I feel a bit odd saying this in public because it makes me feel like a pop culture luddite, but I've never seen Sex and the City - the tv shows or the films. But, working for Apartment Therapy for years has shown me that people love both the show and the style of the interiors, so when I came across an Elle Decor feature that shows off sets from the new film, I decided to share...
Elle Decor has published a big feature all about the interiors of Sex and the City 2, featuring lots of photos and source details. Our favorite is Carrie's simple and sophisticated living room.
According to the article, it includes a Montauk sofa which is upholstered in a Donghia blue wool-mohair. The chairs are vintage and the floral rug is by Paul Smith for the Rug Company.
The ingredients that go into this style mix:
• We love how the dark blue upholstery seems to function both as a shot of color AND an amazing neutral in this space.
• The curved cornered coffee table. The shape is unexpected and the table seems super functional as well as being a strong design statement. The raised lip allows it to act as a big tray, confining all of the tabletop items.
• The skinny tall (shiny?) lamps that bookend the sofa. They are a touch quirky and therefore add a lot of style while taking up very little space.
• The symmetry of the two chairs and two lamps being broken up with the asymmetry of the pillows - three beige and one blue.
• The painting. The gold tone adds luminosity and a little bit of glitz but it feels more classic than flashy.
• The succulent arrangement - a modern touch that adds a little life (and one that even those of us with non-green thumbs can adopt).
Check out the entire feature at: Elle Decor
(Image: Craig Blankenhorn/Elle Decor)
MORE RECIPES FOR STYLE ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
• Recipe for Style: Shipley & Halmos Office
• Recipe for Style: Chic Living Room by James Rixner
• Recipe for Style: Opposites Living Room
Apartment Therapy's Sofa Shopping Guide
Nikki’s Sweet and Cheery Print Studio
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Stanley Console by ...
5 Things Paris Taught Me About Travel
Recipe: Ham, Cheddar & Chive Egg Bakes
Thanks for the list of ingredients. So many house tours and such talk about "unexpected uses" and "clever touches" without spelling out what those might be. I have kids bouncing off the walls while I read this website on a micro-laptop so I appreciate the bulleted list so I can really understand what the unexpected and clever details might be.
seeing the movie today. no doubt the interiors are going to be the most riveting part of the film. but after taking a look at the elle decor spread - that pillow on the right is a cushion by paul smith and the rug is marni - both for the rug company. great post!
Oh my, what a wonderful treat getting the details on the furniture on set...however I didn't see any information on that beautiful curved coffee table/giant beautiful tray-like table, does anyone have info on that?
Anyone know where the coffee table is from? It would be perfect in my living room!
Ethan Allen has a similar floor lamp and it's on sale. Just received their catalog yesterday. Check it out:
http://www.ethanallen.com/product?productId=324&categoryId=8055
nice to get a look at the old apartment. not sure why she still has it, but i view that closet as carrie's art studio. i still don't love it. i like the old carrie who shopped in vintage stores and had a down to earth edge to her style. being all glam all the time makes her kinda inaccessible now.
I've been looking for a painting just like that, only it needs to complement light green.
Lady J - the photo above is not the old apartment its the one from the Sex in the City 2.
This is a more mature look and living with Mr. Big its not as girly as the last apartment. That coffee table looks so familiar similar style to-
Mashstudio's LAX
And she is, no doubt, spending some Mr Big money on the interiors now!
ditto on the "list of ingredients". i adored carrie's old apartment, and the tour of it is still online:
http://www.hbo.com/#/sex-and-the-city/cast-and-crew/carrie-bradshaw/slideshow/carries-apartment.html
b77 - the old apartment is featured in the original photo spread at Elle Decor, updated bedding, etc. that's why i'm not sure why carrie still has that place, since she lives in the new place.
sure, it's more mature. but not necessarily carrie. she could mature without giving up vintage and earthy. everything is shiny, bright and flashy. that just doesn't resonate to me.
she could spend big money on old stuff.
meh. No soul. No funk. Not even a magazine or to-go container to be seen.
