What can RuPaul's Drag Race teach us about interior design?

hey what's up everyone welcome or welcome back to my channel my name is Julie and you're in my little corner of the internet this is a place where we talk about how to take your dull and uninspired little white or gray or beige box that you live in and turn it into a sanctuary that truly feels like home to you because life out in the world is hard and you deserve a space that grounds you that's what we're all about here it's about interior design but from a perspective of what it means to actually create a safe place to create a home that gives you kind of respit from how hard the world is because walking through your front door should calm your nervous system so if you're into that kind of thing welcome happy to have you today we're going to be doing something a little bit different that I'm super excited about uh today we're going to be reacting to architectural Digest tour of the RuPaul Drag Race Set I know what could we possibly learn about interior design from a RuPaul Drag Race Set probably a lot let's find out I actually haven't watched this video yet we're going to be watching it fresh together for the first time and I am stoked so uh if you have not watched RuPaul's Drag Race then you're in for a wild ride and if you have watched RuPaul's Drag Race then you know that we are probably in for a glamorous maximalist like very pink time I have not watched a lot of drag race um so I'm actually not super I've seen a couple episodes here and there but I'm not super familiar with all the girls I'm not super familiar with the show um but the brand speaks for itself so I couldn't be more excited to dive in and just kind of see what we're in for and have some thoughts about how this is designed because I think it's actually a really great example that inspiration for your home design can go so far beyond like Pinterest searching images of living rooms we should be taking design inspiration from everywhere when you're walking down the street from Banks from restaurants from shop Windows you know where can you find it it doesn't it's not just in other homes so I feel excited about that um and and also just I think it's going to be a fun frilly frivolous fabulous time so enough from me let's just go ahead and get into it hello ad it's me nyia wind your current reigning champion of season 16 of RuPaul's Drag Race I'm going to be your godmother for today and we're going to take you on a tour on the set of RuPaul's Drag Race and here in this Maxi challenge you're going to have some behind the-scenes scoop on where magic happens and where icons are born insert glitter on the [Music] hands I am standing in the alley wave and here is where the Queens line up before they walk into the work room now remember standing here before my first time walking in and all I could think to okay I want to hear her story but first I want to talk about just this moment that we get I mean like talk about maximalism from jump we are we are in this space I love this color palette I would never think to do this in my room like this is not where I want to live but look at how beautiful it is these colors are pink orange red and purple so through the pink orange and red we're pulling together colors that are kind of of the same ilk right they're very close to each other on ilk I don't know very close to each other on the color wheel and then that purple is coming in for just a little bit of contrast to keep it from being to the same and the placement of the purple they've created this Runway this is a great like example of a focal point so think about this as your fireplace or your window like that they've lined the sides of the focal point with a contrasting color they have this kind of monochromatic or you know same world color palette palette but then boom these pops of purple on the side are drawing your eye exactly where it needs to go I also don't know what wall treatment this is I don't know if it's a wallpaper or just a wall of glitter or both um but it is excellent it brings just enough texture and look at the way they've layered lighting into this I think the gold accents are really beautiful and the um you know the strip lighting for lack of a better ter term on this Runway entrance really it's they've made this tunnel that just draws your eye back which I think is really effective and beautiful um and that's echoed also in the floor the way that the shape is pointing towards this door so in this moment in this shot all systems are drawing our eye into that door creating this tunnel for us um I think it's really great I it's already fun and are these like hot pink custom Stanley tool boxes are we gonna learn more about that I gotta know myself was you know just enjoy the moment as I walked through the banana peel first and walked out did my little iconic Shuffle slipped on the banana peel and fell while all the other queens thought I actually fell and here I was created a iconic entrance if I say so myself bananas this work room has created so many drag icons and it has created so many memorable and iconic moments for queer people everyone this is so fun can we go back looking at the like just this moment of again echoing this color palette is kind of monochromatic it's not actually monochromatic because pink orange and red are you know different colors but it's very tonal this very tonal color palette all of the same world contrasted with these portraits these photos like is is excellent like moments for queer people everyone gets their own little closet area to hang up all their life's work their clothes so these golden doors beside me this is the Rue door where Rue walks in and says good morning it's time for a new challenge and also to know which is great what they're doing is they're taking this this thing that feels different and they're putting it in gold gold that is an accent that moves throughout the room as we can see kind of on the scon behind nymphia here and and in some other little moments throughout the room gold is their medal of choice and that is not surprising because we are in full thigh Glam and so to make this door gold to make it different than everything else so that your eye says oh that's important over there that one's different is a really smart choice ladies and gentlemen this was the first time when you walk into the workroom that you would