5 Classy Ways To Incorporate The Hunger Games Into Your Home Decor
Whether you are an ardent fan of the book, the movies, or both, there is no denying that "The Hunger Games" franchise has a unique style that is all its own. In everything from cinematography to costume design, the films, which include "The Hunger Games," "Catching Fire," and the two "Mockingjay" parts, envision the world of Suzanne Collins' bestselling novels in a visually arresting way. This very much has to do with the set design choices made by production designer Philip Messina (via Wired). Messina's melding of influences both old and new, classical and innovative, goes a long way toward telling the visual story of the movies. According to design critic Angela Riechers (via The Atlantic Monthly), the film's design scheme is a mix of influences ranging from "the French Revolution to the Third Reich to Alexander McQueen."
If you are looking to echo some of the principles of this visually rich movie in your own interiors, there are a number of things to consider when it comes to mixing elements, lines, and details, as well as incorporating nods to design eras of the past like Streamline Moderne and Brutalism.
1. Modern vs. rustic
According to Decorsed, there are two worlds held in balance in "The Hunger Games" books and films. We begin in District 12, a more impoverished, rustic world where Katniss grows up. Here, there is a very 1930s-inspired look to the structures and interiors. While the homes in District 12 are made of wood, the concrete, massive structures of the Capitol form a strong contrast, using bolder, more politically associated colors like red to make a statement regarding their authoritarian feel.
These two worlds form a strong dichotomy between styles that you can play with in your own space by bringing in either the vintage-inspired rusticism of an older era or the sleek, brightly colored, gleam of the new. If you favor more rustic details, incorporate materials like natural woods and stone in your decor. If you prefer modern elements like chrome, glass, and concrete, echo the visualization of the Capitol in the films.
2. Color
In District 12, where Katniss begins, the colors are muted shades and earth tones. This is a strong contrast to the colorful and lavish world as she travels to the Capitol, where she is feted before the games. Here, the palette is brighter and candy-colored, with luxurious interiors and costumes. The two visual worlds come to represent the economic and cultural disparities between the two locales. When Katniss returns to Victors' Village in "Catching Fire," the homes are outfitted more lavishly, but still retain the muted, soft colors of the district.
Whether you are a fan of the rustic, softer shades of District 12 or the brighter colors of the Capitol, you can play with details like furniture and textiles to create your own vision, according to J. Douglas Design. If you are looking for a more vintage-inspired look that caters to design styles like modern farmhouse and cottagecore, choose the earth shades more representative of District 12. If you are going for the bold look of the Capitol, more vibrant swathes of color like orange, fuchsia, and purple will do the trick.
3. Art Deco details
According to MJN Interiors, one of the most visually arresting set designs in "The Hunger Games" may be the train that takes Katniss and Peeta to the Capitol. A beautiful Art Deco-themed interior, the train is filled with glorious midnight blue swivel chairs, brown sleek wood surfaces, and lots of chrome. The train is, for Katniss and viewers, the first indication of the wealthy world of the Capitol. Art Deco style, which reveled in clean lines and luxurious materials, dominated the 1920s and 1930s, offering a sleeker alternative to the heavy and ornate design that preceded it in the Victorian era.
Art Deco is a great style if you are looking for something that feels both modern and vintage at the same time. Art Deco and its cousin, Streamline Moderne, which focused more on transportation motifs, both were seen as an embrace of technology and an early-century romanticization of the future. It became a style embraced wholly by the wealthy even as the rest of the country fell into the Great Depression of the late 1920s. To bring a bit of Art Deco and Streamline Moderne into your home, look for antique or reproduction pieces hailing from the 20s and 30s that have rounded and streamlined shapes in rich materials like velvet and wood lacquer.
4. Old and new
"The Hunger Games" films are also an excellent example of mixing old and new elements, according to Designer Attache. President Snow's home, including the elaborate greenhouse where he grows his signature white roses, stands in distinct contrast to the rest of the Capitol's sleek, modern, and brightly-shaded interiors. Snow seems to remain even more in the distant past, with his interiors resembling 19th century and earlier trends, including his Victorian-inspired dining room. The old-world style is contrasted with very modern technology.
The mix of old and new can be a great strategy to keep vintage and antique pieces from looking too predictable and expected. It might be as simple as placing modern, sleek light fixtures in an otherwise traditionally decorated room. You can also add more industrial details in chrome and iron to rustic or primitive design schemes like farmhouse and cottage style to add visual interest.
5. Geometric shapes
The interiors of the Capitol itself are strictly modern, boxy, and geometrically inspired. While the Art Deco style of the train provides an apt transition as Katniss moves away from home and toward something new, the interiors she finds in the Capitol are very modern and streamlined, including the sleeping rooms and corridors. The massive center of the Capitol, where the public gathers to meet the contestants of the games, looks to have been inspired by Brutalist totalitarian architecture, including Hitler's rallies in Germany, as per Architales. According to Mocha Casa, this very political-inspired Brutalist style incorporates familiar classical elements like columns, but strips them of ornamentation or curves, resulting in severe, unforgiving lines.
This Brutalist style blends well with very modern interiors that favor minimalism and eschew decoration. Katniss' sleeping quarters are bare and boxy, but also contain sculptural pieces like the scrolled table in the corner. Your own design should also soften more dramatic and severe lines with items that add sculptural interest. This could mean going bold with large, symmetrical structures and adding a few focal pieces throughout the space. You'll also want to go heavy on the stone and marble while incorporating metallic decor in geometric shapes — just not too much of it!