Inside the '90s-Inspired World of 'Elle' – How Production Designer Laurin Kelsey Reinvented The Beloved Legacy of 'Legally Blonde'

Designing the sets for Elle, Prime Video's new Legally Blonde prequel, was a delicate balance between '90s period accuracy, reflecting a beloved character, updating an existing visual world into something new, and creating an aspirational look. What, like it's hard?

Luckily, production designer Laurin Kelsey was up for the job. Homes & Gardens sat down with Laurin to learn about how she and her team went about designing Elle Woods's '90s universe.

From the '90s trends that influenced the sets, to the role of pink in the interiors, to vintage shopping for an authentic feel, our conversation went far beyond Elle to dive into the role interiors play in our lives. Just like in Elle's world, our homes are integral to our stories.

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Since the new show takes Elle's character back in time, it only makes sense that the sets would do the same. To achieve this, Laurin had to immerse herself in the character of Elle Woods from the first film, originally played by Reese Witherspoon, to work up to the younger Elle, played by newcomer Lexi Minetree

'The most important consideration was the film and the fan base,' Laurin tells Homes & Gardens. 'It was about taking what we know about Elle as a character in her present day—which was 2001—and figuring out what was most important about her character, her world, and her palette, and then rewinding the clock to see how she got to that point. It felt a bit like being a detective, discovering a character's world before we truly know her.'

'90s colors and trends weave through almost every element of Elle's homes in the show.

Laurin explains: 'Another important consideration was the time period. I remember watching the film and seeing big, bold patterns in her room. I had to figure out the equivalent for the 90s, where patterns were smaller, and items were more matched. I was rewinding not just the character's history, but the actual period history of what would have been appropriate for that time.'

She continues: 'Most of the people who worked on the show are from a similar generation, so we got to reflect on our own experiences. We asked ourselves, "What was I like as a teenager in the 90s? What were my favorite things in my bedroom?" Rewinding the clock that way was fun and special. Elle is relatable, so we all see a piece of ourselves in her.'

However, rather than dogmatically sticking to the conventions of the pre-millennium era, Laurin was able to choose only the best. Since the team was designing for a canonically fashionable character, they opted to forgo dated '90s color trends and furnishings for a more aspirational version of this period. The spaces have a '90s edge, but in a way that makes us want to live in them.

'I love the 90s; it’s a fun period because of the nostalgia attached to it,' states Laurin. 'While it wasn't my favorite aesthetic time period for design, it was fun to be choosy. We know Elle is forward-thinking and stylish, so we picked elements she would have had that were "good," and others where she might have been a bit ahead of the trend.'

Like on any film set (or in any home for that matter) it's the tiny details that really sell the story. Each corner of Elle's bedroom was decorated intentionally to reflect this character.

Laurin states: 'It’s about giving little nods—like having Blockbuster rentals in living rooms—that people who know will recognize, while still making it feel natural and accessible to younger generations who didn't live through that time.'

The artwork decorating Elle's bedroom on the set is a major reflection of this philosophy. 'We used to cut out images and collage them on our walls or notebooks to express ourselves,' explains Laurin.

She continues: 'In Elle's room, we created a big bulletin board with a collage of models, actresses, fashion trends, and perfume ads. Similarly, we collaged the front of her notebooks with astrology, crystals, and bedazzles—details that are very 90s but people might not think of right away.'

Shop The Pink Bedroom Edit

If watching Elle is making you want to update your interiors with more rosy hues, we can't blame you. Here are our editors' picks for decorating with pink in a way that is playful yet elevated.

At the same time, the lack of focus on interior design in the original film gave Laurin lots of room to play with the aesthetics she wanted to channel in Elle.

She explains: 'When I think of Legally Blonde, I think of her costumes and her personality. I didn't feel married to a particular visual style for her spaces because we only ever see her in her dorm room. Everything else is temporary; she's always out of her element at Harvard or Washington.'

The blue and gray living room of Elle's family home in Seattle speaks to this freedom. As we never get a glimpse inside Elle's family home in Legally Blonde, creating her parents' home was an exercise in pure imagination.

Versus the visual language of Elle's pink bedroom, these spaces feel much darker and more serious. This juxtaposition is intentional.

'What felt most important to carry through was her optimism, the sparkle, and the fact that she’s always "a little extra"—in the best, most genuine way,' says Laurin. 'Whether she’s bedazzling something or scenting her resume, everything is dialed up that extra 10 or 15 percent. We wanted to bring that sparkle and joy to her spaces while supporting the story of where she fits in and where she doesn't.'

However, Laurin's consistent attention to detail weaves throughout this somber home. From period-appropriate appliances to color palettes, the entire house feels plucked from the '90s. As the analogue trend increasingly shapes our interiors, thinking like a production designer on Elle is a useful exercise.

Laurin states: 'We were sure to include things like old VCRs, CD player alarm clocks, and vintage wired phones. We also thought a lot about the lack of devices; because we didn't have smartphones, we had more hard-copy items.'

When I saw the photos of the sets, I was surprised there wasn't more pink; however, as pink is Elle's signature color, this is actually a clever choice by Laurin to make the fashion pop more and let the interiors fade into the background.

'There are two sides to the pink conversation,' explains Laurin. 'I like to think of Elle as a beaming light of pink. Because she’s a fish out of water, the environments around her—like Harvard, with its wood and jewel tones—are often muted or gray.'

She continues: 'We picked a range of pinks: light to medium tones, and a signature raspberry pink. We were careful not to oversaturate the sets so that she wouldn't blend in; Elle knows how to stand out. We also swapped the neon tones often found in the 2000s for accents of lilac to help neutralize the palette. It feels like it meets us in the 90s while remaining accessible to today’s audience—we want them to think, "This is the room I wish I had."'

If you hope to recreate the interiors from the show, a copy-and-paste approach will not take you very far. Instead, Laurin recommends leaning into what you love to create a space that feels full of personality in the same way as Elle's bedroom.

She suggests, 'It comes down to picking a color that makes you feel most like yourself—and if it’s pink, I love that for you! Find ways to add pops of that color in key pieces, like a vase or a piece of art, to give the space extra personality and pizzazz.'

'Also, find nostalgic pieces that bring you joy,' she adds. 'We did a lot of vintage shopping—like finding that specific clear phone with the pink cables—to bring that unique personality into the space. That is very "Elle."'

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