Ikea Showroom

When it comes to determining the look and feel of a film set, the idea is called Set Design.

What is Set Design? Well, set design is creating and crafting the look of the room or environment that the film is set in, depending on the setting, plot, and that particular scene. It can be a pretty fun process, when setting up a nice room or kitchen, because it can be appealing to the viewer.

Here’s the best part. Have you ever been to the furniture/home store IKEA? It’s a pretty fun place where you can get some very good furniture for your home. Even better, your favorite part is probably the sample rooms, where custom furniture, paintings, colors, etc. are set up to where you can walk around and not only have a great feel, but get some great ideas on what you want your home to look like.

Here at Amethyst Studios, we are very strong about appearances, just like with costume design. Same can go with set design, because it really takes the viewer into a fun place. We choose our locations carefully for this particular reason.

Now let’s combine IKEA rooms and film sets together. What if we presented an idea where you could use inspiration from IKEA, when designing sets? I think this can be a wonderful place to start. IKEA doesn’t have to be limited to nice houses, but it can provide ideas for film sets. Imagine your character living in such a nice place! It makes you really want to be there.

Just recently, we went to the IKEA store in Atlanta, Georgia, to look at some fun and bright sample sets. This can be not only to give you ideas, but to give us some inspiration for possible future film project sets, as we move forward into a bright future. 

We looked at so many different sample rooms that we couldn’t use all of them. So we carefully selected some of the top 10 best sets that are worth your while!

Disclaimer: These sets are custom-named, based on their feel, so it’s not official. We are also not sponsored nor affiliated with IKEA. We just wanted to publish a fun little blog related to set design.

#1: Cozy Red and White Diamonds

When it comes to the Christmas holidays, you want a nice and cozy living room to get a nice feel of winter weather, warm coffee, and silent nights. So it fits that red and white would be a perfect combination to put in the living room, and not to mention the walls that have said combination, in this sweet diamond pattern, to help complete the feel.

It can definitely fit well with the Christmas decor in some parts, hence the holly wreaths on the walls, and even the shelves. And don’t forget the pillow on the sofa! What a cheery combination.

And it’s not just the walls that make up for it, it’s also the furniture. With a mostly red wall on the other sides, it fits well to have white furniture, especially the shelves. With the colored wall on the other side, it makes perfect sense. An even better detail is not only the other wreaths placed around with the TV, but the books, baskets, lamp, paintings, and other small details that truly makes this set complete.

As you will see, these little details are always important when it comes to set design. Even with the colors and furniture, it’s always the little things in the space that truly make it complete, in order to create a liveable space for the character. It also has to depend on who’s living here, so you can decide what to put and have fun with it.

#2: Modern Noir

Modern appearances are always appealing to the eye, especially in this example, when white and black are used on the walls. Even better, when it's used in a sweet and nice pattern.

And surrounding the area is other modern furniture, especially since some of the colors are either white or black, which fits well with the (mostly black) wall. Even the grey couch fits in well. Additionally, you have the pale-colored wood floors and some of the furniture that includes the lamp and the coffee table.

And if you take another look around the room, other small, yet interesting features stand out to the viewer. Not only does it fit with the black-and-white walls and modern design, but it really makes you feel at home, what with the books, plants, and not to mention a little old fashioned design with the record player.

Other cool things, such as books and plants are little details, but brings the viewer into a nice, comforting home. It doesn't hurt to make your house look nice. It also shouldn't cost too much, depending on your budget.

#3: Open-Window Apartment

Nothing in the cities is better than a kitchen and a living room, together, with a big window that looks straight into the city. In order to determine the setting of your characters, you really have to show the audience the kind of world they are living in. And when they’re in such a glamorous city, living the high life, this set is a wonderful example of that.

In a city, apartments have limited space, so you have to make the best of your place to make it not too small, but liveable at the same time. With quick access to the living room from the kitchen, the space is very open and welcoming, with the window where you can look into the beautiful city. It doesn’t feel claustrophobic, especially since the window gives you a sense of openness.

Not only is the open space a good thing, but the modern feel fits with the city vibe as well. With a nice kitchen texture comes with beautiful looking furniture, especially at the dining table, and even the utilities in the kitchen are very modernized.

There’s also color. Like the last example, some parts are white (or lighter) while some others are black (or darker), which is a good combination and feel, especially in the cities.

#4: Modern Festivities

What’s more fun than a holiday-themed room? How about a kitchen, dining room, and a living room combined, and even set up in such a fun, interactive way?

What makes this set special is first (and again!), the Christmas-themed decor. With a black kitchen, couch and table, it blends in well with the red colors very well. Some might say the color combinations don’t matter, but they really do, because you must figure out a way on making it look not only very nice, but warm and welcoming. You want to make yourself feel comfortable at home. And not to mention the relatives and friends who would want to come over and have dinner with you on a silent night.

With Christmas being such a huge theme here, it even makes sense to have a white wall to (again, colors!) blend in well with the black that’s already there.

Here’s the best part: If you look in the below photo, behind the fireplace, there’s also an additional living room. We knew they were connected due to the fireplace and matching themes.

And with a fireplace to represent Christmas, along with the additional space, it gives us more room to interact and wander around, which is a lot of fun.

This room is definitely one of our favorites, and is fitting for this article, hence the current season.