The coffee table has great feng shui especially because the corners are softened up. Don't you hate bumping into hard corners?
gotcha lady j did not look through the Elle site.
yes its more mature but I am not saying I like it just noting that its less girly.
i actually think that coffee table and rug are very off and do NOT go with the sofa and chairs. And really who would have books situated like that on a coffee table, well I guess maybe in the movies.
It's a set, not a real space or home. Why even bother?
Um, because set decorators work VERY hard to describe a character, even subliminally, through EVERY choice, however minute. It's a skill, it's an art, it's fascinating, and it's highly relevant to determining how an interior can tell our own personal stories.
Saw the movie last night and near the end of the movie, Carrie kneels on an amazing blue ottoman with some sort of tailored ruffle detail on the sides. I didn't see it included here, but I loved it.
It's beautiful, but is it Carrie?
I don't think it's more "mature," just more expensive
I also love that table. It was the first thing I noticed.
Love the coffee table but where's it from?
Love the rug and I found it here: http://www.therugcompany.info/sex-and-the-city-roomsets.htm
Saw it last night and it's definitely fantastic, escapist eye candy. I enjoyed seeing the new apartment and I think I reflects a more mature Carrie, with more resources. As noted above, the those light blue chairs are vintage - probably recovered. Most rooms have very cute wallpaper that I personally think is Carrie.
She has a smaller version of the fantastic closet. She has a very cute upholstered headboard with a moorish-tile Kravet fabric. Most of the items I saw looked vintage, but reupholstered. Since she's living with Big, I imagine that she's had to make some compromises. I totally see him frowning on 'OLD' furniture and not appreciating 'patina'. We all know what sacrifices and compromises we make for relationships - and that's precisely what the movie is about. I think the apartment represents the new, more mature, compromising Carrie.
Speaking of compromises, her kitchen tile - the blue Heath tiles - are the ones I want, in white. But the love of my life veto'd them. I'm now back on my campaign to change his mind... So pretty...
I totally and utterly agree with romeoandjewel's comments- yes, this is a more mature Carrie. The apartment has Carrie touches everywhere if you look carefully. People always want everything to stay the same....but characters should grow and change. The apartment is perfection. There are also great shots in the companion book for the movie. The bedroom is to die for.
Does anyone recognize the black and white dresser in Carrie and Big's bedroom? It's amazing.
That blue ottoman WAS fantastic...I was hoping it'd be referenced here.
Can anyone find the name of the artist who created the paitning hanging above the couch? I don't see it mentioned in the Elle article.
I thought this seemed cramped
i don't think characters need to grow and change precisely b/c they're characters. that said, i have no problem with carrie maturing, i just don't see it in this. it lacks her brand of whimsy. the old place was not that well put together. it was highly functional. light on color and design. just some shabbied wooden chairs. enough chairs for her friends, a coffee table, a desk, and a bench by the bookshelves.
the thread that carrie was maxed out on credit from too much shopping was supported by her sparse home. it wasn't a priority, which said a lot about her, but what was there was totally her.
I know what you're saying...but now Carrie's tastes have merged somewhat with Big's. She has more money now (and he has a ton) with some successful books under her belt. I think it reflects where she is now...also you can tell that there are some vintage touches in there.
I JUST saw the movie...someone needs to please tell me where the blue ottoman is or I will cry.
ah: http://www.azuremagazine.com/newsviews/blog_content.php?id=1540
The blue ottoman is by Anne Kyyrö Quinn
I posted about it here: http://ariannabelle.blogspot.com/2010/05/more-on-sex-and-city-2-decor.html
I don't like it. Yes, it's a nice set, and yes, it has nice furniture, but describe Carrie? I've seen the whole series numerous times and both movies, as well, but in my opinion she hasn't changed/evolved/matured/whatever this much.
Or come to think, maybe she has :( She, like the other three, are all about being as thin and as luxurious as possible now, being nothing but label advertisements now. Do I need to say I didn't enjoy the second movie at all? Already in the first one, I felt physically ill from the glorifying of consumerism - great message to send out to the world really. More, more, more, and right now. *sad sigh*