A Christmas Snow Set

This December has been crazy for us so far. . . but it's a good crazy! :) A couple days after we returned from NYC, we headed to Branson, MO to see a theatre production- A Christmas Snow. This show was special to us because we designed the set for it just a few short months ago! We had to leave Branson before all the lighting was perfected and before rehearsals started so this was our first time to see the sets lit up and as a part of the show.

This set up was supposed to be the home of a 30 something single woman who is stylish and sophisticated, and a bit of a Christmas scrooge. :( (Notice there are no Christmas decorations.)

In order for the set to pop and be seen all the way to the back of the room, I had to do a number things.

1. I used high contrasting colors in areas.

2. I used glaze to enhance the shadows on painted items. This increases the depth of the space.

3. And I used lots of layers to make the set feel lived in and interesting.

You can see below that each element of the set is on a platform. Underneath the platforms are casters that allow the pieces to be moved on and off stage quickly and easily for scene changes.

The original plan was for the cabinets to have molding on them. However, a budget crunch kept that from happening. The solution was easily solved when I used paint to create a molding like effect. The high contrast of the painted lines is actually probably better for this project than the wood would have been. You can also use this idea in your own home to dress up plain cabinet front doors.

For a certain scene in the play, this lovely oversized fireplace descends from the ceiling. It is oversized so that the audience can easily see the actor's faces during the scene. It also frames out the living room quite nicely.

The candle light and the fake fire create a beautiful light that made that scene my absolute favorite. After the scene is over, the fireplace swiftly lifts back up into the ceiling rafters to make sure the rest of the play can be easily seen.

The bedroom set boasts a upholstered velvet headboard and an interesting asymmetrical wall of art. To see instructions for upholstering a headboard or ottoman of your own, click here.

The kitchen color scheme would be lovely in a home, but for this theatre production it could have been a little bit more colorful now that I look back at it. But that will be a perfect upgrade for Season 2!

Right now the backsplash is stainless steel. This will be the perfect spot to add a pop of amazing color for next year's show!

There were other set-ups like: a 70's living room, a restaurant scene, and a car accident of sorts. But we thought that the main house set up would be more of what our readers were interested in. If you'd like to see the other set-ups and the whole show, you'll have to go see A Christmas Snow in Branson! :)