Behind the Scenes: How Designers Brought the White House to Life on Screen!

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For many years, various TV series have delved into the workings of the U.S. presidency by depicting the White House as a central backdrop.

This season, some popular shows like “The Residence,” “Zero Day” and “Paradise” will give viewers a peek inside the corridors and private rooms of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Since filming isn’t allowed at the actual site of the historical residence, production teams typically recreate the property using existing sets that have been built before.

Since it’s forbidden to shoot at the real location of the historical home, production designers usually resort to using previously constructed sets to replicate the house instead.

In Netflix’s political thriller “Zero Day,” Robert De Niro portrays a former president who is pulled from retirement to probe a lethal “zero-day” cyberattack. Since they weren’t trying to recreate the living quarters of a real ex-president, production designer Anastasia White had the freedom to be imaginative with her designs, as they were creating the setting for a fictional commander-in-chief instead.

The Oval Office set was the most intricate construction, considering it featured just a few lines in the script. As White explains, “We rented an Oval Office [set] and made adjustments and enhancements.” Interestingly, she had previous experience working with this stage setup, having utilized it on the series “White House Plumbers” called Max. Upon receiving the sets, they were in poor condition but offered a base for her crew to start from. “We had to reconstruct much of the molding and doors,” White added.

In “Zero Day,” Angela Bassett portrays President Evelyn Mitchell. It’s unclear if any alterations were made to the décor during the transition between administrations, but White, the set designer, notes that there appears to be a similar aesthetic, in terms of artwork, style, and tone of furniture. This meant we had to maintain a traditional feel when designing the set.

Yet, she introduced some changes, enriching the renowned office with additional colors, but ensuring it remained grounded in realism.

In the political thriller “Paradise,” created by Dan Fogelman, production designer Kevin Bird was tasked with designing a suitable setting for James Marsden’s character, the president. Bird explained, “We aimed to portray him as a youthful president, and we did just that.

As a cinephile, I’d put it this way: “In a post-apocalyptic world, I find myself delving into an intriguing storyline that unfolds beneath the towering peaks of Colorado’s mountains. This series takes a chilling dystopian turn following a global catastrophe.

The bird understood that the production would take place in Los Angeles, implying that both the Oval Office and the Rose Garden were replicated in some form. “You’re essentially inheriting old film sets,” said Bird, “but you’re essentially starting from scratch. It’s as if the construction workers have to refurbish everything.” He added, “It’s almost full-size, so it’s nearly identical to the actual one, at about 95% of its scale.

I, as part of the team, understood that our scenes within the Oval Office would predominantly feature men in suits. With this in mind, I felt it necessary to make that setting stand out. I reasoned that a stark contrast against the white walls would be ideal. So, we decided to fully embrace the pristine backdrop.

As a passionate film enthusiast, I collaborated closely with the show’s cinematographer, Yasu Tanida. “Together, we sought ways to bypass the typical use of white on screen. However, I had an early discussion with Yasu about how we could still make it work in this predominantly white world. This conversation sparked our exploration of blues and whites as the dominant colors.

In comparison, it stood out from the town of Paradise and the simulated subterranean city, both bathed in a warm glow.

In an effort to present viewers with a previously unseen version of the White House, production designer François Audouy achieved this in “The Residence,” a murder mystery featuring Uzo Aduba as detective Cordelia Cupp, who is tasked with identifying potential culprits from a pool of suspects.

Instead of utilizing pre-existing sets, Audouy opted to construct them himself at Raleigh Studios in Los Angeles, serving as his primary location where he meticulously designed the sets.

Audouy drew inspiration from Jerry Lewis’ 1961 film “The Ladies Man.” According to him, they constructed a three-story house at Paramount and utilized a crane solely for the camera to pull back and show all three floors. Due to the technical constraints, it was impossible to build four stories one atop the other. Instead, they occupied seven different stages, constructing a floor in each. Later, these rooms were digitally combined to create a cohesive image. When the camera traverses through these spaces that have been merged digitally, it creates an illusion of a continuous space, even though it isn’t.

Given that the narrative centered on a fictitious presidency, Audouy had the freedom to intensify the hues and style the environments to establish an “alluring ambiance.

The largest space was the show’s grand State Floor, spanning 21,000 square feet, and needed two connected soundstages. In essence, it proved to be truly captivating, leaving a lasting impression.

On the State Floor of our design for the White House, we’ve set aside spaces distinguished by colors (green, blue, and red), including state dining rooms and various offices. Each room features fireplaces crafted by Audouy, along with custom drapery adorned with Italian wallpaper. Our work was heavily influenced by the authentic State Floor of the White House, but we seized the chance to add our unique touch.

In the Red Room, Audouy opted for Cardinal Red, whereas for the Blue Room, originally a blend of beige with blue highlights, Audouy drew inspiration from old photos and felt more captivated by its design during the Kennedy administration when it was created by Maison Jansen.

He explains, “We’re focusing on enhancing the audience’s existing understanding of the State Floor and making it more stylish.

In a similar vein, when considering the executive mansion, he pondered, “What would the design be for this fictional president’s floor? I put my personal touch on it, except for the yellow oval room, which was our elegant, opulent, and stylish rendition.

In other locations, he designed replicas of the Treaty Room, central corridor, Lincoln Bedroom, and Queen’s Bedroom, maintaining their original essence. The goal was to give each area a unique identity.

Due to a scarcity of images depicting the basement, Audouy has the opportunity to use his imagination when designing the area inhabited by the executive chef, butlers, and electricians.

He remarks that visualizing it as a maze with low roofs and old, corroded piping is quite enjoyable. It gives off an impression of having different social classes or levels,” he says.

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2025-05-31 00:51