LIVING IT UP
Oh, she always loved a grand entrance…
Flea market kitsch meets masculine chic
PLAYING HOUSE WITH MR & MRS BIG T
We love: the specially commissioned gold artwork and fab Paul Smith bird cushion
They’ve finally moved in together – and Carrie’s new apartment is every bit as fabulous as her wardrobe. Carli Philips talks interiors with SATC2 production designer Jeremy Conway
HERE’S no doubt that New York is the fifth lady of Sex And The City. We’ve sipped cosmos with Samantha in the Meatpacking District, dined at Charlotte’s perfect palace, moved with Miranda to Brooklyn and walked the steps of Carrie’s brownstone more times
than we’ve bitten Big Apples. But while wardrobe stylist Patricia Field was dressing the Fab Four, production designer Jeremy Conway was hard at work outfitting the set. “It is my job to define the colour palettes – to support the needs of each character and also the story as it
The set designers behind Carrie’s original apartment have now merged her eclectic style with Big’s expensive taste for their first home together
LIVING IT UP
The pair’s divine hallway library
Easy-care succulents (perfect for those long weekends in the Hamptons)
Perfectly clashing prints
Carrie works in her feminine charm
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unfolds in time,” says New York-based Conway, who worked on the set design for the original series and both films. Starting with the script and working closely with SATC’s writer-director Michael Patrick King, Conway considers everything – from each character’s wardrobe and income down to their hair colour and skin tone. After compiling a reference guide with clipped images from art books, magazines, wallpaper, furniture catalogues and fabrics, Conway and his talented team of carpenters, painters, plasterers, location scouts and graphic artists all work to execute his vision. He also collaborates with set decorator Lydia Marks (The Devil Wears Prada) to source finishings and furniture. Integral to this is an understanding of each woman’s signature style. “Samantha seemed the easiest: we chose colours and textures of a big game hunter – earthy reds and ochre, very sensual. The humour of Charlotte was all of these city types brushing up against her ivory tower. She’s the idealist, so she got the white and silver range. Then Miranda, well, the colours we chose for her were the colours of a
WORDS: CARLI PHILIPS PHOTOS: COURTESY OF ROADSHOW FILMS, ANDREW FRENCH
MORE SETS AND THE CITY bruise – she had the most defences up and had already made up her mind about most guys. And Carrie got the creative-thinking colours – pale greens, moss and sky blue. Her character was the most reflective.” Now, many men and New York nights later, how has each character’s interior design style evolved? Samantha’s apartment doesn’t feature on screen, but her minimalist new PR office (complete with clutter-free Vitra desk) does. “There are terrific views of Times Square from three sides; the visual energy of the giant billboards and media messaging is very appropriate for her,” says Conway. SATC2 sees Charlotte still living in her luxurious Park Avenue apartment, but she now has two daughters, so her straight-laced interior perfection has been interrupted by children’s toys. Her kitchen features prominently in the movie, and Conway calls it “classic Charlotte: white cabinetry, soft grey and white tiled flooring, a beautiful central island where she can work and a cute little pantry off to the side”. Miranda’s growth from career-driven lawyer to softened Brooklyn family
woman is beautifully embodied in the house she shares with Steve and Brady. “The brownstone was rough when they first took it, but they’ve made it a home over the years,” says Conway. The biggest residential change? Two years into her marriage with Big, Carrie has up-sized with a spacious penthouse on the Upper East Side. “It’s more grown-up but still has her sense of personal style,” says Conway. The new apartment is a pared-down version of Carrie’s chic, flea market sensibility, merged with Big’s masculine mood. “It’s a long way from her first apartment, but she’s come a long way too,” he says. Certainly, her hallway library and scene-stealing wardrobe have us entranced on the silver screen. Conway acknowledges Field and Sarah Jessica Parker’s encouragement. “They liked the new apartment. It’s always a little nerve-racking when the set gets its first ‘walk-on’ but SJP is so creative and has such a keen eye. I always look to her for suggestions and comments. And who wouldn’t want that closet anyway?” Maybe if we click our red Louboutins three times and repeat after him…
Charlotte and her girls in their Park Ave cupcakery (er, kitchen) Samantha’s no nonsense Times Square office
Brooklyn domesticity: Miranda, Steve, Brady and nanny Magda
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