Picture this: you're driving through sleepy, snow-dusted roads with your fiancée on the way to meet his family for the first time and get married in a small ceremony at their cabin in the woods. But, instead of a happy weekend, you're met with curses, calamity, and a gut feeling that something very bad is going to happen. That's the plot of Netflix's latest series, Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, and while I was initially sucked in by the scary storyline, the design writer in me quickly became completely distracted by the interiors of the "cozy little family cabin."
The "cabin" is actually an alluring, moody, mid-century modern home with wood-paneled walls, a winding central glass atrium, retro carpeting, and impeccable lighting. And sure, the horror genre is known for its dim luster, but this show somehow made it stylish, mastering the art of layered lighting (I counted at least 11 lamps in the living room alone), and proving there's really nothing scarier than using the 'big' light.
I've already binged all eight episodes, but I'm not quite ready to let it go yet (is two days too soon to rewatch it?) So, to fill the void in the meantime, I've started hunting down all the ways I could recreate the low-lit ambiance in my own home.
At first glance, the cabin has a mid-century modern-meets-mountain-folk aesthetic. There are clear mid-century furniture influences in the low, conversation pit seating area, dark wood paneled walls, and 70s-inspired color palettes. So naturally, mid-century lighting is central to the design.
But once I dug a little deeper (even so far as Reverse Google Image searching some of them), the set's illuminous lighting scheme is way more extensive than that. There are oversized shades that feel very 60s-influenced, Tiffany table lamps (which first appeared in the Art Nouveau movement), lamps with ceramic bases with folk-inspired craftsmanship, and a lot of brass styles that feel more akin to early 1900s interior design.
It's a testament to how lighting styles can be blended harmoniously in an interior, especially when the goal is to escape the invasiveness of overheads and maximize ambient mood lighting. The key is layering; this home has table and floor lamps, wall sconces, and gallery lights aplenty.
To recreate the look in your own home, I've sourced 12 lamps and lights below, all inspired by Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen.
I didn't expect to be so captivated by the interiors of a spooky series, but something about the allure of a low-lit, luxurious room is bewitching.
I've got my eye on a few other films coming out soon with interiors that look rather promising, so be sure to subscribe to the Livingetc newsletter so you don't miss out on more like this.
