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The Film and Furniture Podcast
The Film and Furniture Podcast episodes
- Behind the Scenes of Hamnet: Designing Shakespeare’s World of Love and Loss
In this episode of The Film and Furniture Podcast, host Paula Benson sits down with Hamnet production designer Fiona Crombie and set decorator Alice Felton — both of whom have received major industry recognition for their work, including BAFTA and Academy Award (Oscar) nominations — to explore the deeply tactile, emotionally charged world of Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet.
Based on Maggie O’Farrell’s award-winning novel, Hamnet reimagines the life of Shakespeare’s family through the story of Agnes (Jessie Buckley) and William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal), tracing love, grief and creativity through domestic space. Rather than leaning into literary myth, the film grounds itself in the textures of everyday life — earth, timber, fabric, candlelight and breath. This episode unpacks how design became a conduit for emotion: how houses were built from scratch, how gardens were planted to live and grow, and how colour, light and objects quietly mirror the film’s shifting psychological landscape.🎯 Episode Highlights🏚️ Agnes’s Family Farm: Nature as OriginDiscover how Agnes’s childhood home was filmed at a real Jacobean farmhouse and dressed with period-inspired textures and surfaces. Fiona and Alice explain how the house was rooted in natural materials and lived-in detail to reflect Agnes’s deep connection to the land.🏠 Henley Street House: Building Shakespeare’s HomeShakespeare’s family house was constructed entirely from scratch at Elstree Studios using reclaimed timbers, heavy beams and hand-aged finishes. From low ceilings and narrow arteries to an A-frame attic bedroom, the house was designed to feel pressurised, crowded and emotionally charged.🌿 Gardens as Working SpacesEvery garden in the film was built and planted for function rather than ornament — with herbs, vegetables, chickens and washing areas. A herbalist adviser ensured the plants were period-appropriate, and the garden itself was allowed to grow and change throughout the shoot.🕯️ Candlelight, Glass & PewterThe interiors were lit primarily by beeswax candles (at Chloé Zhao’s insistence), shaping decisions around reflective surfaces, glassware and pewter plates. Hand-blown glass was commissioned in Somerset, with subtle colour variations to register emotional shifts.🎨 Colour as Emotional CodeThe film’s palette is tightly controlled — until grief enters the house. Fiona and Alice reveal how bed drapes, table runners and fabrics shift from warm reds to cold blues and purples after Hamnet’s death, draining life from the space without the audience consciously noticing why. 🛏️ Crafting Everyday Objects Because ordinary domestic furniture rarely survives from the 16th century, key pieces — including Shakespeare’s bed — were made from scratch using traditional joinery, rope-woven bases and natural waxing. The goal was emotional truth rather than museum accuracy.🎭 Rebuilding the Globe TheatreThe Globe Theatre was reconstructed at 70% scale using reclaimed French oak. Inspired by Chloé Zhao’s note that it should feel “like the inside of a tree,” the theatre became a carved, organic interior rather than a monumental structure.🧠 Behind the Scenes Fiona and Alice discuss:• Why everyday life is harder to recreate than royal interiors• How restraint creates stronger emotional impact than visual excess• Designing houses as psychological spaces rather than historical replicas• Working simultaneously on location builds and studio construction• Letting gardens, materials and textures evolve during filming🎞️ Designers, Furniture & Objects Mentioned• Hand-blown glassware (Somerset glassmaker)• Reclaimed oak timbers (France)• Custom-built Shakespeare bed (Norfolk workshop)• Beeswax candles• Pewter plates and vessels• Herbal props sourced with specialist advisers🔗 Links & ResourcesFilm and Furniture books (including Hamnet) > https://filmandfurniture.com/products/books-mags/See more in our feature > https://filmandfurniture.com/film/hamnet/Read Film and Furniture features on design in film: https://filmandfurniture.com/features/Join our newsletter for exclusive content, giveaways and behind-the-scenes insights: https://filmandfurniture.com/membership/📺 When to Watch / Listen?Whether you’re drawn to historical interiors, emotional storytelling or the craft of world-building, this episode offers a rare, in-depth look at how production design and set decoration shape feeling as much as form. Listen before or after watching Hamnet to deepen your understanding of its visual language.🎨 Credits, Guest & Host Info Guests:Fiona Crombie – Production Designer (Hamnet)Alice Felton – Set Decorator (Hamnet)Host: Paula Benson – Founder and Editor, Film and FurnitureDirector: Chloé ZhaoCast including: Jessie Buckley, Paul MescalWith thanks to: Focus Features🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate and share with fellow lovers of film, design and storytelling.39 min - The Design of Bugonia: Conspiracy, Chaos and Control
In this episode of The Film and Furniture Podcast, host Paula Benson sits down with Bugonia production designer James Price to unpack the quietly unsettling visual world of Yorgos Lanthimos’s Bugonia.