meet Rue it's such a gag moment hello hello hello cuz you always see mamaro on TV for so long and to actually see the doors open in real life and her walking down those stairs in her beautiful suit the wallpaper is snakes skin is pink snake skin on board it it brings a beautiful texture it's such a moment to remember also in these work rooms on the walls you could see mamaRoo everywhere cuz she is here to remind us how we must strive to be like mamaRoo which is beautiful like what an actually great tip that you can take with you not only this sorry for pausing on this what a what a photo but like not only should you be surrounding yourself with beautiful things that Inspire and encourage you and speak to you you know this is something to strive for she says that also make it a moment these portraits are a moment because again of that color contrast like this is so effective to have this room be all one color and then these pops of things that you should be looking at it's really really impactful she to I miss this so much welcome squirrel friends for the first time in Drag Race history our incredible cast and crew will will be giving you a gag worthy behind the scenes tour but please be careful not to slip on the Charisma uniqueness nerve and talent because baby it's everywhere look at this dress I know not the point of the video but her dress is so cute the cutouts I'd wear it amen and Mama R didn't tell everybody but um she secretly told me nyia wind no she would say banana Queen H no actually correction banana girl today's Maxi challenge for you is to give a tour with ad and don't it [Music] up this work room is very synthetic very over the top almost okay wait before we hear before we hear their take on it I want to point out that we just saw a shot of wig forms wig heads styrofoam wig heads that been painted gold to go in this room and I think that's actually another really great takeable tip that this is something that is very practical it's a tool that these ladies need to be able to do their job to do their art but and they're standard like white or sometimes black styrofoam why not make it part of the decor why not spray paint it gold and put it on this display shelf and then when they're not in use they're adding to the Ambiance of the room what tools do you have what ugly gross tools do you have sitting around that you need to be part of your job and how can they become Decor surreal you know there are not a lot of spaces in the real world that are this big with this many stage lights I think it's really Charming that they let them come in one by one because it is a little bit overwhelming just to be in the space that they have fantasized about being for such a long time I remember walking in and seeing the whole Space of the work room I said to myself this work room is actually massive cuz you know on camera you only see aside there is spaces for you to walk around prance and just be yourself and here we are at the mirror where you paint your face this is where the girls Kiki this is where relationships are built and these are the moments where vulnerability can really happen I never got that much time with my dad after we made up and he saw what dragged could be girl can we all give you a hug okay this is important because I don't have a lot to say about the aesthetic design of this mirror but what is important about it is that it invites connection it invites invites Community it invites vulnerability like they've created a space for like she says for relationships to be formed where does that exist in your space you know like what is the heart of connection and Community inside of your space is it your living room is it your dining room table is it your kitchen is it your bedroom like just identify for yourself where that kind of pulse is is because I think that without inviting others into our home it isn't a home it doesn't like it's if it's a bunker it's a bunker if you're not inviting community and connection into it so I think that this moment even though it's not about interior design is actually really really important to be able to identify like where in your home are relationships formed just think about it and then think about how can you support it if relationships are formed on the couch during movie night how can you support that how can you make that space feel even more inviting is it an extra blanket is it a bigger coffee table so people have a place to have a meal you know like what how are you nurturing connection inside of your space a huge portion of the show is actually shot in a camera hide that is behind two-way mirrors so when the Queens are doing their makeup we're actually looking at them directly in the face because our mirror can see them but they can't see us it's always historic that the eliminated queen of that episode writes on the mirror and I fortunately enough didn't have to do it because I was never eliminated but now I get to have the full experience of drag race cuz now ad has me writing on the mirror cuz they try to Sach me away but you know here goes my message 80 you this is actually harder than I thought so um I ran out of lip six but um what it says on the merror is AD you are bananas love you The Inspirations for the show come from all sorts of places like we might need to design a tacky Mansion or we might need to design a park but a lot of times we're always trying to figure out how to make it dragg ear and that's probably a word that we use daily it could be a basketball and somebody is like can you make it draggy and so I think the whole team has become accustomed to Preparing themselves to make all of the props stragier and that's probably something that doesn't exist on any other show which is awesome and is also applicable to your space like how can you make it more of the thing that you are trying to make it don't be afraid to go there don't be afraid to push like to push yourself to challenge yourself to say how can I make this more you know and if your space is draggy let's go how can you make it more draggy but if your space is minimalist how can you make it more minimalist if your space is vintage eclectic how can you make it more vintage eclectic how can you make it more comfortable how can you make it more inspiring like push yourself challenge yourself don't I I think it's it's an exciting thought to think about what if I didn't settle