Set Decorator Michael Nallan SDSA takes us through the evolving personalization of a beautifully rendered showcase-level NY townhouse presented in the first episode as a cover high-end domicile for two covert operatives who had never met each other, yet were to pose as husband and wife, Mr. & Mrs. John & Jane Smith [Donald Glover, Maya Erskine]. To ensure authenticity, they were required to marry the day they met.
Each subsequent episode is based on the couple’s next dangerous assignment, so we are taken through a range of seemingly benign environments in gorgeous settings to obviously dangerous territory, all deeply detailed...as well as continuously unfolding set depictions of each of their personalities and of their relationship developing...and devolving!
Enjoy the insider bits from Michael, here in our MR & MRS SMITH: Part Two!
Karen Burg, Editor
From Set Decorator Michael Nallan SDSA...
“I became involved with this project when the previous set decorator, Andrew Baseman SDSA, had to leave to begin another project after the first block of shooting.”
[*Editor’s note: See Andy’s work establishing the high-end townhouse/safehouse in our article MR & MRS SMITH - Part One: ]
“I was in the final two weeks of set decorating THE CALLING when Production Designer Gerald Sullivan reached out to me. I had hopped straight into that from the Ryan Murphy Netflix series THE WATCHER and I had promised myself a break after those shows, but once I got the details, I decided I was absolutely interested, and we got straight to work!
“I had about two weeks to get caught up on everything, and it was fast and furious. Luckily, Andy had Neil Driscoll as leadman, and he and I have worked together on several projects...POSE, THE POLITICIAN, THE WATCHER, to name a few...so I already had a great working relationship with him and his entire team, which made the transition much easier.”
Bedroom new art piece chosen by Jane, over console & inset: “No Coffee This Morning” by Nigerian artist Prince Jason Osinachi. Sourced from Tim Davis at Bridgeman Images. Photo by David Lee/Prime Video © Amazon MGM Studios.
Townhouse Development – Adding John and Jane layers...
“As the show proceeded, we made a very conscious effort to show the progression of time in the townhouse and to subtly develop it as John’s and Jane’s own, more lived-in space, more uniquely theirs. Some elements are small and practical like the cat-related items for Jane’s cat, cosmetics in the bathroom, and clutter and products on the kitchen surfaces, while other elements were more rooted in character development.”
“I had a series of conversations with Francesca Sloan, our showrunner and one of the show’s creators, and we agreed that subtle changes to the townhouse set were a great way to showcase how John and Jane were each spending their newfound riches, while also allowing the viewer to learn more about each of their respective personalities, and just how fundamentally different they are!”
John...
“We agreed John was more likely to spend his money on material things like a high-end $50,000 McIntosh stereo system, seen in glowing green in their living room. Also, watches and fashion items which we curated in his closet with the assistance of our fantastic costume department, led by the legendary Madeline Weeks. We find out early on, in the opening sequence, how John thinks about money when prompted about how much he has in his checking account during his initial interview. It’s close to nothing! And we can infer he’s a bit flagrant and careless with his spending.”
Living Room over stereo: Nigerian artist Prince Jason Osinachi’s “Trust Doesn’t Matter Anymore” 2020. Sourced from Tim Davis at Bridgeman Images. Courtesy Prime Video © Amazon MGM Studios.
Jane...
“Jane, by contrast, has quite a bit of money saved and we can infer she is more frugal and good at investing. She has good taste, but she's smart and pragmatic. We chose to show her spending money on art, which is something that can be beautiful but also a form of investment.”
Dining room over fireplace & inset: Dana Wood Zinsser, “Date Night”, as well as 3-dimensional smalls by Matthew Uebbing . Set photo courtesy Prime Video © Amazon MGM Studios.
“In Episode 4, with the other team of Smith's, we tour the townhouse with Parker Posey’s Other Jane Smith character, who remarks that the Company ‘has surprisingly good taste in art.’ Maya Erskine’s Jane points out that she actually purchased the piece in the primary bedroom (Osinachi’s ‘No Coffee This Morning’ – See ‘Bedroom’ photo, above.) because Art is what she wanted to buy when she started making money.”
“This particular line of dialogue and all of the additional focus on the art pieces in the scene were added to the script later with Showrunner Francesca Sloane, as the art curation was added (and well received) during the changeover of the set.”
Dining room. Date night with the other Mr. & Mrs. Smith as dinner guests. Art over fireplace: The “Date Night” piece by Dana Wood Zinsser. Daniel Glover & Maya Erskine as John & Jane, Wagner Moura & Parker Posey as the evil duo Other John & Other Jane. Photo by David Lee/Prime Video © Amazon MGM Studios.
“Art is also a reflection of Jane’s personality, so while choosing the specific pieces, our goal was to find not only beautiful pieces that were contemporary and bold, but also from artists that were unknown and representing minority groups she might be drawn to, or want to support.”
Living room, left: Tall outsider art piece by Ross Brodar, New York artist, actor and film documentarian. Guest room, right: Contemporary mythology by Matthew Uebbing, New York digital & visual artist.
“In all of the sets outside of the townhouse, we wanted to show a bit more chaos of the city, clutter, colors and the visual noise, so that there is a stark contrast to the calm of when they come home. I think developing the art and items in the townhouse was really special as well, and allowed us to show our characters growing through the sets. We know so little about them going into the show that seeing how and what they add as personal touches unravels the mystery of who they each really are.”
Farmer’s Market...
“The farmer’s market was a crazy set piece! We only had one week to pull that together start-to-finish, and it shot Monday morning at 6AM after a holiday weekend ,which presented its own set of challenges like having to set up in the dark at 4:00AM and doing all of our pickups the Friday before, except for perishables, etc. It’s always so stressful when the schedule lines up like that, as there is no room for error.
