Only Murders in the Building Official Podcast

S1 BONUS: Secrets in the Sets w/ Curt Beech & Rich Murray

Date: March 2, 2022
Host: Michael Cyril Creighton (Howard), featuring interviews by Maggie Bowles
Guests: Curt Beech (Production Designer, S1), Rich Murray (Set Decorator, S1 & S2)

Episode Overview

In this bonus episode, fans are treated to a deep dive into the art and intricacies of production design and set decoration for Only Murders in the Building, as Maggie Bowles sits down with Curt Beech and Rich Murray. Listeners get an inside look at how the physical spaces—the Arconia and the characters’ apartments—are constructed to reflect each character’s personality, history, and secrets. From the origins of specific props to playful details only true fans will spot, the episode celebrates the unsung heroes of visual storytelling.

Key Themes & Discussion Points

1. What is Production Design? (02:39–04:18)

• Curt Beech explains production design as the intersection of authenticity, story, and visual content:
  • “Really good Production design sits in the middle of a cute little Venn diagram where authenticity, story and visual content converge. That's where you want to get.” [02:39]
  • The goal: create believable spaces that serve both the actors’ craft and the audience’s immersion.
  • The art department—painters, carpenters, designers, decorators—contribute unique details that bring the fictional world to life.

2. Production Design & Set Decoration: Collaboration (04:18–06:43)

• Rich Murray details the balance:
  • Set decoration provides both grand statements and tiny, barely-noticed details, always in service of the script and characters.
  • “Story is built from detail.” — Curt Beech [05:13]
  • The best shows are a collaboration between writers, creators, and the art department, with each decision deeply rooted in character backstory.

Memorable Moment

• “That's why this project is special, and that's why there's gold in them gnar hills, because what John and the writers have created is so rich with detail that we don't have to look too far for it.” — Curt Beech [05:13]

3. Collaboration with Other Departments (07:10–11:24)

• Costume and set design need precise coordination. Timing is critical—sometimes costumes are chosen before drapes, other times vice versa.
• The risk of misalignment (e.g., clashing patterns on a sofa and a shirt) means constant communication.
• Notable Quote:
  “We lay out a board and we're like, this is what we're thinking about… And we just have to try and bounce off of each other and make sure that we're not conflicting too much because it could get ugly if we do. If we miss.” — Kurt Beech [08:21]
• Sometimes the costumers’ choices inform set decisions, such as when designing Bunny’s apartment, guided by her established wardrobe.

4. The Philosophy of Character Spaces:

(13:09–51:01, broken down by character)

Charles Hayden-Savage’s Apartment (13:21–26:59)

• Original Vision: Initially designed as a ‘90s bachelor pad; pivoted to a more sophisticated, art-collecting, smart investor.
• Key Details:
  • Focus on specific art and custom or high-end furniture “with a lightness and playfulness.” [15:32]
  • Art as story: Joseph Albers album covers, a distinctive “Nice Hot Vegetables” Ed Ruscha print—a playful Easter egg with a fabricated backstory about Charles purchasing it while working in LA on “Brazos” [22:53].
  • Each piece of art tells a part of Charles’s story, such as a portrait of a woman (hinting at his past relationships) or a “window mullions” painting (mirroring the show's themes of voyeurism).

Notable Quote:
“You know, there are only so many spots in the apartment to put art, so each one is an opportunity to tell something else about the character. And we take full advantage of it every single time.” — Kurt Beech [23:56]

Oliver Putnam’s Apartment (27:18–41:22)

• Theme: Maximalist, theatrical, and chaotic—reflecting his life and career in showbiz.
• Fun Facts:
  • Centerpiece: A stage in the living room, for late-night salons and parties.
  • Decorated with props and personal theater memorabilia—some from Rich’s and Curt’s own graduate school days (model sets, theater books).
  • Dining room guarded by a 10,000-pound marble mantelpiece and wallpaper hand-painted by Met Opera artists, homage to Oliver’s imagined opera-director father.
  • Insider Joke: Dozens of teacups scattered across the apartment, symbolizing Oliver’s scattered nature [39:51].
  • Posters of fictional shows like “Newark Newark” and “Splash: The Musical” reflect his illustrious and not-so-illustrious showbiz history, many created as an ongoing game between Rich and John (the showrunner).

