High society, Palm Beach in 1969, and a social-climbing divorcee (played by Kristen Wiig) all combine to get you the all the juiciness and entertainment you could want from a TV show—and Palm Royale promises to be just that. The comedy, spiced up with drama, premiered on March 20 on Apple TV. Along with the gorgeous wardrobe, sunshine, and palm trees, perhaps the most dramatic details of the 10-episode series are found in the interiors.
Production designer Jon Carlos and set decorator Ellen Reed built a world centered around big money, grand style, and a mid-century modern aesthetic featured throughout the show's spaces. Carlos and Reed referenced Slim Aarons' iconic photo collections as a jumping-off point for their fully-realized sets. Designers Tony Duquette, who specialized in the theatrical and opulent, and Dorothy Draper, who layered fabrics, patterns, and colors in a style labeled “Modern Baroque” inspired the team as well.
Among the many locales used in the series, none are as over-the-top as the bedroom of Palm Beach’s doyenne of society, Norma D’ellacourt (Carol Burnett). In a fusion of Victorian, Asian, and other periods and regions throughout the world, your eyes are fed with enormous crystal chandeliers, intricate heavy drapes with valences, the requisite palm tree (faux or real), and an animal throw for a touch of whimsy.
While the design feels big and bold, the colors are subdued, ensuring the women are the focal point in any room. Like royalty, Mrs. D’ellacourt ruled the world from her sumptuous bed, where she enjoyed her morning coffee and papers each day.
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Over in the beauty salon, color is a much more vibrant player. Bright pink and bold turquoise combine for a playful environment where the well-coiffed can let their hair down and relax for a few hours. The mid-century atmosphere contrasts with the expensive baubles and scarlet red that define the homes of the Palm Beach upper class, making it an appealing place to escape to for a blow out.
Palm Royale comes at a time when the mob wife aesthetic (also inspired by TV, Hulu's series Feud: Capote vs. The Swans) has people dressing and decorating like they married into money and get caught up some serious drama on a daily basis.
The show promises to be a fun escape from reality for an hour each week, and its decor may inspire you to update your look with a velvet sofa, gold finishes, a few peacock-printed pillows, or some antique, crystal vases. Adding little bit of glam is never a bad idea, even if you don’t live in Palm Beach.