How Has Set Design Influenced Interior Design Trends

When it comes to films and TV shows we tend to focus on the people, the action and the words. However, the set also has a huge role to play when it comes to how we experience a film. And the impact that it makes can continue long after the viewing, with the colour schemes and styles of a set making an impact on audiences outside of the theatre too. That’s why we are increasingly seeing set design influencing interior design trends.

Set design and interior design are interlinked

It’s not uncommon for someone who works in set design to have interior design skills, so perhaps it’s no surprise that there is a lot of overlap. Some of the best loved films of our time have had a big influence when it comes to interior design trends, from Star Wars to Breakfast at Tiffany’s and James Bond. However, it’s perhaps the Wes Anderson films that have had the biggest impact when it comes to influencing interior design trends.

Inspiration via the treatment of colour

There are some films where the way that colour is used in set design sparks immediate interior design trends because it’s just so distinctive. Wes Anderson films have become renowned for this – The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Royal Tenenbaums in particular. The Grand Budapest Hotel actually received an Oscar for its set design, which is no surprise because it was truly distinctive and delicious. Candy coloured hues and sepia tones added to the sense of eclecticism and drama in the film. They were also used to highlight key details, such as a marsala red or a bright pink to draw the eye of the viewer where the director wanted it to go.

Statement walls

The Royal Tenenbaums also used colour to provide a strong visual language for the film but it was the wallpaper that created its own unique interior design trend. Throughout the film there are many walls that are papered in Scalamandre zebra print wallpaper. After the film was released this wallpaper was replicated by many design companies and across many design schemes. Its motifs also made their way into a range of interior products and soft furnishings.

Mixing up vintage and Art Deco

Throughout films like The Grand Budapest Hotel there are some fine examples of the trends that have gone on to dominate interior design, in particular mixing up vintage pieces and Art Deco. The sets frequently took the strong colours already mentioned and combined these with an eclectic (but carefully selected) mix of vintage pieces. Stags heads sat alongside Art Deco furniture in bright hues and whimsical objects were peppered throughout the set in every scene. This has translated effortlessly into many of the interior design trends of today, with vintage continuing to be a dominant theme.

Set design has always had an influence over interior design in the outside world and some films – especially those by Wes Anderson – have even triggered the start of a brand new trend.

Scott Fleary are a leading designer and installer of scenery, set construction, and technical solutions for the creative industry. More information on the various Scott Fleary's services can be found here: https://www.scottfleary.com/services