This one is for true film obsessives: unapologetically nerdy and endlessly illuminating, it goes far beyond surface aesthetics to explore how furniture, design and architecture shape the film’s gloriously bonkers logic.Anchored by Emma Stone’s performance as Michelle and Jesse Plemons as Teddy, the film unfolds across sharply contrasting environments: the chaotic, time-stalled house of Teddy; Michelle’s pristine, modernist spaces; and a final world that slips fully into the other-worldly. Here, interiors operate as psychological tools — signalling conspiracy, mayhem and control, and quietly asking whether Michelle may be operating on an entirely different plane. James discusses how these worlds were conceived and built, from constructing an entire house and basement from scratch to using modernist restraint, sculptural furniture and corporate architecture to guide the audience without ever needing to explain themselves.🎯 Episode Highlights
🏚️ Teddy’s House: Designing ChaosDiscover how Teddy’s home was deliberately suspended in the 1990s — layered, cluttered and emotionally arrested — to reflect a life defined by loss, obsession and conspiracy. James explains why chaos can’t be designed on paper, and how memory, instinct and lived-in detail shaped this psychologically charged space.🏢 Michelle’s Office: Control, Power and ModernismStep inside Michelle’s corporate world: a glass-box office set within a stripped-back industrial shell. From the use of modernist restraint to the Barcelona Chair by Mies van der Rohe, the space hints at authority, surveillance — and something faintly alien.🏠 Michelle’s Home: Wealth as PrecisionExplore the contemporary Surrey house used for Michelle’s home, where immaculate gardens, controlled vistas and carefully chosen furniture reinforce her status and self-command — including the Imola Chair by Henrik Pedersen, which frames her almost like a Bond-era villain.🪑 Furniture as SemioticsHear how specific pieces were chosen to avoid overused “hire-house classics” while still carrying cultural weight — including the Jan Bočan armchairs by the swimming pool, selected for their sculptural authority and relative rarity on screen.🏋️ The Gym: Training Beyond the Human Michelle’s gym features the NOHRD Sprintbok curved treadmill and sculptural weight system — equipment that feels closer to a training facility than a wellness space, reinforcing the sense that this body may be operating on another level.💡 The Office Lamps: Warped Modernism In Michelle’s office, lighting becomes a clue. The Claire Norcross Ribbon lamp for Habitat, seen here in high-gloss black, introduces a subtly warped, space-age note, while a Frank Lloyd Wright Taliesin floor lamp anchors the room with architectural gravitas.🌌 The Andromedan World James unpacks the design of Bugonia’s final, other-worldly space — drawing on anatomy, rebirth, sacred architecture and science fiction — and explains how this sequence was developed alongside the house build, evolving over time into one of the film’s most audacious moments.🧠 Behind the Scenes James reveals:• Why Bugonia’s house was built entirely on site, basement included • How modernist design can signal alien logic without saying a word • Why restraint can be more unsettling than spectacle • How design choices quietly “speak to the audience” rather than explain themselves🎞️ Designers, Furniture & Objects Mentioned• Mies van der Rohe – Barcelona Chair • Henrik Pedersen – Imola Chair • Jan Bočan – Poolside Armchairs • NOHRD – Sprintbok Curved Treadmill & Weight System • Claire Norcross – Ribbon Lamp for Habitat • Frank Lloyd Wright / YAMAGIWA – Taliesin Floor Lamp🔗 Links & ResourcesExplore furniture and design featured in Bugonia: https://filmandfurniture.com/film/bugonia/Read Film and Furniture features on design in film: https://filmandfurniture.com/featuresJoin our newsletter for exclusive content, giveaways and behind-the-scenes insights: https://filmandfurniture.com/membershipWhen to Watch / Listen?This episode contains spoilersWhether you’re a Bugonia fan, a lover of modernist interiors, or a design professional interested in how objects shape narrative, this episode offers a rare, in-depth look at production design as storytelling. Listen before or after watching the film for a deeper understanding of its visual world.🎨 Credits, Guest & Host InfoGuest: James Price – Production Designer (Bugonia)Host: Paula Benson – Founder and Editor, Film and FurnitureWith thanks to: Focus Features🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate and share with fellow lovers of film, design and storytelling.42 min - Inside Park Avenue: A Love Letter to New York Through Design and Storytelling
In this episode of The Film and Furniture Podcast, host Paula Benson sits down with writer-director Gaby Dellal to explore the layered interiors, emotional undercurrents, and design-led storytelling of Park Avenue — a film where furniture, colour, and architecture become central to the drama.