Oblivious to all that went into creating the market, John and Jane meet Other John. Wagner Moura, Daniel Glover, Maya Erskine. Photo by David Lee/Prime Video © Amazon MGM Studios.
“Since we only had one week to conceptualize and execute, the team...Shannon Nallan SDSA, Kim Fisher, Tyler Waugh, Mark Weinheimer and I...dove right in. Some elements were obvious like fruits and veggies or a fresh floral stand, but others we had a little more fun with like lavender products we branded after one of the assistant art directors (created and packaged ourselves) or honey products.”
“None of these stands were set up by outside vendors or product-placed as we didn’t have time to negotiate that kind of thing. We picked color palettes for each of the stands, had clearance and graphics come up with brands, and customized all the tents so there was a sea of color and vibrance everywhere you looked.”
Farmers Market set, déjà vu! Photos courtesy Prime Video © Amazon MGM Studios.
“Little did we know production would ask us to re-create (and expand) the farmer’s market a month later. We re-did all of our original booths, while also adding a whole second half to the market that was intended to have more of a food court vibe, as the script called for Donald Glover’s John to be getting coffee.”
“It was really a lot of fun setting this up in Tompkins Square Park and the truest compliment to your work in set decoration is that people believed it was real and kept trying to buy things!” Photos courtesy Prime Video © Amazon MGM Studios.
“Like the original version of the farmer’s market, we thought up and conceptualized each of these new booth concepts in-house. The team and I brainstormed ideas for: a juice bar complete with boxwood bar from a party rental vendor and tons of vibrant fruits for color...a coffee bar with a rustic wood bar, tons of coffee beans, and gleaming espresso machines from a local restaurant supply vendor...a wine shop where we paired wine that was product-placed from Duck Horn with wine barrels, corks and other décor...a crepe station with cooktops and all the fixings...and a seasonal apple product station fully sourced from a Hudson Valley orchard.
The best part is that it was shot in such a way where the market was in focus and clearly seen throughout the episode in a way that isn’t always the case with the sets we design.
Bev’s Apartment...
In Bev’s apartment (she’s another operative), we see a sharp juxtaposition with the minimal, clean lines of John and Jane’s townhouse, which was very intentional.
Her home feels warm and lived-in, inviting, and I think it helps to tell the story as to why John would feel like he could go there to relax and feel at ease compared to his living situation with Jane...although the peace is quickly interrupted when Jane brings the fight to Bev’s door.
“We used a lot of warm toned oriental rugs, a deep blue sofa, and amber walls to make the space feel welcoming...although, in this shot, while the space is still welcoming, Bev is not so much at the moment!” Maya Erskine, Michaela Cole. Photo by David Lee/Prime Video © Amazon MGM Studios.
“To make Bev seem a complex and layered individual, and not just a fleeting character, we included lots of elements in the decor that lend depth like stacks of books on the mantle to show she’s well read (And, yes, they were all curated).”
Serene backdrop to a vicious fight! Donald Glover, Michaela Cole. Photo by David Lee/Prime Video © Amazon MGM Studios.
“There is art EVERYWHERE...specifically art that was created by Black artists to show she’s in touch with her heritage (these were largely from Art for Film), and photos of her travels to show she’s world cultured.”
Therapist Office...
“The therapist’s office was added to the show during the re-shoots and turned out to be one of my favorites overall! Sarah Paulson was brilliant in this role, but what isn’t she good in? With this set, we really got to layer a lot of character all around the room. There were several callouts in the script about Paulson’s character regarding her world travels and her over-the-top stories related to each of these journeys that gave us a lot of insight into the type of person she is and what might be in her home.”
“There were a few key pieces we knew would need to be in the room, and built around them. For example, the large sectional was a director request, so that over the course of their therapy sessions we could see John and Jane sitting further and further apart to show the shift in their relationship.
Sarah Paulson’s therapist character of course needed a great swivel chair, and we settled on a neutral mid-century from Newel. I also knew we really wanted to incorporate a Le LC4 Chaise Lounge by Cassina and although it wasn’t practical to use in the action of the scene, I really think it's a striking addition to the space.”
Therapist office: “From the context notes, we developed a rich and layered space with treasures and artifacts from different cultures from around the world, including a mid-century bookcase and desk from Newel that I’m obsessed with, oriental rugs, art, artifacts and books.” Photo courtesy Prime Video © Amazon MGM Studios.
“We brought in a chic mix of fixtures from City Knickerbocker, and I was thrilled to finally have a set that made sense to incorporate Bonsai trees from a unique store near Steiner Studios, The Dandy Farmer on Clermont Ave. One of my favorite pieces is the Nkisi Nkondi nail sculpture on the piano, and I think there is some tangible meaning in having that in a therapist's office.”
“The sofa creates a beautiful metaphor about the growing distance in their relationship...and, correspondingly, the lovely French doors and windows all around were lit progressively darker in those scenes to show the darkening of the relationship (we helped in this area via the window treatments).” Photo courtesy Prime Video © Amazon MGM Studios.
“Overall, I really love this space. It shows so much of Paulson’s character, which is almost a caricature of a therapist, and all the layers and objects fully juxtapose the simplicity of John and Jane’s townhouse.”
Editor’s note: For more stunning photos of this fabulous set...and of the deeply detailed hideout & survivalist’s cabins – the great outdoors(!)– that we haven’t even mentioned yet, click on SHOW MORE PHOTOS below!
Set Decorator Michael Nallan SDSA would like to acknowledge the SDSA Business members who aided and abetted his team, especially:
Art for Film | Bridgeman Images | City Knickerbocker | Eclectic Encore Props | Fabric City | propNspoon| Aisling Flowers | Aztek Wallcoverings
