In our world - the furniture is the star!

Film and Furniture – Furniture and décor with a story to tell

Have you ever watched a film and found yourself captivated by an intriguing chair, glass, carpet, or wallpaper, and thought, “What is that? Where can I learn more about it and buy it for my own home?”
If so, welcome – you’re among friends.

Film and Furniture is a lovingly curated online resource for film enthusiasts, design aficionados, and interior designers alike. We’re here to uncover the fascinating stories behind the furniture and décor you spot in your favourite films—while pointing you to exactly where you can buy these pieces for your own home.

In our world, the furniture is the star: from a contemporary item in a recent blockbuster to a vintage piece in a timeless classic.

Driven by an unrelenting passion for film and design, Film and Furniture has become the definitive resource for discovering the furniture and décor featured on both our big and small screens. We reach over 275,000 people per month through our website, newsletters and social media channels.

The furniture and décor we explore come with rich design knowledge and provenance, shedding light on why these items were chosen for the film set and how they sometimes reveal more about the characters than the script. We then show you where to acquire these pieces yourself, enabling you to recreate a sliver of the silver screen in your own home.

We’re regularly invited to share our insights at global events and conferences and have been featured in numerous podcasts, radio programmes and prestigious publications such as the Financial Times Weekend, GQ, Architectural Digest, and The Hollywood Reporter. Our accolades include winning Best Design Inspiration in the Amara Interior Blog Awards.

Perhaps most importantly, we’ve earned the trust of the film industry, who often share their behind-the-scenes secrets exclusively with us. Film studios now eagerly seek out the Film and Furniture treatment. Our features, guest articles, and interviews with the world’s most respected production designers and set decorators are inspiring for any interior design or home décor project.

The birth of an idea

Film and Furniture was born out of the imagination of our founder, Creative Director, film lover, and furniture fanatic, Paula Benson.

“As a kid, I would sketch out my dream future house, complete with all its décor and furniture. I’d lose myself in the world I was creating – the look, the sensations, and the conversations – just like a film set.”

Over the years, as Paula watched countless films and became a proud homeowner, she became captivated by the aspirational furniture they often featured. However, finding these items proved difficult.

“Whenever I watch a film, I often lose the plot because I’m too busy studying the contents of the set – whether it’s a space-age chair in 2001: A Space Odyssey or a bed in a Bond movie. But how could I find out what these pieces were?”

This curiosity reached a whole new level after a rewatch of Kubrick’s The Shining about ten years ago. The Overlook Hotel’s iconic hexagonal carpet is now synonymous with one of the most respected horror films ever made, yet no one had explored its design origins, why it was chosen or the hidden narrative it reveals as Danny pedals over it again and again on his tricycle.

What if there was a place to discover these items?
A place to uncover who designed them, why they were selected for the film, and to delve into the hidden narratives of material culture?

Enter Film and Furniture!

Behind-the-scenes

For the first three decades of her career after leaving art college, Paula honed her design sensibilities as co-founding partner of the renowned London graphic design and branding studio, Form®.

“At Form, we create worlds through our design and branding projects (Abbey Road Studios, Virgin Galactic, Adidas) and for events, music festivals, and bands (Elbow, Depeche Mode, Girls Aloud and many others). My partner Paul and I were even invited to head up the Apple graphics department in California under Steve Jobs, and along the way, we’ve met luminaries like Nelson Mandela and King Charles, as well as a host of colourful rock stars and visionary thinkers.”

Initially, Paula started Film and Furniture as a blog while continuing to run Form®. But juggling too many plates led to a pivotal decision.

She and her partner Paul West made the tough call to downsize Form® and focus on a select few design projects – allowing Paula to devote herself more fully to Film and Furniture and Paul to his personal art. They bid a bittersweet farewell to their team, sold their beloved London home, and relocated to the West of England.

This life redesign was intended to free up more time to develop Film and Furniture. However, the move quickly turned into a nightmare as they found themselves caught up in the post-Covid exodus from London, leaving them temporarily homeless. Additionally, without a team’s support, Paula became overwhelmed by the tech know-how needed to run a media-focused website, leading to burnout.

In the early days, Paula also had few contacts in the film industry, so she had to push far beyond her comfort zone to find and connect with production designers and set decorators willing to share their insights. It was a time-consuming and exhausting process.

Tenacity and passion, and the unwavering support of her partner Paul, and her family and friends, kept her going. Over the next five years, while continuing the blog, Paula took courses, spoke with business owners, met with film PR companies, sought advice, learned about coding, dove into affiliate schemes, mastered video editing, attended events, brought in help, gradually built trust within the film industry, and continued to drive her partner Paul mad by pausing every film they watched together!

And now…

Fast forward to today, we now discuss and sell, or show you where to find, thousands of items from hundreds of films and TV shows—from a glass in Blade Runner to a sofa in Mad Men. We also act as trusted agents for selling limited edition art, lighting, and hi-fi equipment, spanning films from A Clockwork Orange to House of Gucci.

And after extensive research and determination, Film and Furniture is the only place where the public can purchase the officially licensed The Shining Hicks Hexagon carpet and rugs (a name Paula put on the map), as well as Room 237 and Gold Room high-quality luxury carpets and rugs for thrilled clients worldwide—from London to Los Angeles and everywhere in between.

The Film and Furniture family has grown, and we now attract hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the globe who flock to our website, sign up for our newsletter, and engage with us on social media to find the dream pieces they’ve spotted in films.

We’re forming exciting partnerships with like-minded brands and hosting lively talks, quizzes, and events.

Join us as we continue to blend the magic of film with the beauty of interior design, bringing a piece of the silver screen into your home.

Keep up-to-date with our fascinating features:
Become a member to receive our newsletter
(Classic membership is free and we offer other membership options with extra perks and benefits)

Follow us on social media (links in footer)