Starring Fiona Shaw and Katherine Waterston, Park Avenue unfolds almost entirely within a sumptuous Upper East Side apartment — a space that mirrors the characters’ secrets and histories. Dellal reveals how her dual passions for filmmaking and interior design shaped every detail, from the inky walls and copper pans to the sound of heels on marble.🎯 Episode Highlights🏙️ A Love Letter to New York “It’s really a love letter to New York,” Dellal tells us. From marble lobbies to the rituals of Park Avenue doormen, she captures the rhythm and romance of the city’s grandest old buildings.🎨 A Director with a Designer’s Eye Dellal, also an interior designer with her own studio Create, discusses how designing kitchens and film sets feed one another creatively. Many of the film’s pieces — rugs, ceramics, even the pink silk headboard — came from her own home.🏠 The Apartment as Character Working with production designer Katie Fleming, Dellal transformed a run-down rental into a believable Upper East Side home layered with history. Dark blue-green walls, worn timber floors, apricot sheers, and antique furniture tell the story of Kit’s world — cultured, chaotic, and deeply human.🪞 Objects That Speak From masks symbolising identity to inherited rings and cardigans, Park Avenue treats décor as biography. “Families repeat habits through generations,” says Dellal. “It’s how love and memory survive.”🛋️ Rooms with Purpose• Living Room: A grand piano and an Eames Lounge Chair anchor a space of both status and solace.• Dining Room: A wall of dark Hague Blue frames Chinese masks and a long mahogany table used for painting, writing, and reconciliation.• Kitchen: Blue walls, freestanding cabinetry, copper pans, and everyday tools on show — a lived-in heart of the home.• Bedroom: Near-black walls, apricot drapes and a distressed pink headboard embody intimacy, wear and memory.🎧 The Building’s Voice “Every old New York building has its own soundtrack,” Dellal says. She recorded real sounds — heating pipes, running water, lift doors — to create an aural heartbeat for the film.💡 Constraint as Creativity A small budget forced innovation: repurposed furnishings, natural light, and interconnecting rooms lent realism and intimacy. “We couldn’t afford perfection,” Dellal said. “So we chased truth instead.”🎭 Guest & Host Info Guest:Gaby Dellal — Writer and Director (Park Avenue, 3 Generations, On a Clear Day, Leaving)Host: Paula Benson — Founder and Editor of Film and Furniture🎞️ Designers, Furniture & Influences Mentioned• Charles & Ray Eames – Lounge Chair and Ottoman• Farrow & Ball – Hague Blue paint• BDDW – Ceramics and crockery• Larry Clark – Black and white photography• Jenny Scobel, Eli Tamarkin – Artwork in Kit’s hallway• Stilnovo – Wall sconcesCreate Studio – Gaby Dellal’s interior design practice🔗 Links & Resources🛋️ Explore furniture and décor inspired by Park Avenue📖 Read our feature article: Inside Park Avenue: A Love Letter to New York Through Design and Storytelling📧 Join our newsletter for exclusive design stories, giveaways and more🎨 CreditsHost & Editor: Paula BensonGuest: Gaby DellalGraphics: Paul West at FormWith thanks to: Gaby Dellal, Katie Fleming, and the Park Avenue production team🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe and share with fellow lovers of film, design and storytelling!37 min - Inside the Mysterious and Important Design of Severance
Episode Summary: In this episode of The Film and Furniture Podcast, host Paula Benson sits down with Severance Season 2 set decorator David Schlesinger to explore the unnerving design language of Apple TV+’s hit series.
