When AOL Lifestyle offered me the chance to interview set designer, stylist, and decorator, Amy Wells, I jumped at the opportunity. From designing sets for Mad Men and Scandal, to scouting locations and decor for films, how could I not pick the brain of this talented woman?
In addition to her amazing work seen on both the small and big screen, Amy recently partnered up with HomeGoods to style three different living rooms to fit the personalities of the Binge Watcher, Live Watcher, and the DVR Watcher. I lean towards being a binge watcher now that we are a cable-free house. Lately, I’ve let shows pile up and tend to binge on the weekends (thank goodness for Apple TV and the major cable networks that allow me to watch online)! A cozy living room with a worn in leather couch and a touch of neutral accessories – sums my ideal relaxation space.
Want to find out what TV personality type Amy is? Click through to find out and read the full interview below!
What’s a day in the life of Amy Wells?
My day is often influenced by the show that I’m working on – where it’s located and the type of the show. On a period movie or TV show I have a whole different cadence to my shopping. Instead of going to prop houses I’m often at vintage shops, flea markets, thrift stores and garage sales. It’s an adventure for me.
What are your must-have décor items for fall?
My favorite decor items for fall are throws to keep warm while watching TV. It is finally cooling off here in Los Angeles and I’m excited to get cozy with a throw this winter.
Are you one that DVRs, binge-watches, or watches TV live?
I am a combo DVR watcher and binge watcher.
Latest TV show you’re binge watching?
My husband Eric and I binge watched The Killing several months ago, as well as Downton Abbey. I am currently addicted to The Voice, The Affair and can’t wait for Bloodline to come back on the air!
Do you collaborate with the actors on what would go into their ‘home’ on set?
I am always willing to collaborate with actors. You want them to feel at ease on the set – it’s such an important factor that helps them get into character.
Where do you find your inspiration or drive for a particular set? Traveling? Talking with the production staff or actors?
When I’m reading a script for the first time, I try to envision who the character is – where they’ve been, what their daily life is like and how they’d curate a space that’s uniquely theirs. For TV, I get a lot of inspiration from the writer or producer, but when it comes to films I usually rely on the director.
What are your best tips for shopping local thrift stores or antique stores? What would you say is your best find from thrifting?
My favorite find from an antique shop was an lingerie display from the 1940’s – that find was absolutely breathtaking. I’m always finding amazing pieces – there are too many to note!
Is there any difference between set decorations for movies versus TV shows?
There is a big difference between set decorating for films and TV. In features, decorators get a lot more prep time, and also have a bigger say in what goes into each set. The culture of creation has to be a bit abbreviated in TV because of the quick turnaround times.
When I work with [American director and filmmaker] Paul Thomas Anderson we spend a lot of time together, researching and bouncing ideas off of each other. All the departments eat together, look at pictures together – there’s just an organic feel to making the film happen. That evolution is the best possible scenario.
In a multi-cam TV show, it is in many ways like doing a stage play. My decoration is affected greatly by the lighting style. Everything is designed to allow for multiple cameras to shoot each set simultaneously, and the lights are pre-set like in a stage play.
What’s the turn around time between sourcing and styling sets? How often do you have to source brand new rooms versus making tweaks to sets already created?
The turnaround for sets is weekly in most cases. When we start a season on an episodic show like Scandal or House we usually get approximately 4 weeks to do what are called the “Permanent Sets.” Depending on the script, we also do “Swing Sets” which are sets that will only appear in a couple of scenes, specific to the episode. For those sets we usually have 7-9, days depending on the budget of the show. In the beginning Mad Men was a 7 day show – it was tough!
What’s been one of your favorite sets you’ve styled from past TV shows or movies?
The department store in The Master. It was a 1949 department store – that’s actually where we used the incredible display that I had found! We also created a wall of vintage hosiery, and sourced vintage china for the china department. The whole set was about 40,000 square feet, which was probably the largest interior set I’ve ever done.
Do you find set decorating is different between sitcoms and hour-long dramas? How so?
On a sitcom or one hour show that’s contemporary, the sky is the limit as far as shopping. I’ll shop for about half of the set at prop houses, and then for the rest I’ll look online or head to places like HomeGoods that have a huge variety of styles. I use HomeGoods for all of my “top layer,” which means kitchen dressing, sheets, throw pillows, vases, mirrors, and picture frames – those pieces that give a place character and bring a personality to life. I like to be able to see and touch things before I buy them for the set, it’s hard to see true color or scale online.
Do you prefer to style modern-era based shows and movies or era movies and television shows?
My first love and my initial training was on period films and that is I think at my core. Although I love creating a contemporary set I find the process of research and creating much more satisfying on a period project.
Who’s on your team? Where do you fit into the puzzle piece in creating the world of a particular television show or movie?
I have a team of people I love. It changes depending on the project! I rely heavily on other people to keep me organized in that I have a real deficit in that area. I choose people who are calm, organized and have attributes that I don’t have. It’s a balance! I like to include everyone in the process – it makes for a much more pleasant experience.
Tell us what is something that we will always find on one of your sets? Do you have any signature pieces?
I think I often unwittingly have used an abacus on many of my sets. My signature is to make the set look seamless, natural and not “decorated!”
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions, Amy!
Photos by Harry van Gorkum for HomeGoods and a big thank you to AOL Lifestyle Collective for giving me the opportunity to interview Amy Wells.
