If you have not yet been to see Emma, Autumn de Wilde’s directorial debut, go. Now.
This effervescent, pretty film is a joyous celebration of Austen’s novel, and an homage to Georgian style. In case it isn’t obvious by now, I loved it. The soundtrack, by, none other than, Isabel Waller-Bridge, is a sensation to which I have been listening non-stop, the costumes are divine, however my first love is the set design. So, should you also wish to move into Hartfield, stick around, I’m here to help.
Firle Place was chosen as Hartfield for this adaptation, in part, because the Gage family were happy to let production designer Kave Quinn and set decorator Stella Fox re-decorate, and boy they did! Vibrant was the word of the day, the Little Hall was painted bright blue, the Great Hall was given a pink Adam inspired makeover, complete with panelling and classical motifs, and the Drawing Room was painted (what will henceforth be known as) Emma Yellow. So step number one of creating your own Hartfield is, embrace colour!
But no Emma interior is complete without a Georgian print, and if there was one thing that I loved more than anything else, it was Emma’s bedroom. Divine. A chinoiserie dreamland. Ice cream perfection. I went straight home and sourced the fabric.
We have Hazelton House to thank for this beautiful chinois, they are in fact an American company specialising in heritage fabrics, and are hand printed in the U.K. I also love it in the cream, and am also absolutely in love with the Osterley – how did they ever pick just one for the film?!
Well, of course, they didn’t pick just one.
If you can prise your eyes off of Mr. Knightly for just a second you’ll see that this beautiful wallpaper is courtesy of Adelphi Paper Hangings, who are a ‘small, artisanal producer of historically accurate block printed wallpapers’. I’m currently deciding where to put this Arabesque…
No self-respecting Georgian interior would be complete without trim, and I can’t say for sure where the film sourced theirs, but you can never go wrong with Samuel & Sons. Add pompoms to your curtains, fringing to your cushions, and stick the leftovers on your person, you’ll blend right in.
So, once you’ve re-painted, surrounded yourself with chinois and urns, my final advice for getting the Emma look at home is; find some antiques, pick some fresh flowers, and don a bonnet! You’ll be feeling at home in Hartfield in no time!
Want to learn more about the set design for Emma? I loved this article, and this interview with Kave Quinn herself!
What did you think of Emma, and her beautiful house?