Fresh from the show’s Emmy win for production design, Schlesinger shares how the interiors of Lumon Industries—and the contrasting “outie” world—were meticulously crafted to be as mysterious and important as the story itself. From the Warren Platner desk that became the “design DNA” of the series, to Dieter Rams’ Braun stereo, Joe Colombo’s plastic futurism, and the uncanny Christmas tree duplication, every detail reinforces Lumon’s ideology and the characters’ lives beyond it.🎯 Episode Highlights🏢 Lumon HeadquartersDiscover how green carpets, anonymous desks, and endless corridors were used as psychological tools to create sameness and disorientation.🪑 Furniture as IdeologyHear how classics like Dieter Rams’ Vitsoe 620 Chair Programme, Joe Colombo’s Universale Chair, and Shiro Kuramata’s Apple Honey Chairs were transformed into instruments of control.🖋️ The Desk That Defined the ShowThe Warren Platner desk in the Management Office became a lynchpin: its sculptural base and Saarinen lineage seeded the entire visual vocabulary of Severance.🎄 The Christmas Tree DuplicationWhy a 3D-printed green Lumon tree on the Testing Floor was mirrored by a live tree in Mark and Gemma’s home—revealing Lumon’s reach “everywhere.”🏠 The Outie WorldStep into Devon and Ricken’s warm mid-century haven, Mark and Gemma’s grief-stricken home, the icy Eagan mansion, and the folkloric Birthing Cabin—each a study in personality, ideology, and myth.🧠 Behind the ScenesDavid reveals how entire libraries were sourced from retiring Russian professors, why he imagined a “severed set decorator” working for Lumon, and how even the smallest objects were reimagined through the lens of control.🎭 Guest & Host InfoGuest: David Schlesinger – Set Decorator (Severance Season 2, Knives Out, John Wick 2 & 3, House of Dynamite)Host: Paula Benson – Founder and Editor of Film and Furniture🎞️ Designers, Furniture & Influences Mentioned• Warren Platner – Desk (1960s)• Dieter Rams – Braun Hi-Fi Wall Unit Stereo, Vitsoe 620 Chair Programme, FS-80 television• Marc Newson – Nimrod Chair• John Pomp Studios – Rift Dining Table• Joe Colombo – Universale Chair, Coupé Wall Light, Triedro Lamp• Shiro Kuramata – Apple Honey Chair• Charles & Ray Eames – Time-Life Executive Chair• Charlotte Perriand – Consado Console• Hans Wegner – CH07 Shell Chair• Isamu Noguchi – Akari Lamps• Poul Henningsen – PH Lamp• Carlo Scarpa – Chandeliers🔗 Links & Resources🛋️ Shop furniture seen in Severance: https://filmandfurniture.com/film/severance/📖 Read our in-depth two-part features on the innie and outie worlds of Severance:https://filmandfurniture.com/features📧 Sign up for our newsletter for exclusive content and giveaways:https://filmandfurniture.com/membership📺 When to Watch/Listen to This Episode?Whether you’re a Severance fan, a mid-century modern enthusiast, or a design professional, this episode offers a rare look at how architecture and furniture can become storytelling devices. Listen before or after watching Severance for a deeper appreciation of its design legacy.🎨 Credits• Host & Editor: Paula Benson• Guest: David Schlesinger• Graphics: Paul West at Form• With thanks to: Apple TV+ and the Severance production team🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate and share with fellow lovers of film, design and storytelling!39 min - Midcentury Marvel: Inside the Design of Fantastic Four: First Steps🎧 Episode Summary: In this episode of the Film and Furniture Podcast, host Paula Benson sits down with celebrated production designer Kasra Farahani to explore the bold, retrofuturist world of Fantastic Four: First Steps. Known for his work on Loki and Black Panther, Kasra brings his architectural flair and cinematic vision to Marvel’s reboot—blending mid-century modernism with sleek space-age optimism.
We dive deep into the interiors of the Baxter Building, a penthouse turned family home, and the spectacular Reed Richards Lab—described as nothing less than a cathedral of science. From curved wood panelling to parabolic structures and Tulip chairs, this episode is a feast of design insight and visual imagination.
🎯 Episode Highlights
🏙️ New York, Reimagined
Discover how Reed Richards’ birth changes the timeline—and reshapes the New York skyline into a subtle blend of classic cityscape and retrofuturist elegance.🪑 Mid-century Meets Space Age
Farahani reveals his design “lighthouse” for the film: the refined futurism of Eero Saarinen and Oscar Niemeyer.🔥 The Baxter Apartment
A warm, womb-like family home built inside a penthouse—with curved wood interiors, flagstone floors, sunken conversation pits and sculptural lighting.🎛️ Furniture as Storytelling
From Saarinen Tulip Tables to the Martinelli Cobra Lamp and Panthella lighting—every piece enhances the characters’ emotional world.🧪 Reed’s Lab = Science Cathedral
A gleaming white environment inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey, complete with red, yellow and blue zones for experimentation, contemplation and mission control.🎨 Colour and Form as Motif
Explore the layered use of primary colour zones and fluted, growing shapes—drawing on Eames palettes, Luigi Colani’s, and Cold War-era optimism.🚗 The Fantastic Car
A retrofuturist beast built to Cadillac scale—with curved surfaces, chrome fins, and just enough clunk to feel grounded in the ’60s.🛠️ Building Worlds, Literally
Much of the film was physically constructed—including a vast New York streetscape and the entire Baxter Lab.🧠 The Art of Big Picture Thinking
Kasra shares how experience in art direction and team leadership shapes the ability to create entire cinematic worlds.🎭 Guest & Host Info
Guest: Kasra Farahani – Production Designer (Fantastic Four: First Steps, Loki)
Host: Paula Benson – Founder and Editor of Film and Furniture🎞️ Films, Designers & Influences Mentioned
Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)
2001: A Space Odyssey
Loki, Black Panther
Eero Saarinen, Oscar Niemeyer, Luigi Colani
Arthur Radebaugh’s Closer Than We Think
Santiago Calatrava
Charles & Ray Eames, Florence Knoll, Elio Martinelli, Verner Panton
🔗 Links & Resources
🛋️ Shop furniture seen in Fantastic Four: First Steps:
https://filmandfurniture.com/film/the-fantastic-four-first-steps/📖 Read our in-depth article on the Baxter apartment and Reed Richards’ Lab (Coming soon to https://filmandfurniture.com/features/)
📧 Sign up for our newsletter for exclusive content and giveaways
📺 When to Watch/Listen to This Episode?
