A famous author is pulled into a twisted mind game with her rich, powerful new neighbor — who might be a murderer. --Netflix
Set Decorator Michael Nallan SDSA takes us through the main character’s house – the home of grieving writer Aggie Wiggs [Claire Danes] -- and we see how the sets compound this psychological thriller!
Collaboration...
“Loren Weeks is an incredible production designer. It's truly wonderful to work with someone who has a clear and strong vision for the sets, but also a collaborative spirit that is open to myself and others building upon and enhancing that vision. We worked together closely on all of the major sets, but most of all, our primary stage builds for Aggie’s home.”
Inspirations for Aggie’s home...Building backstory
“There was a very clear plot point that Aggie bought the house, with money earned from her best-selling, and Pulitzer Prize-winning book, for the budding family she shared with her wife Shelly, now her ex-wife. The intent was to renovate the home when they bought it, but it remains unfinished due to the untimely death of her son, which causes Aggie’s life to stop in its tracks.”
“Early in the creative process, Loren gave a note that he wanted Aggie’s to feel like an aging Victorian home that had been modified and updated over time. Among the first elements we chose were the bold wallcoverings, since they would allow us to tell the story of the home, Aggie’s character, and all that she had been through since moving in.”
“Luckily for us, Loren wasn’t afraid to use them, and the set really came alive as a result. Many of the wallcoverings were from the LA based firm Bradbury & Bradbury that specializes in print to order replications of Victorian era wallcoverings.”
Main hall...a confluence of strong patterns gives visual clues to the age of the house, and the changes it has gone through... Photo courtesy of Netflix.
“In the main hall, we used a beautiful 1920s replica called ‘Brazil’ that had deep teals which our art director Geoffry Elrich referenced to color-drench the stairs and banister up to the second floor.”
Living room...
“In the living room, we did an amazing black and gold Japanese geometric covering which played so well with beautiful Murano glass sconces from Cityknick, which weighed a ton and required reinforced walls! The juxtaposition between rooms made it feel as if the living room was renovated by a previous owner, helping to convey that the home has had many lives prior to Aggie.”
Living room...the BTS photo lets us see the sconces aglow, and magnificent floral from Aisling Flowers/NY. Photo courtesy of Netflix.
“One of the most significant character pieces in Aggie’s home is undoubtedly the painting done by her ex-wife Shelly in the living room. It’s a dark, but moving piece, of mother and child created by our scenic artists with many rounds of back and forth with the production designer and director.”
Living room. The stunning portrait of Aggie and her child. Photo courtesy of Netflix
“The painting becomes a plot point when Nina Jarvis notices its beauty and seeks Shelly out to represent her work...but more importantly, it’s a painful tie to Aggie’s past before the accident and her unraveling.”
Reverse shot of the living room. The Victorian arched connection doors lead into the dining room, the chandeliers and sconces offering a sightline of pinpoint light. Photo courtesy of Netflix.
“Fun fact: Many of Shelly’s pieces created for Aggie’s home were based on beautiful portrait stills taken by Gordon Weeks, our set dec production assistant.”
Dining room. Here, the patterning is in the draperies and the carpet, letting the art have its due. Photo courtesy of Netflix.
“As we continued conversations with Showrunner Howard Gordon and Producer/Director Antonio Campos about the degree of disrepair the house should be in, we established that all of the fixtures of the home would be from its previous life and owners, while all the furniture would be items Aggie brought from their Brooklyn apartment or purchased recently.”
“For the kitchen, Loren and I specifically chose elements that were ambiguous to time period (e.g., the tile counters) and then incorporated elements of a partial renovation (e.g., stripped floors, cabinets partially painted, etc.).”
Breakfast room and kitchen. Photo courtesy of Netflix
Aggie’s study...
“In contrast, Aggie’s study was full of pieces we implied were from the Brooklyn townhouse, i.e. a mid-century desk, a vintage daybed we re-upholstered (it got significant airtime with Aggie regularly passing out and waking up on it), and a perfectly distressed Ralph Lauren leather writer’s chair. We later repurposed some of these in a flashback to the Brooklyn apartment to establish their lineage in her life.”
“One of my favorite pieces is the 1950s French bouillotte chandelier from Chairish that we hung over Aggie’s desk in the study. The brass work and blown glass elements on it are so striking and juxtapose nicely against the mid-century furniture elements. It had the added benefit of providing a distinct down glow that DP Lylie Vincent used to illuminate Aggie in several scenes where she is working frantically at her desk late into the night.”
