Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and such is the case of the Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy-winning period series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which bids farewell in its fifth and final season. Revolving around the life of stand-up comedian Midge Maisel (played by Rachel Brosnahan), her acerbic manager Susie Myerson (Alex Borstein), and a familiar cast of returning characters, this season finds our well-dressed, wise-cracking, divorced housewife-turned-Joan Rivers-ish heroine toiling in the trenches as the only female writer of a hit late-night Gordon Ford Show (with parallels to Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show).
Set against the backdrop of New York City in the 60s (namely, Rockefeller Center, Grand Central, The Village Voice offices, Coney Island, a Chinatown nightclub, the Upper West Side, and Brooklyn’s Steiner Studios soundstage), Emmy award-winning production designer Bill Groom (Boardwalk Empire) and the Emmy award-winning set decorator Ellen Christiansen (Mildred Pierce) once again weave their magic. The art direction also shines, with its JFK Airport’s TWA terminal sets, a musical sequence at a Mafia-run trade show, the Upper West Side family apartment, and NBC’s 30 Rock offices.
Mrs. Maisel’s world is characterized by vibrant color and the glamour and sophistication of the era. Her elegant apartment, which she shares with her parents and children, remains a mainstay in the show’s designs, featuring a Mid-century Modern style with bright hues, geometric patterns, and sleek furnishings. From a vintage Philco television set that resembles a toaster to the classic twin day beds, the designs transport viewers back to a bygone era of New York City (the apartment’s actual location is in a prewar war building called The Strathmore at 404 Riverside Drive).
Details are of the utmost importance, and as the show moves into a new decade, Christiansen notes: “It was such fun to decorate with all the bold 60s colors and shapes.” Of design interest is Midge’s kitchen, with its cream and tomato red-trimmed cabinets. Inspired by a Doris Day film, the apple-green wall phone and peach-toned appliances are stand-outs.
Other unique pieces include a white breakfront cabinet from Ellen Scarborough and a pair of Dorothy Draper inspired faux-painted shell consoles. Midge’s ex-in-laws, Moishe and Shirley Maisel (played by Kevin Pollak and Caroline Aaron), receive the most colorful sets in a 1920s-style house in Forest Hills, Queens.
Boasting a dramatic black-and-white tile entrance hall and a sunny yellow kitchen, the home represents a bolder color contrast to Midge’s apartment and perhaps a nod to the boisterous personalities of the homeowners.
Modernist aficionados will appreciate the scenes of an airport terminal designed by the iconic architect Eero Saarinen. “The TWA terminal at JFK (Airport) really embodies the new Space-Age aesthetic,” says Christansen. “Luckily, the main room has been preserved and pretty much intact. We did create the gate area with more of the same red Saarinen furnishings, dressed a few modern shows with vintage goods and graphics, and recreated the period-appropriate signage.”
The sets of the Gordon Ford Show are built on the Steiner soundstages, where the designers researched photos of television offices and Fortune magazines for executive offices to get a feeling for the layouts. Look for details such as a photo of Johnny Carson at his desk with an iconic Nessen Studios swing arm desk lamp (as luck will have it, the company is still making the desk and floor lamps). Christiansen sourced Kravet for fabrics, rented task chairs from a collector in Minneapolis, and looked to online sources for mid-century executive furnishings primarily from vendors in the Midwest. “This was yet another Maisel set with over a hundred matching chairs.” she reflects. “Over the five seasons with all of the clubs, restaurants, theaters, homes, and event spaces, we have gone through a total of around 800 chairs.”
One of the designer’s favorite sets is the Hawaiian Hotel, where Midge backs out of an impending marriage to writer Phillip Roth. “Bill (Groom) and I sourced wallpapers from John Rosselli, Inc. and Gracie Studios along with dining table, chairs, cabinet, side consoles and a Venetian chandelier from Newel Antiques (New York’s go-to spot for set decorators),” she says. Christiansen’s extensive search for the elusive period-perfect piece took her all over the country, and it’s all part of the job when designing a film. “While shopping in Connecticut, I found a pair of hand-painted yellow silk club chairs at Fairfield Antiques and Design Center. It was an ‘aha’ moment, the kind that makes me love my job!”
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video
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