Memorable Quote:
“If it wasn't theatrical, it didn't stay. It was gone immediately.” — Kurt Beech [28:16]

Mabel Mora’s Apartment (41:23–47:25)

• Theme: “A work in progress”—like Mabel herself.
• Set Features:
  • Partially renovated, with exposed studs and construction debris (which the crew often tried to mistakenly clean up!)
  • A $14,000 vintage sofa (the most expensive piece in the apartment), originally belonging to Mabel’s aunt.
  • Reflects both the original Arconia architecture and Mabel’s liminal, uncertain place in life—notably the “mural work” she paints on the walls.

Notable Quote:
“The most basic way to think of Mabel's is that it is what she is, which is a work in progress, simply.” — Kurt Beech [42:32]

Jan’s Apartment (48:28–49:57)

• Designed for misdirection: the foyer and common areas seem “safe and pretty,” hiding the character’s darkness within.
• Bathroom wallpaper: a pattern named "Nightshade," filled with images of poisonous plants—a subtle visual clue to Jan’s true nature.

Notable Quote:
“We found a wallpaper that was called Nightshade, and it's all poisonous plants, and it's all, like, Alice in Wonderland... and that was her bathroom wallpaper… this is, of course, her pathway.” — Rich Murray [48:58]

5. Easter Eggs & Hidden Jokes

• A “Nice Cold Vegetables” sign appears in a wintry flashback scene with Charles and his father—a playful callback to the “Nice Hot Vegetables” kitchen art [24:10].
• Dog Closet: An unseen “dog dress up room” in Oliver’s apartment full of SNL-inspired dog costumes, a private inside joke for the crew [00:02–00:45].
• Props and set dressing often double as in-jokes, or reference the actors’ real-life personas and careers.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the detail work:
  “Scenery is not funny. It shouldn’t be funny. But there can be humor in the work, and you can hide some things... but you want to be careful that it doesn't take the audience out of the reality.” — Kurt Beech [25:14]
• On Oliver’s maximalism:
  “We just decorated the crap out of it. And every time I walked in there, it was. There was more and more and more.” — Kurt Beech [28:28]
• On finding emotional depth:
  “All of his triumphs and his failures are on display in his apartment with all the show posters…” — Maggie Bowles [36:42]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:39: Production design explained (“Venn diagram”).
• 05:13: Story built from detail; set & production design symbiosis.
• 08:21: Costume and set coordination (and what happens when it goes wrong).
• 13:21–26:59: Deep dive into Charles’ apartment.
• 27:18–41:22: All about Oliver’s dramatic, overstuffed apartment—including the secret dog closet!
• 41:23–47:25: Mabel’s unfinished home and the $14,000 sofa.
• 48:28–49:57: Jan’s secrets in her set, and the poisonous wallpaper.
• 50:23: Teaser for Bunny’s apartment in Season 2.

Final Thoughts & Takeaways

• The apartments are meticulously designed, each choice echoing and expanding on what’s known (and unknown) about the characters.
• Collaboration across departments is key; trust and creative freedom yield rich details and inside jokes.
• The décor is full of meaningful “Easter eggs,” references, and invented backstories that aren’t just for show—they reinforce the characters’ journeys, personalities, and sometimes even the core mysteries of the series.
• As the hosts note, while many fans hunt for literal clues in the visuals, the real magic often lies in the authenticity and storytelling woven into every corner of the Arconia.

For fans of the series and anyone interested in the craft behind the camera, this episode is a playful and fascinating celebration of how set dressing, production design, and visual world-building bring characters and mystery to unforgettable life.