If you've fallen in love with the flowery, fabulous and, at times, fantastical world of Bridgerton, you're certainly not alone – the show's Regency-era interiors have inspired designers and homeowners everywhere to inject bright color and historical charm into homes of every shape and size. And with season three on the horizon, we're more eager than ever to channel Bridgerton's signature Regencycore style.
That's why we sat down with the show's production designer Alison Gartshore and florist Phillip Corps, who shared some inside secrets about what it takes to construct the extravagant world of Regency London. This is how the team sources antique furniture for the show and some of their favorite filming locations, plus what we can expect from the highly anticipated new season.
Though Bridgerton can look out of this world, the show is filmed across countless iconic London locations that provide fitting backdrops for the production team's lavish design schemes.
From Hampton Court Palace to Osterley Park, filming spans many of the city's historical sites. In fact, showrunner Jess Brownell shared in a Netflix Q&A that 'there are only so many National Trust sites and great houses in Britain, and we're [they're] getting to the point where [they've] shot in almost every single one of them.'
Though there's something to love about each and every one of the show's stunning locations, Alison shared one of the standouts: 'Basildon House was one of my favorites, simply because it’s such a pretty house inside. The decorations in there are really very beautiful – quite subtle. And it’s just a beautiful, lovely space,' she says.
Located in Basildon Park in Berkshire, the house was built in the 18th century, and is home to authentic neoclassical furniture and decor. With sumptuous artwork and grand architecture, the house sets the scene for a new character this season: Lady Tilley Arnold.
A closer look inside Bridgerton's set designs reveals a wide array of authentic, classic vintage furniture that reflects the ornate leanings of Regency style. And with specific color palettes for each Bridgerton family, and distinct designs for each party and ball, there's a near endless supply of antiques to inspire. Alison shared a bit more about how the team compiles such a vast collection of gorgeous pieces.
'The set dec team do an amazing job of sourcing furniture from far and wide. We have got real Georgian pieces. Sometimes we have specific things made if we know that we need something very specific that we know is going to be virtually impossible to find, then we’ll commission someone to make it for us,' says Alison.
Between commissioning pieces and renting from prop houses, Bridgerton's antique furniture collection comes together quite quickly. But the team also relies on a designer-favored trick for making the most of vintage pieces: reupholstery.
'We do own a lot of Georgian furniture though, and the other thing to note is that we recycle furniture quite a lot. So we might have a suite of setees and armchairs, for example - we would reupholster them and we would repaint them to fit in with a different scenario and make them look completely different. So there’s a lot of that that goes on behind the scenes,' she says.
Get the Regencycore look
Aside from buzz about the show's stunning set designs, there's quite a bit of speculation about what's to come in season three, so we asked Alison and Phillip if there are any surprises we should keep an eye out for as we watch.
And though they weren't able to share too much, with Alison saying 'There is something, but I don't think I can talk about it,' they both said there are plenty of unexpected moments coming our way.
‘There are some surprises, I would say. Some really, really good surprises,' says Phillip.
‘I think actually, it’s full of surprises, this season. Intriguing,' says Alison.
'But within the old good Bridgerton,' Phillip adds.
If you're anything like us, you'll be tuning into the third season of Bridgerton as soon as it drops on Netflix, May 16, for all the drama, excitement and – importantly – interior design inspiration.