what if I didn't settle what if I just kept challenging myself in Bruno's golden Hopper are 11 balls with your names on them let's go we're an art Department we do a lot of Custom Fabrication and we augment a lot of store bought things so we have an entire massive assortment of glitter and sparkly things and there is no limit to what we can add glitter in sequins to and most of the props that come through the space end up getting glitter at some point we use a lot of hot colors we use a lot of bright colors we use a ton of sequins and I don't think that's ever going to change I think it's important that when the audience is flipping through the channels that it's instantly recognizable this show is actually really zany and that makes sense to me that like Rupa is Iconic drag race is Iconic when you're flipping through the channels you immediately know what show you're watching because it is so draggy it is so glitter it is so sequin It Is So Glam it is so maximal it is so colorful that you you have no questions about what you're watching pretty random we have a massive assortment of strange props we have all sorts of unconventional things that you would not think that you would need on a drag show but with drag anything goes I don't know why we have so many traffic cones and of course dress forms musical instruments furniture and more production design on drag race is really unique I think in a lot of ways our show resembles a sketch comedy show and a lot of times if something could be funnier or it could be more witty there are a lot of changes on the Fly we would have maybe about a week for any sort of big build but once in a while if mamao really wants to see something happen we're going to have to take a hard turn and we're just going to have to make it happen the general prep time for a bigger episode is anywhere from a day to a week [Music] welcome everyone we are here at the untucked lounge where everything comes untucked where all the drama happens where everyone lets loose take their shoes off let their tights out and we're here just chilling lounging kiking drinking and most importantly remembering the lipsync song okay great so we're in a new space now let me take it back so we can there we go we're in a new space now and this is important and interesting right so we're looking at a space that they can relax they can kick back it's the lounge it's the backstage area and an important thing is look at how we've taken elements from the workroom and brought them into the lounge if you caught my video on uh how to create a cohesive home then you are very familiar with this concept of bringing elements from one space into another so that it all feels the same and in this world where we're talking about drag race and needing it to be instantly recognizable having all the spaces feel like they're in the same world is really important so here we're seeing the wall that snakeskin wallpaper this mirror Motif that we're used to from the workroom a photo who I assume it's of Rue uh I can't see beyond the neck but I'm going to assume based on what we learned in the workroom that photos of Rue become decoration of the space I'm guessing she's up there um and then we're echoing you know this kind of same pink orange and red color palette in the couches in even in the props and everything that are staged back there um so yeah they they've really created this cohesive space and that feels important bring the Lip Sync song you know those moments in untucked Lounge when you just see the people lounging and kiking drinking and having a chat and then behind you could see two queens or three under little headphones just you know practicing because you know no one wants to go home I have to Spill the Beans after season 16 this new set has grown in size the untuck lounge has become way bigger way more spacious our untucked Lounge is pretty much entirely full of Easter eggs we decorate it solely with scenery and props from previous episod we have the shiny mop cuz who doesn't like gay and the shade button is still here but very unpressable in the spirit of untucked we're going to sh up let's go I love that I love that tip that like it's full of Easter eggs we decorate it exclusively with things that mean something to us that's how it's applicable to your home right yeah you might not have props from past episodes of root Falls drag decorates to bring into your office but what are the Easter eggs that mean something to you and how can you use them to decorate your space before you walk onto the main stage you're going to look into the mirror and say to yourself you got this cuz you are what that the energy behind the main stage is always is to me very serious and a moment to reflect and calm your nerves and to take deep breaths and you know what just have fun cuz you have nothing left to lose and then you would walk out hit the main stage and the rest is [Music] history this particular year we moved to a new stage there was literally no floor ing no walls and so we took a template from previous years just to figure out what the optimal camera angles are and those didn't change when I was thinking about what this set should look like I was really inspired by the beautiful building on Hollywood Boulevard that's in Arc Deco style and I just thought that it would be really incredible to nod to that style especially because we're in Los Angeles a lot of our Deco buildings have a bit of a crown on the facade and I thought since you know this is very much a show about pageantry and Beauty as much as it is about you know humor and talent I kind of wanted to create a set that had a little bit of a crown and was a modern take on an art deco building we decided to incorporate a I love that I mean she's talking about what we're talking about at the beginning of this video right take design inspiration from everywhere it would have been easy to look at past drag sets past r all sets and just say like oh that worked and that's nice and I like this element of the stage and slap something together but to be inspired by architecture in the city that you're filming to be inspired by a crown on the facade and what that means for the show and what that means for the Queens who are in the show like to bring that into the design makes such a more fulfilling design than just cutting copy pasting onto a new set and in the same way that taking