‘Odd Mom Out’ sets: Nine Inch Nails meets Wednesday Addams
Traditionally the neighborhood of choice for the well-heeled and well-educated, Manhattan’s Upper East Side has included Rockefellers and Roosevelts among its residents, not to mention famous fussbudgets such as Charlotte from “Sex and the City.” But it’s hard to imagine any of them living in the Eastside apartment occupied by Jill Weber and family in “Odd Mom Out,” Bravo’s first scripted sitcom. In lieu of pastel hues and muted creams, there are charcoals and bold wallpaper; rather than family heirlooms and English antiques, there are flea market finds and crystal-studded skulls; and filling in for Dutch masters and coveted contemporary art are playful prints and chalkboard paint (so the kids can create their own works).
Based on star Jill Kargman’s bestseller “Momzillas,” about not fitting in with the neighborhood’s trust fund set, the series even takes its style cues from Kargman’s real life. “The apartment is actually based on Jill’s real home on the Upper East Side,” says production designer Angelique Clark. “It’s very much like her personality -- lighthearted and whimsical. She likes bold contrast and not too much color, but when there is color, it’s bold. Jill has an interesting sort of Nine Inch Nails meets Wednesday Addams style, so we took that as inspiration and amplified it a little bit.”
While the production couldn’t get clearance (or afford) some of the art that occupies Kargman’s actual digs, similar items were found among a variety of sources. For example, a Damian Hirst skull piece in the actress/writer’s home was out of the question, but skulls are represented throughout the onscreen rooms via prints found online; ditto for the glittering skull-shaped phone on a bedside table (the original is from Patricia Field).
The apartment’s black and white theme begins in the open kitchen, with its classic white subway tile, black trimmed white cabinets and blackboard painted island. Color comes from a lipstick red Smeg refrigerator and a sign spelling out “pizza” over the sink. (“We found it on Etsy -- that’s actually something Jill has in her home,” says Clark.) Highlights in the master bedroom shared by the Webers are the black-shaded mercury lamps on white side tables and dramatic wallpaper backdrop (Ashfield Floral in gun metal by Ralph Lauren). The “Love” and “Lust” pillows are by Jonathan Adler. The high contrast motif even extends to the simple retro style bathroom with more subway tile, and a much-envied shower curtain printed with barbershop items (by Izzola, it’s available at Amazon).
While the living room sofa is from Restoration Hardware, and reasonable facsimiles of other furniture, such as the bergere chair and nail-trimmed headboard, can be found at places such as Ballard Designs, copying the apartment’s singular style is doable. “We did a lot of shopping for it on Etsy and Ebay, and scoured estate sales, too,” says Clark, who seems to have a lock on cutting-edge comedies with “Broad City” and “Inside Amy Schumer” among her credits. “And you can always get great stuff at Target. There’s a lot of ways to re-create this look -- you just have to be creative.”
“Odd Mom Out” airs Mondays at 10 p.m. on Bravo.
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