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You don’t need to be a film buff to know when you’re watching a Wes Anderson movie.
Alongside his favourite actors (Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray spring to mind) the director has a distinct aesthetic that he brings to each title, albeit with a few tweaks depending on the setting.
Colour plays a big part in his cinematic style, from the candy pink of The Grand Budapest Hotel to the natural, sepia-toned shades of Moonrise Kingdom.
Quirky interiors are also an integral part of why his movies are so recognisable. Anderson consistently uses symmetrical shots that look like paintings frame-by-frame, surrounding characters with specifically-chosen props like rotary phones and retro typewriters.
The set design tends to lean towards art deco, but playful touches ensure the director’s look can’t be defined by genre: think sumptuous soft furnishings, sparkling chandeliers and vivid printed wallpaper alongside well-worn vintage luggage and gallery walls made up of found art.
This aesthetic is so unmistakable that it has sparked both a book, Accidentally Wes Anderson, and a TikTok trend where people aim to recreate the filmmaker’s visuals in their own lives.
One video from Ava Williams has been viewed over 11 million times, while UK-based creator Keith Afadi racked up 1.4 million likes with his Anderson-inspired clip.
Clearly people are keen to take these looks from the silver screen into real life, and there’s no better way to pay homage than by brightening up your surroundings in his signature style.
Colour is (as you’d imagine) key to recreating the Wes Anderson look in your home, so prepare to step out of your comfort zone if you tend to go for neutral hues. A palette with a handful of complimentary shades can be handy in creating a cohesive theme, but there are really no rules limiting your choices – if anyone questions your tastes, just tell them it’s postmodern and they’ll soon back off.
Motifs and prints are quintessential too. Lighthouses, tigers, florals and stripes give a maximalist feel to a space and tie together the look.
Set decorator Kris Moran, who worked on The Royal Tenenbaums and a number of other Anderson-directed flicks, says she finds props from antique warehouses, thrift shops and eBay, so you don’t need to spend a fortune to replicate the style.
If you don’t fancy trawling vintage stores and secondhand websites, though, these 20 interiors buys are available on the high street now, and are perfect for bringing your French Dispatch, Life Aquatic or Darjeeling Limited visions to life.
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