A Few of Her Favorite Things
Many of the furnishings used to create Carrie and Big’s apartment were custom-made or one-of-a-kind. However, some can be found at retail. Here are a few of designer Lydia Marks’ favorite things:
- Living room ottoman, available retail thru Anne Kyro Quinns; annekyyroquinn.com
- The bed in the master bedroom, designed by Jeremy Conway
- Oversized photo of the Flat Iron building commissioned for the kitchen.
- Mid-century chairs in the living room are from Bergdorf Goodman
- The vintage mirror in the foyer
- The leather and walnut veneer coffee table from Poltrona Frau that provided space for her to keep her beloved books nearby; frauusa.com
- Lindsey Adelman chandelier in the library; lindseyadelman.com
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Sex and the City Style
The inside scoop on the dazzling interiors featured in the 'Sex and the City 2' movie.
- by Trisha McBride Ferguson
We all know Carrie Bradshaw (the star character of SATC—if you’ve been under a rock for the last ten years) as a true fashionista. Yet the latest installment of the SATC saga, Sex and the City 2, brings us another side of Carrie—a fan of home furnishings. “I’ve been cheating on fashion with furniture,” admits Carrie, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, in the movie.
Life Imitates Art
From New York City to Abu Dhabi, the backgrounds of SATC always play a pivotal role—practically characters themselves. So when it came time to create the look for Sex and the City 2, director Michael Patrick King once again relied on award-winning production designer Jeremy Conway and his team.
Conway created the show’s signature look for the smash hit HBO series (that ended in 2004) and both the first and second movies. His designs in this latest film envelop and define Carrie as she shares her life and new apartment with husband Mr. Big (Chris Noth).
“All of our work is character-based: Where are they right now? Where are they in their relationship?” explains Conway. When it came to defining the look of Carrie’s new apartment, the direction was upscale yet unique. “We wanted this to be a more grown-up apartment—something that reflects what she’s grown into,” says Conway. “And we wanted to express both of their personalities in the decor while keeping it sophisticated and interesting,” adds Lydia Marks, lead designer on both the first and second motion pictures.
While the penthouse apartment in Sex and the City: The Movie, represented what Carrie thought she wanted, the apartment in the sequel shows what’s really important to her now. It’s simpler and filled with things she truly treasures.
Style File
Like any good interior design, the spaces created for the film reflect the personalities of their residents. “We tried to create a Bohemian chic look with a lot of strong pattern on pattern,” says Conway describing Carrie and Big’s apartment. “It’s maybe a little darker and more masculine than Carrie would have done just for herself.” The style favors mid-century shapes, sumptuous wallpapers, bold rugs and an unending attention to details.
“I would say Carrie is eclectic in her furnishings the same way she is in her fashion,” adds Marks. “In their new apartment she is mixing contemporary Italian pieces with vintage chairs, gorgeous layers of fabrics from trade showrooms and very expressive carpets in bold colors from the Rug Company. This strikes me as the same way Carrie may assemble an outfit—a silk taffetta skirt with a Dior T-shirt, for example.”
As for a color palette, the apartment features chocolate browns, royal blues, golds, whites and surprising punches of color, such as French blue satin drapes in the bedroom that reference the Plaza Athénée hotel in Paris (a nod to the series).
Design Philosophy
“I think less is more to make a room like Big and Carrie's,” says Marks. “If you focus on the line and quality of each piece, the texture of the fabric—you do not need too much. There were no extra things in that room. While it is not minimal, it is definitely not cluttered. Don't be afraid to mix pieces from different eras; that's what makes a room like that interesting.”
