This August sees the release of Sin City 2; a follow-up to the 2005 classic, starring Bruce Willis and Jessica Alba. Not since Tim Burton reworked Batman in the late ‘80s have we been treated to such a frenzy of comic book flair. What many don’t realise, though, is that its sultry style started life in the 1940s.
Classic film noirs were hardboiled crime capers, shot on low budgets and starring unknown actors. High-contrast lighting left much of the screen in darkness; giving noir its name and disguising the modest film sets. But the look that they captured was effortlessly cool, making film noir inspired interior design popular.
Film noir inspired interior design
Early noir was always shot in black and white; not because colour film didn’t exist, but because it cost so much more. We’ll never know the true colours of the original films but it’s certain that stark contrast was the order of the day.
In the shady underworld of the private detective, what’s hidden is just as important as what you can see. Who was that man behind the frosted glass? Or the shadow reflected in the mirror? An essential prop for any noir film set, and handy for keeping an eye on your house guests too!
Shadows are a hallmark of film noir and using small, single bulb light sources helps to keep them crisp and well-defined. No interrogation would be complete without a formidable desk light to stand out as a featured piece.
Perhaps film noir’s most iconic element is the quintessential venetian blind. Directors framed actors behind their prison bar-esque shadows as a way of signifying their compromised predicament. Nowadays any noir-inspired home would be incomplete without their light-filtering appeal.
Noir started out as a low-budget portrayal of America’s seedy 1940s backstreets. It gave birth to an edgy and timeless style that directors and designers still turn to today. Combine vintage and deco-inspired pieces, deep contrasts in colour and shade and carefully planned light and shadow, to give your home a taste of the mean streets.
Oliver Smith works for Wooden Blinds Direct, based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. The company is both a manufacturer and retailer of wooden and aluminium venetian blinds.
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