10 Set Design Secrets from Bridgerton, Season 2
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With all of the hype and success around the first season of Netflix’s smash hit show Bridgerton, and all of its juicy scandals and steamy romances, came the equally enticing Regency-style wardrobe and, of course, the over-the-top sets. And being a little extra was the intent, according to the series’ creators. “We’re not historically accurate,” notes production designer Will Hughes-Jones in Bridgerton’s production notes. “We are a pastiche of the period, and therefore when it comes to the production design, we have to look at our historical references and then dial it up a few notches.”
If you’re a die-hard Bridgerton fan like we are, you’re in luck: Hughes-Jones shared some fun production design secrets with us, from his favorite props and sets to some of the show’s trickiest (but not impossible) design tasks. Keep an eye out for yourself while you’re watching season 2, which premieres March 25.
Some Season 1 Sets Did Double Duty (But You’d Never Know)
Fans may be wondering how the production team will top last season’s extravagant interiors—filmed both on location and on sound stages in the U.K.— and it’s a daunting task that Hughes-Jones faced as well. “Yes, we were lucky that people took Bridgerton to their hearts, and the set we built last season worked. As a result we decided, ‘Don’t try to fix something that isn’t broken,’” he tells ELLE DECOR via email.
While much of the design stayed the same, some things had to change as they were filming season 2 with COVID still being very much here. Per Hughes-Jones: “We had redundant sets like Daphne’s dressing room, which we ‘swung’ into new sets for this season. That room became the Sharmas’ accommodation at Aubrey Hall, as well as Anthony’s room in Aubrey Hall very much later.”
Other transformed sets included the Duke’s courtyard from season 1, which was re-imagined into three different ballrooms, a cupboard, and an art academy room. “To look at it on screen you would never know,” the production designer adds.
The Toughest Items to Source Were...the Bathtubs?
This season featured a lot of baths (spoiler alert), so finding the perfect tubs to fit the era and the characters was a tricky task. “Giving them all their own identity was a challenge,” Hughes-Jones says. The design team wound up sourcing the bathtubs for the Sharma women from India and—in a serendipitous turn—they came from a woman named Mrs. Sharma. “That felt like kismet to us,” Hughes-Jones jokes.
Along with the bathtubs, large chandeliers were a challenge due to COVID, Brexit, and general supply chain woes. “We required very large fixtures for our ballrooms, which proved to be a bit of a conundrum, but our set decorating team rose to the challenge and were triumphant in finding some great pieces,” Hughes-Jones says.
They Had to Outsmart Mother Nature
The Bridgerton team filmed during the height of summer—seemingly the perfect time for bright blue skies and lush landscapes. But there was a problem: They needed hyacinths and proud, full-feathered peacocks, two items that are not available that time of year. Thanks to Hughes-Jones’s savvy team, however, the day was saved: “We had a chap in Holland via our greens team, who specially force-grew hyacinths for a particular scene that required them, which we shot in July, when that particular flower is out of season," Hughes-Jones shares.
As for the peacocks, who shed their signature plumage after their mating season, “we built a peacock fan and shot it separately. It was then dropped onto the peacocks in post [production],” he reveals.
That Snuff Spoon Is Real...
Yes, real antiques from the Regency period were used throughout. Hughes-Jones points out pieces such as the queen’s snuff spoon, some artist tools, and the pocket watches. “I am always a sucker for a good fob watch, and we have had a few,” he says. “Anthony’s father’s watch is especially attractive and worked, which was a bonus.”
...and So Is That Printing Press
The printing press was a prop that the designer was particularly excited about. “It is the real thing from the period, and there are only a very few left in the world. It weighs tons, literally, and we are lucky enough to have an expert that comes with it from Reading University, to make sure we operate it properly,” he explains, admitting the sourcing score was “a nerdy thing.”
Lady Danbury Has Multiple Canes (Just in Case)
Lady Danbury’s character could not be complete without her sleek and stylish black cane. And the design team took that to heart. As Hughes-Jones says, “We had it made and had a few [extra] in case one ever went missing. Luckily that never happened.”
Things Got Hot (And Not in the Way You’re Thinking)
One day of filming required the crew to be on location at a historic English country house. The temperature and humidity soared uncharacteristically high, especially as more and more bodies filled the room where they were filming. Fans and loosened corsets could help tide over the cast and crew, but the priceless works of art on location were another matter entirely. “There was a moment where myself and the location manager were concerned that filming would have to stop because of people breathing too much. After some very nifty conversations from the location manager, the house curators were very accommodating, kept their cool, and luckily we managed to keep going by the skin of our teeth,” Hughes-Jones says. “No one on the crew, including the director, was ever aware of the impending doom of that day’s filming,” he adds.
Every Ball Has a Secret Theme
For each ball, the show’s creator and executive producer Chris Van Dusen gave the creative team—which includes costume, hair and makeup, production design, and choreographer—a theme and it ran with it. “This means that all sets are in harmony with the dresses worn by both the lead actress and the background ensemble and are coordinated with makeup and hair,” Hughes-Jones explains. “For example, the Diamond Ball, where the season’s young women debut at court, features silver and gold dresses and are in a room bejeweled with crystal and gold, and yellow and ivory floral displays.”
“We [also] have the conservatory ball that was held in a conservatory by Lady Danbury, and the theme was floral. With Sophie Canale, the costume designer, we settled on a peach/pink palette to coincide with Lady D’s palette and that dictated the floral displays,” he adds.
The Case of the Exploding Toilets
Aside from COVID and thinking, at times, that the show may never finish filming, there was nothing the Bridgerton squad couldn’t handle—including a toilet mishap. Yes, you heard right: “The temporary toilet block in the studio exploded due to a pressure buildup in the tank and covered the car park with the unmentionable,” Hughes-Jones reveals. “I, being the designer, didn’t get involved. A hardy crew member rolled up their sleeves and sorted it.” Luckily, the mishap was nowhere near set.
Benedict’s Art Studio Has Pride of Place
Out of all the fabulous scenes, Benedict’s art studio is the one that is closest to Hughes-Jones’s heart. “It is a space that I imagined was the perfect place for me to relax, sketch, and generally chill out in, which was what Benedict did there, amongst other things,” he shares. “It was a space I love just being in and found myself ending up in most days, collecting my thoughts and working out the next thing to solve.”
As for the one Regency trend Hughes-Jones would bring back? “I think, with the rise in fuel prices, I feel that real candles are going to make a comeback in 2022,” he predicts.
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