Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1546606
Inside this blank canvas I let the unique tastes of each character come to the fore. Bea's apartment traded in femininity and traditional expectations while Twila's refl ected her working-class upbringing and disinterest in homemaking— in fact, her bedroom featured the Embassy's standard-issue Drexel Heritage furniture, underscoring her disinterest in her husband. Dane's apartment is spare, though the touches are considered, elegant, and refl ect an interest in contemporary culture. But I had the most fun with Ray and Cheryl's apartment. I used their long tenure, Cheryl's insistent personality and her access to perhaps illegal resources to give them a space with overwhelming '70s fl air. The graphics team, led by Gyömi Kabai, created custom-colored bold wallpaper, the Scenic Artists custom-created gold veined mirror, and set dec emptied the vintage stores. Because of Cheryl's access and double- dealing, it felt right to add hints of Soviet goods, details like the small bears and red stars in their son's bedroom wallpaper. I also implanted a ruddy marble in the headboard of their bed, a stone that repeatedly shows up in spaces infi ltrated by the enemy. And what was happening in the homes of the Soviets? The aesthetic of the USSR largely featured in western entertainment was caused by forced mass urbanization early 1900s, which led to a profusion of panel houses in the midcentury. Colossal apartment blocks were fi lled with tight coils of rooms, each divided by doors. What better way to show the distinction from American politics than emphasize the barriers prioritized by the Soviets. Sasha, the show's dear Soviet double agent, was given a classic Krushchevka apartment. Locations found a spectacular exterior that had been accented with mustard yellow glass and panels, which felt more on tone for the show. Inside, real fl oor plans were closely followed, building everything correct to the centimeter. This resulted in tighter and taller doorways and hallways, and longer, narrower rooms. The chipped high-gloss paint and worn wood fl ooring, the vintage damask wallpaper and amber rondel glass in the doors were great fun. I loved designing Sasha's bathroom, each detail— the swinging tub-fi ller faucet, the replacement tiles, the window to the kitchen and the D. US EMBASSY, CIA OFFICE, "THE BUBBLE" PRODUCTION STILL. E. US EMBASSY, CIA OFFICE, THE "YELLOW SUBMARINE" BULLPEN. PRODUCTION STILL BY DÁVID LUKÁCS. F. BEA'S APARTMENT LIVING ROOM. SET PHOTO BY DÁVID LUKÁCS. G. TWILA'S APARTMENT LIVING ROOM. SET PHOTO BY DÁVID LUKÁCS. H. RAY AND CHERYL'S APARTMENT LIVING ROOM. SET PHOTO. I. RAY AND CHERYL'S BEDROOM COLOR STUDIES. BY GYÖNGYVÉR KABAI. F G H I