Whether you’re a Marvel fan, mid-century modern devotee, or design professional, this episode offers a rare insight into the visual storytelling behind superhero cinema. Listen before or after watching Fantastic Four: First Steps for a deeper understanding of the film’s architecture, symbolism, and cinematic craft.
🎨 Credits
Host & Editor: Paula Benson
Graphics: Paul West at FormGuest: Kasra FarahaniWith thanks to: Marvel and Disney🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate and share with fellow lovers of film, design and storytelling!
37 min - Inside The Uninvited: The House, the Furniture, the Vision – with Nadia Conners (Video Podcast)Episode Summary: In this episode of the @filmandfurniture Podcast, host Paula Benson sits down with filmmaker Nadia Conners, writer and director of The Uninvited, for a deeply insightful conversation about storytelling, interiors, and how architecture and décor can reflect the inner lives of characters. Set in a house in the Hollywood Hills over the course of one unsettling evening, The Uninvited is rich in emotional nuance, stylish design, and layered symbolism.
Nadia reveals the real-life inspiration behind the film (an unexpected visit from a stranger during a party), shares her philosophical approach to home and identity, and confirms that she is, officially, becoming a fan of Film and Furniture! We also discover her husband—actor Walton Goggins (The White Lotus, Justified, The Hateful Eight) and star of The Uninvited—is a passionate and talented interior designer in his own right.
🎯 Episode Highlights🏡 The House as Character
The house in The Uninvited is more than a location—it’s a nest, a prison, and a symbol of memory, identity and passing time.🖋️ Art Imitates Life
Nadia shares the real story of a stranger walking into her own party, which became the spark for the film’s entire plot.🎭 The Roles We Play
Rose (played by Elizabeth Reaser) is a reluctant mother and hostess—caught between her past as an actress and her current role as wife and mother, explored visually through costume and setting.🪞 Vanitas Tableaux and Metaphor
From sculptural flowers to red velvet dresses made from theatre curtains, every item in the house carries symbolic weight. Nadia draws inspiration from vanitas paintings and the diorama-like framing of domestic life.🛋️ Eclectic Interior Design
Discover the film’s richly layered mix of Art Deco, mid-century, and contemporary design—featuring Mario Bellini sofas, Danish dining chairs, Sputnik chandeliers and more.🛠️ Walton Goggins: Actor and Interior Aficionado
Nadia credits her husband, actor Walton Goggins, as a “genius” interior decorator—scouting antiques, sourcing rare pieces, and shaping their real-life spaces.🎬 Designing on a Budget
Shot in 15 days on a tight budget, Nadia explains how one real house served as the entire film set—and how its layout and flexibility made the storytelling possible.📹 Beautiful Surveillance
Nadia describes her approach as “beautiful surveillance”—transforming alcoves, bathrooms and closets into emotional micro-stages through framing, light and texture.🎭 Guest & Host InfoGuest: Nadia Conners – Writer and Director of The Uninvited (2024) and Co-Director of The 11th Hour (2007)
Host: Paula Benson – Founder and Editor of Film and Furniture
🎞️ Films & People MentionedThe Uninvited (2024) – Nadia’s narrative directorial debut.
The White Lotus, Justified, The Hateful Eight – Films/TV shows starring Walton Goggins.2001: A Space Odyssey, Bergman, Woody Allen, Noah Baumbach – Creative influences discussed.🔗 Links & ResourcesRead our article on The Uninvited’s house and design (Coming soon to FilmandFurniture.com)
Discover furniture and décor seen in The Uninvited film: https://filmandfurniture.com/film/the-uninvited/
Sign up for our newsletter for exclusive content and giveaways: https://filmandfurniture.com/membership/
📺 When to Watch/Listen to This Episode?This episode is perfect before or after watching The Uninvited. It contains insights that will deepen your appreciation of the film’s themes, set design, and nuanced characters. If you love film, design, or smart satire, this is one to linger on.
