Are you the kind of viewer who spends more time scrutinising the sets of the latest box set series than following the action? You’re not the only one; there are (at least) eleven of us.
For design obsessives, tuning in to a Scandi Noir series is as much about gleaning decor tips as enjoying the drama itself – who cares if you’re not keeping up with the subtitles? Not confined to the Scandinavians, European and US outputs are looking equally fine. We’re not talking fusty period dramas, you understand (sorry Downtown), but rather, sharply dressed series' such as The Hour, which plays up to our love of vintage style, Catastrophe, whose urban dark grey walls and Kitchen Aid mixer have us fawning, and The Affair, boasting cosy cabin beach vibes. Yep, we’re officially hooked. Here's our countdown of the best-looking sets on TV.
The Bridge
The plot of this Danish/Swedish thriller may be dark and twisted, but if you’d just care to look past the brutal violence in the foreground, you’ll note a Hans Wegner Wishbone chair here, an Arne Jacobsen Egg chair there, and a general effortless Scandinavian minimalist aesthetic throughout. Character Martin Rohde’s lust-worthy home in series 1 is all blonde timbers, floor-to-ceiling glass and clean lines – now that’s what we call a thriller.
Courtesy FX
The Tunnel
Our very own version of the aforementioned Scandi Noir thriller, The Tunnel gives the great Danes a pretty good run for their money with the contemporary farmhouse conversion home of detective Karl Roebuck and his interior designer-wife Laura. Swoon at the open plan kitchen/dining space, reclaimed wood cladded walls and light bulb clusters.
Courtesy Sky Atlantic
The Affair
There’s a lot that’s easy on the eye in Sky Atlantic’s The Affair, the sets being just one of them (hello Dominic West and Joshua Jackson). Set in the East Hamptons, this charming ramshackle beach house belonging to characters Alison and Cole is cosy cabin style at its best – you can almost smell the sea air just watching at it (and it has an outdoor shower). Enough to tempt anyone to up sticks and relocate to a seaside shack. Without the murder bit, obviously.
Courtesy Showtime
The Hour
Ok so it‘s not Mad Men, but BBC’s The Hour is the closest thing we’ve got. Oozing mid-century glamour and mystique in every scene, it’s an ode to post-war British style. Think seedy Soho nightclubs swathed in red velour and cigarette smoke, G-Plan sofas and Formica kitchens – kitsch, but still damn sexy. Bonus points for Romola Garai’s excellent hair and wardrobe, too.
Courtesy BBC
Borgen
A force to be reckoned with in Danish politics, sure – but that doesn’t mean Borgen ’s Birgitte Nyborg can’t love a metro-tiled splashback as much as the next person. Her kitchen in seasons 1 and 2 could be mistaken for the latest Ikea catalogue with its open shelving, grey-painted walls and pendant lighting.
Courtesy DR1
Catastrophe
Filmed and set in Hackney, series 2 of the rib-achingly funny Catastrophe sees Rob and Sharon settled into their family nest, a modern Victorian house, probably in the vicinity of Victoria Park. They’ve got window shutters, a Farrow & Ball ‘Downpipe’-coloured living room, stripped floorboards, and a Kitchen Aid mixer. Yes, this is the standard issue interior for the middle-aged media types of east London, but we still love it.
Courtesy Channel 4
Indian Summers
A Sunday night TV drama with a difference, the evocative and exotic locations in Channel 4’s Indian Summers are a treat. Set in the tea plantations in the Himalayan foothills (but actually shot in Malaysia), the Royal Simla Club house channels 1920s decadence with colonial style verandas, potted palms, and G&Ts all round.
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