Set Decorator Emily Dawson-Trent SDSA helped bring the magic back...and beyond...(it is magic after all), with the continuing tale of the contemporary Wizards BEYOND Waverly Place.
The teen wizards of the original series are grown. Justin [David Henrie] returns, having given up his sorcery powers and his role as WizTech headmaster to raise his family. However, his sister Alex [Selena Gomez], who inherited full magic powers, drops by with Billie [Janice Leann Brown], a young wizard-in-training who has untested skills. Justin must mentor her in order to safeguard the future of the Wizard world.
And, yes, it’s a comedy!
Wizards Just Wand to Have Fun – In a later episode, Justin [David Henrie] has taken over mentorship of the powerful young wizard. Obviously, the Lair serves as an alchemy schoolroom as well! Photo by Eric McCandless © 2024 Disney. All rights reserved.
Emily takes us behind the scenes and into The Lair, which mysteriously lies in the Beyond of Justin’s son’s bedroom and appears whenever magic is involved!
For the pilot, she recreated the set for The Lair based on the original series, a set her friend Set Decorator Lisa De Los Reyes SDSA had created. Later, for the new series, she recreated it again and expanded the detailing. [Editor’s note: Emily is quick to credit Set Decorator Amy Feldman SDSA, who did the pilot as well.]
The Lair: Set Decorator Emily Dawson-Trent SDSA explains, “This photo is taken from the pilot. I recreated this set from the original show, which was done by Lisa de Los Reyes SDSA. It was a painstaking process, and I loved every second of it. Lisa is a good friend and mentor, so it was an honor, and an ode to her, to recreate one of her favorite sets. When we went to series, all rentals were from Warner Bros, but in the pilot, we also had a few items from Omega Cinema Props and Universal.” Photo by Eric McCandless © 2024 Disney. All rights reserved.
The Lair: “It was so much fun to recreate this iconic set,” Emily continues. “I was told that when the cast walked back into this set after fourteen years, they had tears in their eyes! The photo showcases the beautiful and unique Moroccan furniture Lisa chose for the original Lair set, and to my relief it was still available to rent from WB, as was the recognizable Iron Maiden bookshelf in the background.” Courtesy of Disney. All rights reserved.
“This show has been a dream to work on,” Emily reveals. “Being a kid's show means it is already wacky and creative, especially when it is partially set in a world of witches and wizards, spells and magic. Anything can happen! And working with Production Designer Kelly Hogan has been wonderful because of her incredible imagination and the way she sees the magical world these characters inhabit.”
The Lair: “This origin room of magic and mayhem is layered with magical old clocks keeping their own time, vintage radios tuned to unknown stations, stacks upon stacks of giant grimoires, celestial globes for star watching, and earth globes for earth watching. A great place to get into character!” Courtesy of Disney. All rights reserved.
Natural elements that evoke the supernatural! “The Lair contains countless horns, hour glasses, iron cauldrons, crystal balls, and Asian decor elements.” Courtesy of Disney. All rights reserved.
Multi-camera show...
“Multi-cam shows are my jam because everything happens in its own little microcosm that is a sound stage...one predictable destination to offset the driving around to shop is a bonus!”
“It is a challenge to have a new set planned, shopped, brought in and dressed in less than a week's time. I could not do it without my excellent crew of set dressers, lead, and driver! Before decorating, I worked as a set dresser, buyer, and lead for many years, and I think it helped me have a well-rounded view and solid foundation as a set decorator.”
The Lair: “An iron pot rack is stuck with long branches where drying herbs hang ready for the mortar, pestle and cauldron. This area of the set smells great, by the way!” Courtesy of Disney. All rights reserved.
The Lair: “A perfect place to live out my affinity for apothecary jars, antique brass, and bugs! Our talented special effects coordinator 3D-printed countless taxidermy pieces that were brought to life by our incredible paint department. The arched brick windows, with built in shelving, add dimension and layering opportunities. Production Designer Michael Hynes created the original set in 2007, which Production Designer Glenda Rovello expertly recreated for the pilot.” Courtesy of Disney. All rights reserved.
“The Lair contains countless horns, hour glasses, iron cauldrons, crystal balls, and Asian decor elements.” Inset: Detail of the beautiful large carved chest these are sitting atop, and the infinity mirror aglow atop the wee chest. Courtesy of Disney. All rights reserved.
The Lair: “A beautiful old carved Asian chest works well to hold a lifelike lizard toy, and jars with herbs for spellcasting, one of the myriad details tucked in here. This vignette brings back a weekend in the buzzing shops of LA's Chinatown and the flavors of mooncakes loaded with bean paste. I love the multi-sensory experience a set can evoke!” Courtesy of Disney. All rights reserved.
Every angle of the set is compelling, and offers so much ore when you step closer. Note the dressing room niche adding color and dimension. Courtesy of Disney. All rights reserved.
Being a set decorator based in LA...
“I love LA. This town is steeped in film history magic and the fact there are prop houses of every kind makes bringing this magical world to life so much easier and I can't imagine a Los Angeles without that. We need to do all we can to keep productions here and strive to support local business as much as possible.”
