Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1480624
An early model was uploaded to Set Designer Cheyenne Bell so she could work out any odd proportions or off-center elements before I shifted to designing the apartment. I like building a trust with my team to let their creative expertise shine instead of micromanaging them. Art Director Joe Pew poured over ceiling layouts and details to keep construction moving and I focused on the next meeting—the next hurdle—which was convincing producers that a two-story apartment courtyard needed to be built on stage. The courtyard was the only element of the Castelli's new home established in the pilot and it was so prominent in the beautiful closing scene that we had to stay true to its layout. Since finding a location was not an option, I had to figure out how to afford the build and fit it on stage. Shrinking the scale of the LA location by approximately ten percent and doing a bit of forced perspective on the second floor did the trick. It not only provided a great backdrop outside the apartment windows and front door, but the production was also able to shoot entire scenes out there convincingly. I think the heavily textured and aged stucco we used also made it feel like Hialeah. Inside, I added a few funky details like the mid- century lightbox over the bar, '70s linoleum floors, and an old built-in at the dining area to convey the age of the building, but gave a classic '80s "landlord upgrade" to the apartment with oak- trimmed cabinets, yellow laminate countertops and sea-foam green carpet. The popcorn ceilings and muted wallpapers gave texture but never fought for attention. Nothing feels more '80s than tons of houseplants, so the crew splayed trailing vines all over and layered in tropical prints to reflect a slight Caribbean vibe. D E F H G