Ep. 176: set designer Beth Kushnick

Our guest this week, Beth Kushnick, has decorated sets from some of your favorite films and TV shows including The Good Wife, Jumanji, and Anchorman 2 just to name a few. She joins the show to share what exactly a Set Decorator does, and how she started as an art lover in New York to compose visuals for the top sets in the entertainment industry. Beth also geeks out with us about lighting, picking the perfect colors, and her biggest pet peeve in set decoration. Beth also is the host of the podcast, Decorating the Set: From Hollywood To Your Home.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

• The difference between decorating for a TV series versus in movies.
• How Beth started in theater with design and painting and got led to set design for movies and television.
• Why you should be on the lookout for the little “easter eggs” in movies and TV, a clever gift from the crew!
• How Beth designs perfectly for each character and makes the sets seem realistic to their personality.
• Why you won’t see black drywall screws anywhere near one of Beth’s sets!
• Artwork is so important to the set, and Beth explains how she finds appropriately themed artwork for each production.
• Beth explains the decisions on picking a color to make the actors look good and bring out their best features.
• The nuance of paint and why natural colors are so classic.
• Beth gets super jazzed about lighting and shares what she uses to honor the set design by using practicals for lighting.

Decorating Dilemma

Thank you so much for writing in! So, we think you have more space than you think you do. Beth agrees with you that the entry-way can turn into a small cabinet, and you could possibly move it back to create more storage space. This would then help you dress the window behind the cabinet, lending to you to some interesting color options. In this circumstance, the tape measurer will be your best friend, especially when it comes to depth. We would go as big as possible which could be your buffet, and you can add lamps and candles for some great lighting options. A funky chair facing the sofa to ground the sofa would be great.

Mentioned in This Episode:

@BethKushnick

Decorating the Set from Hollywood to Your Home