Aggie’s study, BTS. Myriad details of the writer’s life, including some of her many awards and distinctive furnishings. Note the pattern in the rug echoing the frieze atop the room. Inset: The 1950s French bouillotte chandelier. Study photo courtesy of Netflix.
Aggie’s study. Claire Danes as writer Aggie Wiggs. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025.
“I also really loved the period cast iron fireplace in her study that we shipped in from an architectural salvage in Ohio. It has beautiful hints of yellow veining that we all loved so much when viewed in person that we decided to accentuate it with caramel color Zellige tile around the hearth to pull the color out further.”
“For Aggie’s study, we did a warm landscape frieze that felt like an homage to her Midwest upbringing.” (You can see a glimpse of it above the doors in the BTS photo, as well as the cast iron fireplace with the caramel hearth tiles, covered in books, of course!) Courtesy of Netflix.
“We really got into this particular set and kept adding those little details until time was up and it was time to shoot it. In addition to mementos from a past life, we also wanted there to be a sense of clutter and chaos to represent Aggie’s declining mental health during this period. This is most evident in the layers of magazines, newspapers, unpaid bills, and dirty dishes which all represent her inability to move on with her life.”
Library/Reading nook...
“Perhaps my favorite room in the house was the upstairs hallway/library/reading nook that Loren dreamed up as a sanctuary for Aggie. It was warm and inviting, drenched in blue, strewn with books and clutter that lead the viewer to believe it's where Aggie hid from the world as she unraveled in the aftermath of her family's tragedy.”
Library/Reading nook. Opposite the stairway, Loren and Michael provided a perfect nook, giving Aggie a sanctuary amidst her books. Courtesy of Netflix.
“We also layered in tons of elements to develop Aggie’s character throughout the home: custom awards and accolades in the office (no physical Pulitzer, though, as Legal wouldn't let us have dialogue about the award and show it simultaneously), a curated book selection for her library, totes from Brooklyn stores she may have shopped (e.g., Park Slope Food Co-op, Books Are Magic, etc.), and other remnants of her past life with her son and wife.”
Art...
“We had an incredible opportunity to explore and develop the plot lines in the show through art, owing to the fact that three main characters are artists or gallerists, not to mention Nile’s ability to collect art through significant financial means.”
Speaking of Nile, here he is in Aggie’s conservatory...the wallpaper and sofa fabric offer a superlative backdrop. Matthew Rhys as Nile Jarvis. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025.
“In addition to Shelly’s hero painting in Aggie’s home, we had great pieces by local New York artists Mark Oliver, Amanda Kavanagh, Rachel Kremidas, and Dylan Goldberger. I was so fortunate to have Shannon Nallan with us on this, as she’s a wealth of knowledge when it comes to artists, art history, and clearances, and she is such a pro at weaving it into the storytelling. Any project where she's involved with helping to select the art is so much better for it.”
The bedrooms...
“Aggie’s son’s room was the only space we chose to have fully renovated, as if done upon moving to the new home, signifying how important he was to the family. We found an incredible, and slightly eerie, wall mural of wooded landscapes from a European wallcovering printer and built the color of the room around it using a complementary green for the trim, blinds, window bench, and bookcases.”
“Aggie’s son’s bedroom was a perfect time capsule of a very loved and missed young son, and I think the layers and character development of his interests really played into Aggie’s sorrow the night we see her and Nile drunkenly bond there.” All photos courtesy of Netflix. Inset bottom right: Grieving mother Aggie Wiggs [Claire Danes] awakens in her son’s bed. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025.
Who do you most rely on?
“Without a doubt, my team. I was fortunate enough to have my sister Shannon Nallan (an incredible SDSA set decorator herself),Tyler Waugh, Gavriel Dominquez, and Peter Kringdon with me on this project. Each of them is exceedingly capable in their own right, and it makes my job so much easier when I know that all the sets are being executed well even if we are all scattered in different places on any given day. I’m also incredibly thankful for my team of dressers led by Chris Vogt (his final project before retirement). This was far from an easy project, and they really knocked it out of the park.”
Editor’s note:
Set Decorator Michael Nallan SDSA would also like to acknowledge some of his most valuable resources for this series, particularly SDSA Business members: AMCO/American Screen & Window Covering | Aisling Flowers | Arenson Props | Bridge Props | City Knickerbocker [City Knick] | Carpet Time | Fabric City | Fennick Studio Props | Newel Props
