Netflix’s Hollywood takes viewers on a vivid journey through tinsel town's Golden Era of the late 1940s, with a cast of characters that includes a fresh-off-the-bus Rock Hudson, infamous agent Henry Wilson, the marginalized actress Anna May Wong, and film director George Cukor, in addition to a roster of aspiring actors, screenwriters, executives, and studio bosses—all relayed through co-creator Ryan Murphy's unique brand of fiction.
While the characters drive the storyline, though, it’s the sets that really help bring Hollywood to life. From the bungalow apartments of fame-seeking young actors and starlets to the studios, offices, and palatial homes of film moguls—and a gas station operating a prostitution ring—the sets immerse the audience in the atmosphere and style of the time. Set decorator Melissa Licht helped recreate post-World War II Hollywood in a matter of weeks. “We started production in August and were filming by early September,” she explains. “So, we had about six weeks of preparation before starting work on the permanent sets that include the Beverly Hills Hotel bungalow, Schwab’s, Ace Studios, and Jack’s apartment.”
For the project, Licht worked with production designer Matthew Flood Ferguson and set decoration buyers Jane Madden and Ashley Rice—in addition to a full production team—to bring Murphy’s vision to life. “We began working with reference images that Matthew and the art department pulled together,” Licht explains. “I spent the first week absorbing the mood and color palettes and did a lot of research by watching old movies and looking through old magazines from the ‘40s that I bought on eBay and Etsy. In fact, a lot of them were House Beautiful.”
Check out some of the sets from Hollywood and hear how Licht and her team pulled this Golden Era look together.
The Beverly Hills Hotel Bungalow
Melissa Licht
“The bungalow was definitely the set I was most excited about," says Licht. "Working with Matthew we had very specific ideas about what the set should look like, and we had a lot of reference images for the actual bungalows during that period. We pulled shapes from those references—including the amoeba coffee table between the two sofas."
"There was a table very similar in the original bungalows, so I elongated and reshaped it to fit our space. I had all the lamp shades manufactured because it was extremely important to get the fringe detail that was so often used in the period, but impossible to find in good condition now. The pink and cream ‘palm’ drapery fabric—along with the fringe—were found at Home Fabrics and Luxury Fabrics in Downtown LA helped inspire the rest of the look. And, of course we installed the original Martinique wallpaper [from CW Stockwell].”
Jack’s Apartment
Netflix
“The color palette for the entire series is very sunny and warm with lots of golds and creams—it’s something that was set by Ryan Murphy in the beginning, during one of our very first concept meetings," Licht reveals. "The wallpaper in the bedroom is a very pale pink, and everything else is rust, gold, and beige—we really tried to keep that golden ‘hopeful Hollywood’ feeling."
"The dresser was purchased on one of our first shopping trips to King Richards in Whittier. A lot of the lighting I got at flea markets very early on Sunday mornings almost every week of production, and other pieces are from prop houses (which are an extremely good resource when time is limited). For the kitchen, Matthew designed all the tilework and cabinetry, and I brought in the appliances—which thankfully fit perfectly—and all the odds and ends in shades of cream and red.”
Ace Studios
Melissa Licht
“Since it belonged to the head of the studio, it had to feel very imposing," explains Licht. "We were actually able to get Jack Warner’s original desk from the Warner Brothers prop house, which really helped set the tone we were trying to achieve for the office. I wanted it to feel very balanced, so symmetry was very important—which is why we have matching things on either side of the window. I’m really into lamps and chairs—they’re my favorites. Pairs of lamps were a strong period element, so it was important to use them together. Everywhere I could, I put a pair of lamps—it almost became a joke.”
Dick’s Office
Netflix
“This office had to be slightly less grand than Ace’s office, but still needed to feel special and important," says Licht. "My favorite piece is the French Deco credenza from Castle Antiques in Los Angeles. It’s such a beautiful honey brown color, with gold feet, and it fit into the color palette so perfectly. Once I decided it was going in Dick’s office, the rest of the room was designed around it.”
The Commissary
Melissa Licht
“Finding that many chairs of the right period can be extremely hard—in fact, multiples are always the hardest part of our job," reveals Licht. "We scoured all the prop houses and finally found these at Warner Brothers—they had enough, and they were the right look. I presented them to Matthew, and he realized they were the actual chairs from the reference image of the Warner Brothers commissary!”
The Starlet Classroom
Melissa Licht
“The inspiration for the room was the actors’ practice space from the film Singing in the Rain," Licht shares. "The lighting is from Rejuvenation; we used their lighting throughout all of Ace Studios, so you’ll see them in most spaces, including the hallways and editing room. They really helped set the tone for us. The posters on the back wall were designed by our graphic designer, Hilary Ament, which add a playful touch to a space that would otherwise be too serious.”
Raymond’s Apartment
Netflix
“These lampshades are some of my favorites," Licht reveals. "A lot of the is furniture is from 20thCentury Props, including the Paul Frankl credenza. For a young couple just starting out, all the furniture would have likely been very modern, as opposed to newer, expensive pieces.”
Henry’s Office
Netflix
“The inspiration for the furniture was pulled from the architecture of [what would have been] the Oviatt Building," says Licht. "The heavy Art Deco feel of the room dictated what furniture felt appropriate for the space, so I went with rich woods and shades of red throughout. The red leather chairs opposite his desk are from Castle Antiques, as are the blue chairs flanking the credenza under the mirror.”
Henry’s House
Melissa Licht
“This was such a fun set to decorate—it was so different from the rest of the sets we’d completed," Licht says. "I stuck with the Deco look because that’s what was in his office, imagining that it was his taste. His house was definitely modern, but not quite as heavy as his office.”
Schwab’s
Melissa Licht
“We tried to stay as historically faithful as possible," says Licht. "Everything in there—all the furniture—the barstools, the counters, and the glass cabinet—was custom built. The images we see of Schwab’s are always chaotic with lots of people and products, so I wanted it to feel as full and busy as possible, which required an obscene number of smaller accessories. We had a second graphic designer, Trey Shaffer, come onboard just to do the product design for Schwab’s and help get it all fabricated—which took a couple weeks. I scoured Etsy and flea markets for the little perfume bottles and other vintage pieces to make it as full and varied as possible. Again, the ceiling fixtures and sconces are from Rejuvenation.
The Gas Station
Netflix
“The gas pumps were the things I thought about first, wondering where they’d even come from," Licht recalls. "One of our buyers, Ashley Rice, sourced them from The Finest Website for Gas Pumps, based in North Carolina. They make vintage-inspired gas pumps and worked with Matthew to decide what the colors would be. Beyond that, most everything from prop houses.”
The Cukor Estate
Netflix
“We had to have this table custom-built by the construction and art department—I think it was 16-feet-long," says Licht. "It was made in three sections so we could get it into the space. We wanted to create the feeling of grandeur these parties probably had, given how many people would have been there. The buffet and the pair of white and black lamps are from Castle Antiques, as are the pair with black shades.”
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