Romola Garai as the title character in Emma. Image © David Venni for BBC/MASTERPIECE

Production designer Stevie Herbert has a job based in make-believe—and history. The newest adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma, a Masterpiece Classic production that airs in three parts on PBS through February 7th (and to which I'm mildly addicted!) is just one of a host of period dramas for which Herbert has set the scene. We Skyped her on location in Barcelona, where she is working on her latest project, to get the scoop on how she created the look for the story, which is set in Georgian-Regency England around 1815.

[Editors' Note: Read below and then click to our conversation with Rosalind Ebbutt, Emma's costume designer, about Austen era fashion.]

The Inside Source: The look and feel of this adaptation of Emma is quite different from the 1996 adaptation starring Gwyneth Paltrow, which seemed lighter and airier, perhaps more frivolous even.

Stevie Herbert: We used a warmer palette. Emma’s character, which has great depth, informed our design. We looked at Hartfield, all of Highbury really, through her eyes, and decided that it’s a place of great love and depth and heart. Everything spins out from there—the architecture, the countryside, the garden, the furnishings, the costumes.

 

TIS: The manor house, the gardens, and the landscapes are all incredibly beautiful. Where was the production filmed?

SH: The story takes place in the south of England, which is very sheltered and very gentle compared to London. We made great effort to find countryside that was not clotted with contemporary buildings. We wanted it to be beautiful and look magical. The result is true to the period, but enhanced by our vision; that’s where the magic comes in. We used a period correct location called Squirreys Court, a 17th century manor house in Kent. We shot in the gardens and in some of the interior rooms. A few interior scenes were shot in another period home.

 

TIS: Did you have to do a lot of design work to the rooms you used? For instance, did you hang the wallpaper, the tapestries, and all those paintings?

SH: We used what was there whenever possible, especially in Squirreys Court, which has period correct colors and wallpaper. The room where Emma’s father, Mr. Woodhouse, received guests, already had that yellow block print Cole & Sons wallpaper. But in the dining room, we changed the paper to a turquoise blue with gold flecks so it would be sparkly in the candlelight; it made all the girls look beautiful. That color evokes the period before; it was very popular in 1790. I’d say 30 percent was already there and 70 percent we chose at the prop house. The carpets were in place as were many of the paintings.

 

TIS: Tell us about the furnishings.

SH: We went for classical Regency furniture. Emma says herself in the script that she’s not a well-traveled girl, so we decided that Hartfield wouldn’t have very many pieces that were foreign. But her sister, who lived in London, would have gone to furniture shops to buy imports. Mr. Knightley, who is “more a man of the world,” has pieces that are Egyptian, Italian, and French. It’s all very personal. When you prop someone’s house, you have to become them. You think: Would they sleep there? Would they have that on their wall? And so on.

 

You can recreate an Emma style interior using period-authentic antiques found on eBay:

Key terms to search for are "British Regency" (which in interior design terms, can refer to the era from the 1790s through the 1830s) "Louis XV" (an earlier time period from Austen's works, but the style was still in vogue), "Louis XVI," or "Georgian." Look for antiques or reproduction pieces; gilt, tapestry, block print wallpaper, chinoiserie (in wallpapers and decorative accessories), and needlepoint were popular looks from the era.

 

1. This is a common seating piece of the period, in both England and in France. In the PBS production, Harriet and Emma debate Robert Martin’s proposal sitting on a settee similar to this. Vintage French Louis XV Settee (buy it now price, $1,799)

2. Hartfield House is filled with elaborately framed portraits and landscapes. In the room where Emma’s father, receives guests, the gilt-framed oils literally line the walls. The walls are covered in a yellow block print paper by Cole & Sons, which was already hanging at the Squerryes Court location. Herbert informs us that both the style and color are “period correct.” The production crew did, however, remove the draperies that hung there. Set of Four Vintage Carved Giltwood Italian Frames (current, $10.49)

3. The palette for the Masterpiece Classic adaptation was inspired by the colors of Georgian oil paintings, like those represented in this miniature.  The warm colors evoke a very different, much stronger feel from the lighter, whiter palette used in the 1996 adaptation of Emma.  Antique Georgian Miniature Portrait (buy it now price, $199)

4. Much of the production was shot at Squerryes Court, a 17th century manor house, where beautiful, historically correct tapestries hang on the walls. Herbert says, “We used what was there whenever possible. We were blessed.” Antique Belgian Needlepoint Tapestry (buy it now price, $199)

5. Many elaborate brass candelabra like these, as well as simpler silver candlesticks, are scattered throughout Hartfield House. Other decorative accessories include busts, lidded jars, vases, urns, and clocks. French Empire Bronze Six-Light Candelabra (buy it now price, $699)

6. Chinese imports were all the rage during this time. In the PBS production, we see Emma arranging flowers in a vase such as this one. However, Herbert points out that there are not a lot of these type of pieces at Hartfield. “There are two or three Chinese pieces on the landing,” she tells us, “but Emma has largely English furniture.” Chinese Antique Vase with Cobalt Blue Decoration (buy it now price, $459)

7. Ladylike gilt chairs with needlepoint tapestry upholstery decorate the room the room where Emma passed time with her companions pursing ladylike pursuits, including reading, writing letters, and, of course, matchmaking.  Antique Louis XV Style Parcel Gilt Needlepoint Chairs (buy it now price, $3,525)

8. in the PBS production, the sette is flanked by Georgian pie crust side tables, each holding candlesticks. A massive gilt-framed portrait of an opulently dressed woman hangs in the background beside a grandfather clock. Mahogany Pie Crust Parlor Stand Table, (buy it now price, $285)

9. While we didn’t spot any stools in this production, this stool would be the perfect accompaniment to the needlepoint chairs. A century earlier, the tabouret stool was used by those sitting in the presence of the royal family in the court of Louis XIV at Versailles. Antique Louis XV Style Needlepoint Tabouret (buy it now price, $2,775)

 

Marni Elyse Katz is a Boston-based writer and editor who covers style, art and design for a variety of publications, including the Boston Globe Magazine, Boston Home and her own blog, Style Carrot.