🎨 CreditsFilm and Furniture Founder and Editor: Paula Benson
Episode Video/Podcast Editor: Paula BensonGraphics: Paul West (@Form Design and Branding)With thanks to: Nadia Conners, Foton.Pictures, Rosebud Pictures, ARPR.🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and share with fellow design and film fans!
#TheUninvited #NadiaConners #FilmAndFurniture #SetDesign #InteriorDesign #ProductionDesign #WaltonGoggins
29 min - The Shining Carpet: The story behind the most famous carpet in film (Video Podcast)
In this episode of the Film and Furniture Podcast, host Paula Benson goes solo to take us on a deep dive into one of the most recognisable and discussed design elements in film history: The Shining’s hexagonal carpet. Celebrating the 45th anniversary of Stanley Kubrick’s psychological horror masterpiece, Paula reveals the story behind the infamous Overlook Hotel carpet, shares her own research journey in tracing its origins, and explains how you can bring an official version of this legendary design into your own home.
Episode Highlights🛋️ The Origins of Film and Furniture: Paula shares how The Shining’s carpet helped spark the idea for Film and Furniture, becoming a cornerstone of the site’s celebration of design in film.
⬢ The Hexagonal Carpet's Legacy: Discover how this hypnotic geometric pattern became not only synonymous with Kubrick’s film but a global design phenomenon, endlessly referenced across pop culture—from Toy Story and The Simpsons, to Ready Player One and a Gucci fashion campaign.
👀 Who Really Designed It?: Paula details her journey of discovery confirm the carpet's true designer—David Hicks, one of the most influential British interior designers of the 20th century. The pattern is officially known as Hicks’ Hexagon.
♟️ Kubrick’s Strategic Vision: How the carpet’s graphic form aligns with Kubrick’s symmetrical visual style, chess obsessions, and interest in war strategy, enhancing the sense of dread and tension in The Shining.
🧠 A Sixth Sense?: Could the hexagonal pattern be a visual metaphor for “the shine” itself—Danny’s psychic gift? Paula explores symbolism and the carpet’s unsettling presence as part of the film’s psychological power.
📚 Conspiracy Theories and Chess Moves: From shot-to-shot continuity quirks to deeper symbolic interpretations, Paula references Julie Kearns analysis of the carpet’s role in Kubrick’s visual storytelling.
🎬 Behind the Scenes: Learn more about the film’s production design by Roy Walker and art direction by Leslie Tomkins, and how film sets were built at Elstree Studios in the UK.
🛍️ How to Own The Shining Carpet: Paula reveals how Film and Furniture now supply official licensed versions of the original David Hicks design: Authentic high quality 1 ply wool, hand-tufted rugs and carpets available to the public.
🎭 Host InfoHost: Paula Benson – Founder and Editor of Film and Furniture
🎞️ Films MentionedThe Shining (1980) – The subject of this episode.
Toy Story, Minions, Ready Player One, The Simpsons, BoJack Horseman, Passengers, The Substance – Pop culture references to the carpet.
2001: A Space Odyssey – Chess game connection.
Paths of Glory, Spartacus, Dr. Strangelove, Full Metal Jacket, Napoleon (unmade) – Kubrick’s exploration of war and strategy.
🔗 Links & Resources🔗 Order the officially licensed Hicks’ Hexagon rugs
🔗 Order the officially licensed Hicks’ Hexagon carpet
🔗 Read our article on The Shining and the Overlook carpet
🔗 Discover the book David Hicks Scrapbooks
🔗 Explore our full collection of furniture and décor seen in films: Film and Furniture Marketplace
🔗 Sign up for our newsletter for exclusive content and giveaways
📺 When to Watch/Listen to This Episode?This episode is a perfect listen whether you’ve seen The Shining a dozen times or are just dipping your toe into Kubrick’s eerie world. It’s also a visual podcast, so feel free to watch along to see imagery and references as they’re discussed.
🎨 CreditsFilm and Furniture Founder/Editor: Paula Benson
Video/Podcast Editor: Paula BensonGraphics: Paul West (@Form Design and Branding)With thanks to: Warner Bros.🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and share with fellow design and film fans!
14 min - Designing the surreal world of Queer (Video podcast)
Episode Summary
In this episode of The Film and Furniture Podcast, host Paula Benson dives into the world of Luca Guadagnino's film Queer with production designer Stefano Baisi. Stefano shares the process of creating the film’s surreal, dreamlike film sets, where furniture, decor, and architectural elements play a significant role in telling the story. From historical research to designing imaginary worlds, this episode explores how every detail in the set contributes to the psychological depth of the film.Episode Highlights🎥 Research and Immersion: Stefano takes us on his personal journey retracing William Lee (and William Burroughs') steps across Mexico and Ecuador to bring authenticity to Queer’s design.
