audience, intended to draw the audience into each characters life and their story.

The iconic Scalamadre Zebra print wallpaper in particular was used extensively and created new waves of interest and inspiration, with many design companies replicating the recognisable zebra pattern across a range of soft furnishing and interior products. See the rest of our Royal Tenenbaum coloured set design interior ideas below.

Join us again for Part 2 of our Set Design: Interior Design Trends series . Next time, we take inspiration from 1920’s America, focusing on the set design of the cinematic adaptation of  F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.