It's been 100 years since Art Deco emerged as a design phenomenon, and while we have been seeing its legacy endure throughout this time, both in our homes and on screens, one TV series in particular has caught our attention in its use of the trend.
Hacks, a show that spans locations (Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and most recently, Singapore) and design sensibilities, has prioritized this luxe design scheme in its latest season.
'Art Deco has always felt uniquely tied to Los Angeles, and I wanted the LA season of Hacks to begin with the bones of that iconic movement,' Rob Tokarz, the show's production designer, tells. 'It’s also a style we’ve grown to associate with Deborah Vance – woven into her season 2 tour bus and referenced again during the roast in season 3.'
Rob continues: 'For Late Night, Deco became the core structure, with everything else designed to enhance and support it. I pulled directly from two of LA’s most iconic Deco landmarks: the Griffith Observatory, which inspired the forms and finishes of our columns, and the Eastern Building, which informed details in the band shell and the arch that framed Deborah’s entrance. Together, those references grounded the set in Los Angeles history while giving Deborah a stage that felt monumental and unmistakably hers.'
The production designer also played into world-building when it came to Deborah's (AKA Jean Smart) home and dressing room, and one shade in particular played a large role in all of her spaces.
'We’ve always gravitated toward specific palettes on Hacks, especially with Deborah,' he tells us.
'I like to place her against frosty, playful blues and soft, cool pinks and lavenders. For the Late Night set, the broader color story leaned into those cool blues onstage and in the connective tissue of the many offices we built or redressed. Meanwhile, Deborah’s personal spaces were marked by pinks and lavenders,' he explains.
'Her office and touch-up room shared a lavender tone and a textured, patterned wallpaper that carried across both. And when she stepped out for her monologue, I wanted the curtain to feel like an invitation into her world, opening onto her against a sparkling wall of sequins.'
A minimalist’s take on a Versailles-inspired floor mirror. Ornate, yes, but quietly so. You get a lot of mirror for your money, too.
This pouf has been handwoven by skilled artisans and made of recycled fibers in a timeless, two-tone palette that adds a subtle statement.
This really affordable bar cart has almost 500 rave reviews. 'Great size for small spaces, but still holds everything I need. Super convenient!' says one. This slimline design, narrow but tall, would be ideal for more compact rooms or dressing rooms.
The nature of the show is glitzy and glamorous, so it's no surprise that many of the interiors featured are luxurious as they come. This stands true in season 4, in which an influencer character (Dance Mom) resides in a lavish home. It turns out, the space's opulent amenities served multiple purposes.
'For Dance Mom’s house, we began by searching for a property that was already luxurious, with sweeping views, which did much of the work for us,' Rob explained.
'Our goal was to toe the line between believable overconsumption and full-on camp. The result was a space that felt authentically high-end, but pushed just far enough to become “too much,” highlighting the comedy in her rise and fall. In a twist of efficient television filmmaking, we would use the basement of the house as both Kayla’s Dad’s Spa and as a Singaporean Karaoke room - the only thing from the Singapore sequence NOT shot in Singapore.'
If anybody needs me, I'll be binging Hacks for the foreseeable. Will you be doing the same?
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