“More Fringe!”: Behind the Lavish Sets of Palm Royale
Photo courtesy of Apple TV+
Palm Royale, the glamorous Apple TV+ series, transports viewers to the vibrant world of late 1960s Palm Beach. This setting, with its unique blend of Spanish-style architecture, chinoiserie furniture, and the iconic Lilly Pulitzer color palette, reflects the eclectic mix of styles that define the region—and the show’s designers used it all to help tell the story of its zany characters.
Production designer Jon Carlos and set decorator Ellen Reede—a dynamic duo—collaborated to create an opulent backdrop for the show’s narrative. The show follows Maxine Simmons, a pageant queen played by Kristen Wiig, as she navigates the cutthroat world of Palm Beach high society. I sat down with Ellen for a recent conversation on “Grandma’s Silver.”
On the Locations
"If it's not multiple sets a day, we're shooting one set but are prepping one set or another three sets to keep ahead of the shooting schedule," she shared. This hectic pace required careful planning and coordination, ensuring that each set met the show's high standards, from lavish mansions to sophisticated clubs.
Much of the filming took place at Paramount. Still, the production also utilized several other locations to create the show's rich tapestry of settings. Ellen noted, "We had a mansion in Pasadena; we used the exterior for Norma's mansion and built the rest on a stage. The Club was a variety of locations—the ballroom, dining room, and immediate entry were done at the Wilshire Ebell. The pool was elsewhere. The drive-up entrance with the awning we created was at the Bel-Air Bay Club." This blend of real locations and constructed sets contributed to the authenticity and visual appeal of the series.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
Slim Aarons’ work inspired the aesthetic.
On the Inspirations
An essential inspiration for the show's aesthetic was the work of Slim Aarons, a photographer renowned for capturing the mid-century high society. "The first thing we did was grab every Slim Aarons book we could get and pore through every image he'd ever taken," Reede explained. Aarons' photographs provided a wealth of visual references that helped shape the look and feel of Palm Royale.
Ellen also dove deep into the works of iconic designers such as Tony Duquette, Dorothy Draper, and Elsie de Wolf. “These women were in Palm Beach. They had incredible wealth and would’ve hired designers to do their homes. That also became the look of the show,” she explained. This historical research ensured that sets accurately reflected the opulence and style of the era.
Photo courtesy of Abrams
Tony Duquette’s interior design inspired Norma’s mansion
On the Characters’ Influences
Character personalities were also a critical consideration in the set design. “That’s the real fun part of the job. I think about their homes. What would Norma have in her home? Knowing her arc, she’s pretty dark. I had to think about how to incorporate certain things. Some were little Easter eggs, some were not,” Reede said. For Norma’s mansion, this meant incorporating sharp objects and a global feel, with elements like a gun wall (scripted) and a mirror made of cut glass shards to reflect her complex character.
One of her favorite sets to design was the smoking room. "We took a space that, traditionally, especially in that era, would be a man's space. A smoking room and a bar room were a man's environment in the 60s. We had to turn that on its ear and make it a strong woman's environment. We did that by using color and inviting a little bit of pink into the space," she explained. This approach used traditionally male fabrics in unexpected ways, such as a pink houndstooth chair and a fabric reminiscent of a Chanel suit with silver threads.
Photo courtesy of Ellen Reede
Set decorator Ellen Reede on the set of Norma’s mansion
“More fringe!” became a mantra on set, reflecting the team’s commitment to opulence and detail. “Some side tables were martini tables, but they were just metal. Upholstering tables was a thing that I thought was super fun at the time. My poor draper! She was like, ‘Oh god, now we’re upholstering tables, too?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, and we’re going to put fringe on it, too.’ We layered fringe upon fringe.”
On the Over-the-Top Parties
Photo courtesy of Apple TV+
The social events showcased the team’s flair for dramatic and thematic set designs, including a series of extravagant balls. “The season starts with one gala ball after another. They’re charitable balls aiming to make more money than the previous ball. The pinnacle is the Beach Ball,” Reede explained. Each event featured unique elements, from over-the-top florals at the auction to thematic decorations at the Havana Nights event, which required building a reflecting pool inside the Biltmore Los Angeles.
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