The Oscar 2024 nominated houses we are obsessed with

The 2024 Oscars. knocking on the door for a year. Who will take the golden statuette, crown the title of best actress or actor, are questions that have been in the air for some time. One of the most important secondary categories is scenography, its design and performance, which, if good, plays a key role for the film.

The films we’ve selected below dominate this year’s Oscars, and some of them are nominated in the category for Best Set Design, and that’s quite understandable, because their set design is fantastic, authentic and an extension of the entire story of the film. Although two films are not nominated in that official category, we are adding them to the list because we think they should be.

Maestro

Director: Bradley Cooper

The production design or scenography of the film Maestro is signed by Kevin Thompson, who for this occasion went deep into the theme and relationship between Leonard Bernstein, played by Bradley Cooper, and his wife Felicia Montealegre, played by Carey Mulligan. The film was shot in the couple’s original apartment purchased in 1962. The main decorator of their home was Felicija herself, whose hand-painted works of art stand out on the walls. The details and furnishings date from the period of the early 60s to the late 80s, with patterned fabrics, hand-made carpets and wallpapers particularly striking. Shades of terracotta are used, combined with wooden elements and neutral tones. Although it is not in the official competition for the best scenography, the Oscar for Best Film is smiling on it, but we also give it a five for convincing set design.

Barbie

Director: Greta Gerwig

Production designer Sarah Greenwood and set decorator Katie Spencer turned the home of the most famous doll in the world, Barbie, into a pink fantasy, as befits her. Thus, Barbie’s residence has a recognizable pink slide that leads to the pool, the furniture is upholstered in velvet, and she has a bedspread with sequins in the bedroom. There was also a fluorescent pink sofa and a striking yellow sofa, which, although with a strong color, could fit into the current interior of any girl who was infatuated with Barbie in her childhood. The convincingly presented home where Barbie lives is also appreciated by professionals, so a nomination for scenography was not missing this year.

Poor Things

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos

In this Oscar candidate, we probably have the most imaginative, daring, almost wild visual elements, and their value is confirmed by the nomination, among others, for Best Set Design. They were designed by the production team led by Shannon Heat and James Price. It is about intricate and very extravagant scenery, and yet so endearing. Elements such as oversized dining chairs are perfectly matched with British decorative motifs such as plates on the walls of the dining room. Experts agree that this is about the realization of a creative and imaginative world similar to a combination of maximalist and boho style in interiors.

Saltburn

Directed by: Emerald Fennell

Director Emerald Fennell, already awarded an Oscar for the screenplay of the film Promising Young Woman from 2020, brings us a beautiful, at the same time wicked story of privilege and lust (we won’t spoil the details) in her latest film. Student Oliver Quick, played by the fantastic Barry Keoghan, finds himself drawn into the world of charming aristocrat Felix Catton, played by Jacob Elordi, who invites him to Saltburn, the sprawling estate of his eccentric family. There they all spend a summer together that will change everyone’s lives. The real visual magic happens precisely on the luxurious, large, almost endless estate, which contributes to the mystical and somewhat twisted atmosphere. How to show the idleness of the aristocracy if not with spacious rooms with high ceilings, long tables where long conversations are held and numerous stylish historical furniture. And that key butler who watches and follows you in every corner of the castle.

The country estate featured in the film is known in real life as Drayton House, an English manor house located in Northamptonshire that has been owned by the Stopford-Sackville family since 1770. Director and set designer Suzie Davies agreed that this particular location would help them create mysticism and the thriller on which the film’s story is based. With a dose of hidden madness of the characters. The castle has 127 rooms, each of which in baroque style tells about history and aristocracy. Almost imperceptibly, the estate’s 200 hectares of land include a swimming pool and extensive gardens with a labyrinth, that key labyrinth for the incendiary scenes at Saltburn. The fact that Saltburn missed the nomination for the best set design or scenography surprised everyone a bit.

Napoleon

Directed by Ridley Scott

The Napoleonic era is a turning point and marks the beginning of modern history and the rise of the empire style, which, unlike its predecessor, the strict and minimalist directoire style, once again brought ostentatious wealth. It can be seen in furniture, interior design and architecture. Just like that, the scenography of this Oscar candidate exudes luxury and reflects the opulence of the French royal family. The lion’s share of the work was done here by the British set decorator Elli Griff, who brought the era to life with carefully selected details, from precise lighting to the choice of fabrics. The furniture exudes gilding and mahogany, clean lines and motifs inspired by Roman, Egyptian and Greek aesthetics. This year, all eyes are on him winning the golden statuette in the scenography category, even though he also excelled in the costume design category.

Oppenheimer

Director: Christopher Nolan

Many experts agree that this Oscar contender has a particularly fascinating design narrative. Production designer Ruth De Jong did a very good job. A number of interior scenes were shot in authentic locations in Los Almos, including Oppenheimer’s house, which has remained almost untouched since his stay. Interior inspiration comes from brutalist German design that emphasizes raw materials, unpolished surfaces, neutral tones, chunky silhouettes and geometric shapes. Inside this very well-preserved interior of the last century, the minimalist aesthetic of the 1940s is also evident, with straight lines that are responsible for the seriousness of the ambience.