🏠 The Challenge: Stefano reflects on his transition from interior architecture to production design for film, and how it shaped his approach to set design.
🎨 The Influence of art and film: Stefano discusses the influence of matte paintings by the film artist Albert Whitlock and the artists Francis Bacon, Michaël Borremans and Francis Alÿs on the film's visual language, as well as the films Naked Lunch, Blue Velvet, The Red Shoes and Black Narcissus.
🏠 Designing Lee’s Apartment: The careful crafting of Lee’s apartment, reflecting the character’s isolation and inner turmoil through furniture and set details.
⛵ Ship Ahoy Café: The design of the Ship Ahoy café, inspired by nautical themes merged with an American diner style and expat atmosphere.
🌿 Building the Jungle Set: The challenge of recreating the Ecuadorian jungle on an Italian studio lot, mixing real plants and fake foliage to create an authentic but fantastical setting.
🌙 Surreal Set Design: The process behind the dreamy, almost hallucinatory sequences in Queer, including the profound scene where the characters share a connection through ayahuasca.
🎭 Guest & Host Info
Guest: Stefano Baisi is an Italian production designer with a background in interior architecture at Luca Guadagnino's design studio.Host: Paula Benson – Founder and Editor of Film and FurnitureFilms Mentioned
- Queer– Stefano’s work as production designer.
- Naked Lunch (1991) – Surrealist set design and its influence on Queer’s aesthetic.
- Blue Velvet (1986) – An influence on Lee’s apartment
- The Red Shoes - Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger
- Black Narcissus (1947) - The British psychological drama film jointly written, directed and produced by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger
Links & Resources🔗 Buy the Mexican Copa Chabela Cuadrada (square glass)🔗 Read the book Queer by William Burroughs🔗 Read the Film and Furniture article on Queer🔗 Books on Francis Bacon🔗 Books on the artist Michaël Borremans🔗 Books on the artist Francis Alÿs🔗 Discover where to find furniture and décor in film in our marketplace:🔗 Sign up for our Newsletter for exclusive content and giveaways
When to Watch/Listen to This Episode?You can watch or listen to this episode before seeing the film to enhance your viewing experience. However, please note that it contains SPOILERS. If you prefer to avoid them, watch after seeing the film—it might even make you want to watch the film all over again!🎨 Credits
Film and Furniture Founder/Editor: Paula Benson
Podcast Producer: Suzanne CourageVideo/Podcast Editor: Ira PutilovaGraphics: Paul West (@Form Design and Branding)With thanks to A24🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a comment!24 min - The Substance: The Film Set Designs (Video Podcast)
In this episode of The Film and Furniture Podcast, host Paula Benson sits down with production designer Stanislas Reydellet to explore the striking production design of Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance. Reydellet, a key creative force behind the film, shares the details of crafting a visually immersive world—one that is both unsettling and meticulously designed. From grand, minimalistic apartments to corridors that evoke a psychological journey, this episode explores the interplay of set design, furniture, décor, colour, and symbolism in storytelling.
🎥 Episode Highlights
• A visionary approach to filming The Substance—including a 110-day shoot and 20 days dedicated to microscopic details.
• Elizabeth’s apartment—how its vast emptiness reflects isolation, status, and a retreat from the world.
• Furniture transformations—how the evolving bed, chairs, and décor reflect shifting psychological states.
• The mechanics of blood—how 2,000 litres of fake blood were engineered for one of the film’s pivotal moments.
• Design influences—the impact of the Memphis Group and Ettore Sottsass on the film’s aesthetic.
• A nod to The Shining—the hexagonal carpet in the TV studio corridor and how it was adapted as a subtle yet powerful homage.
• The bathroom as a lightbox—inspired by Jean-Pierre Raynaud, its sterile, minimalist design heightens the film’s surrealism.
• Obsessive attention to detail—from designing the perfect USB key to crafting a unique custom typeface for the film’s fictional brand.
🎭 Guest & Host Info Guest:
Stanislas Reydellet – Production Designer for The Substance
Host: Paula Benson – Founder and Editor of Film and Furniture
📌 Links & Resources
🔗 The official Hicks Hexagon carpet and rugs as seen in The Shining – https://filmandfurniture.com/product/the-shining-overlook-hotel-rug-hicks-hexagon-official-240-170/
🔗 Read the article: https://filmandfurniture.com/2025/03/behind-the-scene…of-the-substance/
🔗 Discover where to find furniture and décor in film in our marketplace: https://filmandfurniture.com/store/
🔗 Explore the Film and Furniture features on the design, furniture, and décor of film: https://filmandfurniture.com/features/
🔗 Sign up for our Newsletter for exclusive content and giveaways: https://filmandfurniture.com/membership/
⏰ When to Watch/Listen to This Episode?
