The Evolution of Bridget Jones’s interiors

When we first meet Bridget Jones, she’s living in a one bed in Borough market armed with a diary, some big knickers and a determination to “stop forming romantic attachments to…. Alcoholics, workaholics, sexaholics, commitment-phobics… emotional fuckwits, or perverts”. So, your average 30-something woman then. A far cry from the person we rediscover in Mad about the Boy, a widower with two young children, living in a gorgeous home in Hampstead Heath, who’s trying to find her feet again in a world without Mark Darcy.  

The set decoration of Bridget Jones’ is a particularly powerful form of worldbuilding for the character. From a sexed-up singleton to a mourning mother of two rediscovering the joys of dating, it provided the set designers, Gemma Jackson in the first film and Kave Quinn in the latest, a rich opportunity for creative, narrative interiors. Join us as we breakdown the evolution of Bridget Jones, through the prism of her home. 

Bridget Jones’s apartment in Borough

Bridget’s chaotic one bed reflected the haphazard, joyous (occasionally broken-hearted), independent woman she was. Gemma Jackson, the set designer for set the first Bridget Jones’ film created a cosy, relatable 30-something year old’s pad. Filled with mismatched cushions, CD’s and surfaces covered in books and various paraphernalia, she’s definitely someone in the process of getting her life together.

The Living Room

Bridget’s Diary’s iconic opening scene in the living room, busting out ‘All my myself’ in Christmassy PJ’s, sat drinking a fat glass of red on a deep maroon chaise, strewn with mismatched pillows reflects her mildly chaotic character. She’s a real burst of energy and not led by colour coordination or neutral palettes, something we see in her fashion sense too – that itty bitty mini skirt and transparent shirt never felt more work appropriate. As ever when it comes to film interior design, it’s all in the details as Bridget reads a copy of Holiday’s from Hell written by a foreign correspondent (informing the audience that she is a Serious Editor with a capital S), or certainly trying to become one anyway, ahem. We hardly see her in her bedroom in the first film, she’s got far too much living to do to be sleeping, or  falling out of someone else's bed to be in there. 

Bridget’s very Serious work appropriate attire

The Kitchen

Bridget’s kitchen feels particularly memorable, the place where Mark Darcy saved the day cooking up a storm and her friend’s gathered for a birthday meal. It featured a blue, patterned wallpaper and decorative fringing in the doorways, and gives off a cosy and boho feel. There’s such a sense of realism, even down to the fairy lights half-heartedly strewn between the kitchen and living room, a cost-effective lighting choice every mildly broke thirty-something year old makes to warm up a place...! The impractically small red countertop table in the kitchen is a particularly fun colour choice, not at all functional, here’s a woman who is out and about in the world, dating, living and who rarely deigns to cook. (Who could ever forget the rare occasions she wandered into the kitchen, had an unfortunate incident with a food processor and made that iconic blue soup?!

Bridget Jones’s Diary – The Kitchen

The Hampstead Heath Family Home

It is a total joy to notice the continuity between Bridget’s interior style in the first film, to the set design in Mad About the Boy, particularly in the choices made in the living room of her Hampstead Heath home. Kave Quinn, set designer of the latest film has combined the more serious, austere style of Mark Darcey with the rambunctious personality of Bridget. The living room houses a charcoal grey sofa, bedecked with colourful, mismatched cushions, similar to those we saw in the first Bridget Jones, we can see the layering of their characters. There’s a real cohesion between Mark and Bridget’s styles; dark chairs have been warmed up with patterned throws, their personalities have bled into one another in the creation of their family home. Japanese prints Mark has no doubt picked up on his travels saving lives and defending worthy people as a legal aid, also litter the walls. 

The Kitchen – Mad About the Boy

The Kitchen

The living room then opens out into the heart of the home, the kitchen and play area, reflecting Bridget’s changing role as a mother and the importance of her children in her life. Bright yellow walls and reclaimed wooden floors show Bridget’s eccentric, irresistibly English, country home style. Matilda Martin, editor of In Good Taste explained the choice of yellow “brings sunshine into the everyday”, which is particularly poignant after the grief of losing Mark Darcy, the kitchen is a place of safety, security and joy. Even though the kitchen may look more grown up, it does maintain its charming messiness, this time with kid’s toys strewn around which makes it feel incredibly alive. It’s a space that must feel lived in, with scuffed walls and the children often climbing up and down chairs in the kitchen. The set design space is highly dynamic and allows for true to life family interactions to take place. William, her son, quickly leaps to attention, clambering over the furniture to turn off the fire alarm when Bridget, still not quite a domestic goddess, sets some pasta aflame (obviously a common occurrence in their household!). 

Mabel and Billy’s Bedroom – Mad About the Boy

The Kid’s Bedrooms

The children’s bedrooms have been crafted beautifully by the set designers, and even here we can feel the warmth of the family unit and the character of Bridget. Totally unique bedrooms are created for each of them, Billy’s is filled with astrological visuals, a chess set and Mabel’s is much more cutesy and disorganised. There’s a real sense that Bridget has blended their children’s creativity with her own through the hand painted bunk beds. Even allowing the kids to draw on the walls and floor. She’s always been one to let her inner child roam free! It’s this level of detail that allows the audience to really believe in the house and the family. Painted furniture is a real trend at the moment, from scribbling on walls to painting furniture. There’s a real gravitation towards homes that tell stories and a move away from the sterile, Buclé interiors of the clean girl aesthetic, devoid of personality.

Experiencing the evolution of the iconic Bridget Jones has delighted audiences, becoming the best-performing romcom in the UK on opening weekend ever. It goes to show how integral interiors are to externalising a character and telling the story of a woman, who then becomes a mother and wife. You could say we love her just as she is…