A Look at the Dreamy Set Design of Bridgerton
Lockdown 1 had Tiger King and banana bread, Lockdown 2 had Evermore, and so far, the only good thing Lockdown 3 has come up with has been Bridgerton. The period drama starring Phoebe Dynevor, Regé-Jean Page and Ireland’s very own Nicola Coughlan dropped on Netflix Christmas Day. And I began my binge-watching, and subsequent obsessing, of it shortly thereafter.
Within minutes, I was drawn in by the pastel-coloured interiors and whimsical costume design. Based on the aristocratic London ton of the early 1800s, the romantic drama is filled with colours as delicate as the debutantes, and buildings are grand as their dowries.
Among the buildings used as filming locations are Wilton House in Salisbury and Ranger’s House, overlooking Greenwich Park. British Production Designer, Will Hughes-Jones told Architectural Digest that reference points for him were 1975’s Barry Lyndon and the 2006 Sofia Coppola production of Marie Antoinette; which is one of my personal favourites because of its dreamy visuals alone.
Hughes-Jones teamed up with set decorator Gina Cromwell, who earned her period drama stripes on productions such as Outlander, Mary, Queen of Scots and Downton Abbey. Though the exterior shots were filmed on location, much of the interior filming took place on a soundstage, for which no less than 250 pieces of set design were created.
The result is a pleasant Regency-style treat for the eyes that is rich in Wedgewood blue and decorative wall motifs. And, in the case of Siena’s dressing room, a dark and sultry bohemian retreat. I tried my best to screenshot pics of said space, because it’s actually my favourite, but getting one that didn’t include nudity was challenging. And this, minus the occasional swear word, is a family website!
So, should you find yourself either without Netflix or without the immodesty required to watch the surprisingly raunchy series, here’s a look at the candy-coloured set design.
(All imagery courtesy of Netflix.)
Above are mood boards used by the set designers to define their vision for the project.
A behind-the-scenes shot is always great!