You can watch or listen to this episode before seeing the film to enhance your viewing experience. However, please note that it contains SPOILERS. If you prefer to avoid them, watch after seeing The Substance—it might even make you want to watch the film all over again!
🎬 Films Mentioned
The Substance (2024)
The Shining (1980) – Kubrick’s influence, including the hexagonal carpet reference
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) – The film’s visual language and lighting effects
A Clockwork Orange (1971) – Aesthetic references in the film’s mood boards
The Fly (1986) – Body horror and transformation influences
Requiem for a Dream (2000) – Psychological and stylistic elements
The Picture of Dorian Gray – The film’s thematic connection to identity and transformation 🎨
Credits
Film and Furniture Founder/Editor: Paula Benson
Podcast Producer: Suzanne Courage
Video/Podcast Editor: Laura Spini
Graphics: Paul West (@Form Design and Branding)
With thanks to MUBI
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28 min - Oscars Design round-up: Outstanding film sets from the 2025 Academy Awards (Video podcast)
🎙️Episode Summary
In this episode of The Film and Furniture Podcast, host Paula Benson takes us on a design-centric journey through the 97th Academy Awards, highlighting the nominees and winners for Best Production Design and other key categories. From the magical world of Wicked to the gothic atmosphere of Nosferatu, the futuristic landscapes of Dune Part Two, and the intensity of The Brutalist, Paula explores how these films create unforgettable worlds through design. With in-depth insights on each nominee, the conversation also touches on other notable Oscar winners Anora, Emilia Pérez and The Substance, focusing on their unique visual styles.
🍿 Episode Highlights
Wicked: A deep dive into the world-building brilliance of this musical reimagining, designed by Nathan Crowley. The film's sweeping design transports audiences into a magical world, with set decorator Lee Sandeles playing a crucial role.Nosferatu: A look at Robert Eggers' gothic horror masterpiece, featuring impressive set designs by Craig Lathrop that creates authentic interiors and eerie castlesDune Part Two: Patrice Vermette, the production designer, and Shane Vieau, the set decorator, join Paula to discuss how the film's design showcases the different cultures and houses of the Dune universe.The Brutalist: A conversation on the film's striking set design by Judy Becker and Patricia Cuccia, reflecting the life of a fictional visionary architect, and inspired by the works of post-war architects like Marcel Breuer.Conclave: An exploration of this political thriller’s minimalistic, symmetrical design and bold colour palette, brought to life by production designer Suzie Davies.Other Oscar Winners: A look at Emilia Pérez, Anora, and The Substance, discussing their design choices, from gritty realism to profound cultural reflections.Host:
Paula Benson – Host of The Film and Furniture Podcast and expert in film design and interiors.Mentioned Films:- Wicked (Directed by John M. Chu)
- Nosferatu (Directed by Robert Eggers)
- Dune Part Two (Directed by Denis Villeneuve)
- The Brutalist (Directed by Brady Corbet)
- Conclave (Directed by Edward Berger)
- Emilia Perez (Directed by Jacques Audiard)
- Anora (Directed by Sean Baker)
- The Substance (Directed by Coralie Fargeat)
⏰ When to Watch/Listen This Video? You can watch or listen to this video podcast before seeing the film, and it may enhance your viewing experience. However, please note that it contains SPOILERS. If you're sensitive to them, feel free to watch it after you've seen the film—chances are, it might make you want to watch it all over again!
Support the Show: If you love our podcast, please subscribe, rate, and review! It really helps us grow and continue bringing you interviews with the creative minds behind your favourite films and design.📌 Links & Resources🔗 Explore the Film and Furniture website for many other fascinating articles on the design, furniture and décor of film
🔗 Discover where to furniture and décor in film in our marketplace🔗 Sign-up to our Newsletter🔗Follow us on Instagram for more design inspiration from your favourite films🔔 Subscribe for more exclusive interviews on film design, furniture, decor and set decoration!Credits
Film and Furniture Founder/Editor: Paula BensonSeries Podcast Producer: Suzanne CourageVideo/Podcast Editor: Paula Benson (featuring previous episodes from Laura Spini, Ira Putilova and Emma Youell).Graphics: Paul West @Form Design and BrandingWith thanks to all the relevant Film studios.
10 min
About The Film and Furniture Podcast
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Explore film design with expert interviews & behind-the-scenes insights.