You may not hear about them in Entertainment Weekly or People Magazine, but set decorators and the buyers are pretty much VIPs when it comes to TV land. They’re the ones creating a magical land (Central Perk ring a bell?) that feels authentic, lived-in and most importantly, believable. Set decorators and buyers are the people behind the scenes, searching high and low for all the perfect pieces to fill a set. Shopping for a job? Sounds pretty fab.
But how do you become one of these secret buyers? Well, we tapped seasoned Hollywood set decoration buyer and Chairish customer, Kami Laprade, to give us an insider’s look at her world. With a robust portfolio including snazzing up the sets of The OC, Cougar Town, and most recently American Horror Story, you know an “ordinary” day in her life is probably not very ordinary at all!
First of all, how did you become a set decoration buyer?
When I was in high school I worked for Polo Ralph Lauren setting up window displays and really enjoyed it. I liked the idea of using furniture and props to set a scene, or to create a look. I started working backstage doing theatre, making the props for the actors and setting the furniture during the play. After college I worked for Disneyland in their Resort Enhancement Dept, where we made and put up all the Christmas decorations in the whole park and all the hotels. At the same time, I started working on smaller movies in the art department, working my way up until I was able to quit Disney to work full time in the movie business. I’ve been doing it for over 10 years now, and have done various positions in the art department.
We know that it’s probably different for every show, but what’s your process for creating and buying for a set?
It always starts out with a script. It tells me what the story is going to be about, what time period it takes place in, where and what type of people the characters are. Then, the production designer designs the overall look of each set. Next, the decorator and I talk in more detail about the look– what type of furniture is needed, the color scheme, what does the character do, what kinds of things might they have, patterns, that type of thing. Then it’s my job to start finding it all.
Being a buyer for set dressing encompasses all kinds of things. From buying couches, to picking out material to have drapery made, or furniture recovered, to finding artists who will allow you to put their work on the show. My job definitely involves a lot of shopping; whether it is scouring the Internet for different things, to running around town buying more basic items. Everything from the couch, to the sheets, to the dishes, to the clothing in a closet, to the art on the walls and the flowers in a vase are part of set dressing, and I’ve bought it all. I’ve had to shop for all kinds of sets, including surf shops, toy stores, hospitals, coffee shops, trailer parks, expensive homes, pharmacies, CIA interrogation locations, western towns, even a traveling circus!
Spill the beans. How and where do you source all these items?
It depends on where you’re shooting and what kind of show you work. In Los Angeles, there are a lot of prop houses that specialize in renting all sorts of items. Some are specific to a particular genre; medical items, vintage items, lighting, that kind of thing. Antique stores, estate sales, flea markets, are fabulous resources. Websites like Chairish are fantastic because they specialize in different eras of furniture and furnishings in general. At the end of the day, it’s just about knowing where to go to find what it is you are looking for.
Shameless plug…. But how did you find out about Chairish?
I got so lucky! I was searching the Internet, trying to find vintage and different looking pieces of furniture, and just happened to come across it. Ebay and Etsy can be frustrating if you don’t know exactly you are looking for. That’s why I love Chairish; you can browse under “chair” and just come up with all kinds of pieces, from high end modern pieces, to unusual and funky pieces. Perfect for someone who has to buy for any and every different type of set. Also, there are real people who work there. Everyone I’ve ever dealt with there has been so nice, unbelievably helpful, and completely understanding when I crazily tell them I need that couch to come across the country in 3 days.
What do you like most about your job?
Shopping with other people’s money! But seriously, I love my job because it’s always different, always changing, and I’m always learning new things. You meet and work with all types of people on each job; it’s never the same. I’ve also gotten to go to places and see things that normally the public doesn’t have access to. We shot in this old, closed down clothing store in downtown LA that’s only used to shoot for movies. It was so beautiful inside and still had all the original fixtures and cabinetry. Plus, you get to know all kinds of random yet useful facts, and you help put together a great set that you can be proud of. I’ve been lucky enough to work with all kinds of amazingly talented people, and have learned and done so many fun things.
When you spot your work on TV or movies, can you relax and enjoy it, or are you always looking at it from a buying perspective?
Well, I do enjoy it, but I am definitely paying a lot of attention to how everything looks. I don’t always get to see it fully dressed, so it’s interesting to see how it ended up. Also, how it’s dressed and what they show are two very different things. It can be incredibly frustrating to spend a week or so finding everything for a room, and then they only shoot part of one wall. But that’s just part of how it goes, so you have to try not to take it too personally.
Amen sister. We’d love to know– how do you find inspiration for sets?
I take from real life situations. We think about what types of things the particular character would have. If it’s a set that reminds me of someone I know or a place I’ve been, I think about what was there. We do a lot of research, especially if it’s a period piece. Also, sometimes when you are just wandering around a store, you see things that you just think will work in a set. I love watching movies, seeing what other people have come up makes you want to do great things too.
Thanks so much for your time, Kami!