#5: Basic Dining

Even with fun Christmas decorations, what if you’re the type of person who wants to keep it sweet and simple, but still nice-looking at the same time? Here is a neat example of a simple kitchen, with a little touch of Christmas at the dining table.

You may see it as having kind of a bland taste, with the white wall and wood cabinets, but with the black countertop and Christmas decorations, it looks very nice. This is proof that you can turn even the basic designs into something beautiful, because with the right theme colors, it not only fits well, but you have the freedom to run wild with decorations.

It’s also modern, with the stove, sink, and fridge. Nice and sweet, in a good way.

#6: Comforting Living Room

You may live in a city, especially when space is limited in your apartment, but you still need to make your place feel like a home. This is why we have a small, yet nice and liveable living room that gives your home a welcoming feeling.

Again, we are going for the Christmas theme, with the white couch and the red pillows. Just like with black, white and red fit together perfectly well. Even if the white, shown in this example, is not the #FFFFFF color code you may be expecting, it’s still at least a shade of white that can still look kind of Christmas-y, in a basic way, kind of like our last example.

One detail that stands out in the room is the red flowers on the table. Even though the rest of the room is more white, with some red and other colors, this decoration stands out, and even fits well, despite the contrast. Sometimes, contrast in color can blend well, if done perfectly.

And again, it’s not just the Christmas colors and decorations that are the most important. It’s the tiny details, especially the TV, which fits well in an average living room. And let’s not forget the DVD player, the portrait, the book, you name it. It makes the room more live-able.

#7: Grey Kitchen

If you prefer slightly darker colors, but in a plain way, then maybe the color grey would fit for you. And why not make it a Grey Kitchen?

It is a simple color that not only fits well with the surrounding white and the grey fridge, but it gives the room a modern, calm feeling, like it’s late at night, and you’re excited to cook a meal for your friends and family. Even better, what if it were a Christmas night? You don’t need Christmas decorations to complete the look. It’s the feel that matters.

Along with the feel is the plates in the cabinets. Now it’s complete. Even better is the glass cabinets and grey-colored plates to make it more fun and relaxing. Again, background props matter a lot, especially in this case, when you’re going for the modern and comforting feel.

See? It’s so simple yet complex at the same time. This is what makes it work! Very much like our Basic Dining Example.

#8: Black Kitchen

You saw the Grey Kitchen. And you thought that was pretty cool? Now get ready for the black kitchen!

While this does have simplicity, like some of our previous examples, what makes this a little better is the amazing blend of the dominating black color, with some white in it. It makes it even better with the grey fridge. This contrast in colors is what makes a lot of stuff stand out, and even look cool.

Not only do the colors look modern, but the designs feel modern too! You have the lamps hanging above the dining table, the chairs at said table, including a modernized kitchen, with the fridge, oven, microwave, and sink. This blend of modernization makes it worth looking at.

#9: Traditional Wood Style

If you’re not much of a fan of the modern appeal of your house, but you still need a city place, there are other ideas! We have picked out a very interesting style that takes you around the entire house, and even has some very nice wood designs!

Even with a bit of modern-ish thrown in there, the house is filled with some nice, bright colors that fit well with some of the wood furniture, woven baskets, and beautiful paintings.

You can go in other places around the house and find a little bedroom that matches such a vibe. The orange and pink sure do fit with the wood!

While other showrooms had just a kitchen or living room, or sometimes a bit of both, this one has it all! By just walking around, you REALLY feel like you’re at home! Right here, you may notice other parts of the "house", such as the laundry room and little hallway that goes into the back. Stuff like this can be essential and important, even for a place in the house that may not seem important, but it is VERY important, as we have stated in our other examples about little props laying around that helps complete the feel.

With an open place like this to walk around in, it can be great for film sets, especially if it’s a sitcom where your character(s) really have to go places. Except this supposed sitcom isn't one-sided (meaning it shows one side of the house, where the camera is pointing) and more of a three-dimensional environment! Imagine how cool that would be.

#10: Revolutionary Era Dining Room

Here’s our last but not least example. Again, we are still (kind of!) shining away from modernism. But this time, we will focus on a dining area that has a mix of modern design and the vibe of interior designs that reminds us of the Revolutionary Period in the 1700s.

In historical dramas that take place during this time, you might notice that the walls, in particular, and even the color and slight designs give off this vibe. However, we say “kind of” because there’s still plenty of modern feeling to it, with the hanging lamps.

But in other places, you may notice candles, glass cabinets, patterns on the chairs, and even the traditional clock that gives us the “classical era vibe”.

But wait, there’s one more thing! The table itself, which is why it’s called the “dining room”! Especially when you look at the contents. Given the time of year, it’s definitely a time where friends and family come together and gather at the house for a fun late night dinner, kind of like some of our other kitchen examples. The way this table is set up is warm and welcoming to your kind guests, with silverware ready to go, plates to put your food, and even a center where you can grab the food.

Talk about a fun Christmas dinner!

And that is the end of our set design picks! We have seen so many other fun showrooms, which we would’ve loved to use, but at the end of the day, we wanted to pick out the ones that fit perfectly well with the current Christmas spirit!

Depending on certain occasions, we are hoping to do more of these Ikea Showroom Articles in the future.

Let us know what you think! Which one was your favorite? Do you agree with our list? We want to hear from you!

We thank everyone at Amethyst Studios for their support, and we even hope everyone enjoyed our latest holiday special, A Very Preppy Christmas! With that in mind, we wish you a Merry Christmas!