The 1980s kitchens in the new season of Rivals have caught viewers’ attention, with their retro interior design and nostalgic charm. The show’s aesthetic, grounded in reality and history, features vintage crockery, copper pots, and Aga stoves, creating a visually appealing and authentic atmosphere.
The O’Hara Family’s Kitchen: A Heartwarming Space
The O’Hara family’s kitchen at The Priory is a standout set, serving as the heart of the show. This eclectic space showcases a unique blend of art and furniture, with a Verner Panton Flowerpot pendant light and a rustic French farmhouse table taking center stage. A bottle green Aga, sourced from Scotland for around £100, adds a touch of vintage charm.
Dominic refers to this set as ‘the heart of the show’. The kitchen’s design reflects the O’Haras’ hectic and artistic lifestyle, with a deliberate mismatch of elements creating a discombobulated charm. The color scheme is earthy and warm, featuring beautiful dark chocolates, deep velvety greens, and ochres, evoking a sense of nostalgia.
Sarah Stratton’s Kitchen: A Show Home Aesthetic
Inspired by Dominic’s mother’s 1980s kitchen, this set features vintage Habitat furniture and Laura Ashley chintz curtains. The color palette, with its blues, whites, and yellows, creates a Mediterranean vibe, reflecting Sarah’s aspirational persona.
In contrast, Sarah Stratton’s kitchen is designed as a show home, with rattan cabinet fronts, scumble glazed paint finishes, and blue details. The paint effects, popular in the 1980s, add a textured finish to the walls. Shiny, glazed ceramic fruit from Casa Pupo, a now-closed business, serves as a key decorative motif. While some pieces are genuine vintage finds, others, like the IKEA rug and Habitat pots, are modern alternatives that fit seamlessly into the 1980s setting.
The Art of Set Design: A Labor of Love
The show’s set designers, Dominic and Holly, have gone to great lengths to create an authentic 1980s atmosphere. They source vintage pieces from auctions, antiques markets, and even eBay, ensuring every detail is period-appropriate.
One notable find was a pair of 1970s Maralunga sofas by Vico Magistretti, discovered on eBay with their original upholstery. These sofas add a touch of mid-century modern elegance to the O’Hara family home.
Blending Old and New: A Delicate Balance
While the show prioritizes vintage pieces, modern alternatives are sometimes necessary.
The color selection process is equally meticulous. Colours are custom-mixed and tested on sample boards in different depths, then chosen with emotion and character in mind. The O’Hara kitchen’s deep honey color, for instance, complements the eclectic wooden furniture and ceiling beams.
In contrast, the Stratton kitchen’s bold blue walls, achieved through rag-rolling, evoke a Mediterranean vibe. This technique, popular in the 1980s, adds texture and depth to the space, reflecting Sarah’s aspirational personality.
The show’s attention to detail extends to seasonal touches, with fresh flowers placed on sets to reflect the time of year. Drawers are filled with props, allowing actors to interact with the set and immerse themselves in the world of Rutshire.
The final touch: a large antique map of Rutshire, designed specifically for the show, adds a sense of place and history to the O’Hara family’s kitchen, grounding the space in the fictional world of the series.
Retro Interior Design: A Nostalgic Journey
The retro interior design of the characters’ homes in the new series captures the essence of Thatcher’s Britain, blending grandeur and nostalgia. Dominic emphasizes grounding the aesthetic in reality, ensuring audiences recognize elements from their own past. Small details, from kitchenware to furniture, contribute to a visually compelling narrative. The sets reflect both the era’s charm and the characters’ personalities, creating authentic spaces that resonate with viewers.
Eclectic art and furniture define the spaces, with pieces inspired by British Pop artist Peter Blake and Irish artist Jack Butler Yeats. A large antique map of Rutshire adds historical depth, while custom-designed elements enhance the sense of realism. Sarah Stratton’s kitchen, modeled after a 1980s show home, features rattan cabinets, glazed paint finishes, and blue accents inspired by Dominic’s mother’s kitchen.
The O’Hara house uses earthy tones like dark chocolates and deep greens, informed by Declan’s corduroy clothing and Irish environments. In contrast, the Stratton kitchen’s blues, whites, and yellows evoke Mediterranean holidays, reflecting Sarah’s aspirational nature. Textured paint effects and glazed ceramics from Casa Pupo add authenticity, while modern pieces like an IKEA rug blend seamlessly into the retro setting.