Kathrin Eder discusses designing ‘The Man in My Basement’ set
Production designer Kathrin Eder constructed a complete house set in Wales for Hulu’s The Man in My Basement, drawing from Arts and Crafts architecture and Craftsman design principles to reflect the historic Sag Harbor community. The designer spent months developing the home’s backstory with director Nadia Latif to create a structure representing generational legacy and emotional paralysis.
Eder incorporated century-old, authentic wallpapers and stained glass windows that became visual motifs throughout the film. The basement required enlarged dimensions to accommodate three weeks of cinematography while maintaining a confined atmosphere. The vertical design contrasted the memory-filled upper floors with the stark basement space.
The designer consulted extensively with cinematographer Ula Pontikos about lighting and camera movement. Each texture and color choice considered how shadows and light would transform the sets on screen. Eder used her background in social and cultural anthropology to ground the design in a historical context.