inspiration from non-home spaces makes such a more exciting design than just copy paste from Pinterest you know what I mean a floor that lights up in a t-shape that way when you have your queen on the right and you have your queen on the left they're able to go head-to-head but when we're trying to deemphasize the t-shape we can turn the lights off and then the stage can be a little bit more of a blank palette this is where icons are born this is where it all goes down sweat tears dreams shattering dreams being built everything happens on the main stage and you know let's be honest drag is already over the top enough as it is and so I think the goal is always to make sure that the queen really shines we want to make sure our scenery is taking a back seat because there's just so much to appreciate and drag and everybody's really just paying attention to the Queens so I think the goal is for the scenery not to be distracting and me what you are I love that they're talking about this that like we are creating a backdrop for this Talent this art to shine in a way that it's still such an intense bright neon background but it really is not distracting and so I think that this is a great example of knowing where to put the focus that if you're trying to put the focus everywhere then nothing going to stand out so if you're designing a space like what is the queen of your space What is the thing that you really want to highlight to shine to Showcase that you want to not distract from and how can you build everything around it to point to that think of that tunnel in the beginning it's pointing to the thing we want to see and so nothing is becoming too loud around the focal point also don't see on the film set is outside of this judging panel there are also people on the production team viewing you so in a sense there is actually an audience one of the things we have to accommodate is we have to be able to make sure that a camera person can get everywhere they need to go at any time which is very hard to predict you know these Queens might do something hysterical and they might death drop onto the floor and so we just need to make sure that you know the floor is completely clear that the stage has a lot of Vantage points in this set there's probably around 7 to 10 cameras that are filming us you got ruse's camera and then there are like around 3 to four cameras straight faing us all capturing our faces as we get critiqued or complimented or get sacheted away then we have another camera on a crane that flies around capturing all the magical moments of us Queens standing on stage but before we go on to the main stage we also have to walk from the workroom to the main stage and that sisters is around a block and a half walk in this giche but drag race is very kind and they have prepared um golf carts but sometimes I just like to walk because I just want to accidentally stumble upon something that I'm not meant to see one thing on set whenever there's a queen walking they the production team the PAs will scream Queen's walking Queen's walking I love that I am sitting on the bane of my existence this is the judging panel and I am in shock mode right now because I am seeing this whole set in a different lens the lens of a judge I feel very powerful I am sorry my dear but you I love the background of this judges panel that I'm kind of just noticing for the first time that it's kind of similar to what we saw in tan Francis kitchen cabinets actually that they've made it three-dimensional it would be easy to have a flat backdrop behind them that is painted with this design for example but instead they have cut out this orange bubble design and a couple feet probably back behind it have this pink light up wall um and so it gives it this depth this Dimension some oh it was Tan's closet if you haven't watched tan Francis Closet video talk about high Glam uh not Glam literally but it was a very glamorous closet it um but there was a moment where it could have been easily just like a flat piece of wood that had a pattern painted on it but they actually cut out the pattern in the wood and layered it onto another piece of wood to just create this depth and dimension I think this is such a cool tip like if you have something some texture some pattern that wants more depth can you create it from two different pieces are up for elimination oh I need to do the rul laugh also like let's be real her yellow against this pink and orange backdrop what a moment this backdrop because of its tonality creates a great opportunity for contrast and it's really aesthetically pleasing to the eye and it's just going to bring us immediately to the person wow that was a lip sync give it up for the lighting crew and all the production team yeah all right ad I have heard enough but it is my decision to make and unfortunately it is time for you to sasche away goodbye you will be missed okay how fun is that like what an incredible study in use of color what an incredible study in creativity and Ingenuity I'm thinking about the spray painted wig forms becoming Decor I'm thinking about these custom hot pink tool carts carts tool boxes toolboxes on Wheels rolling around becoming part of the decor what an excellent study in where to place the focus what an excellent study in how to highlight something I think that creating again I'm just I'm so struck by the effectiveness of creating this tonal color palette that allows anything that is not in that world to pop forward and what's great about this is that our no one's skin tone is in that world no one's skin tone is going to be this vibrant pink orange red so any person even if they're wearing pink orange and red is going to naturally contr cont with that backdrop and naturally you're just going to be drawn to the face I think that's really really effective If This Were a neutral Space full of beiges and Browns like the people would melt back into it and so by making it so colorful you're really highlighting any face no matter how colorful the makeup like you're gonna look at that face I think it's such a great study in how to highlight something and how to draw Focus to something and how to how to become a backdrop for something and it's a great example of backdrops do not have to be boring it's true that if you're trying to create a focal point everything else should be a little quieter but this is a great example that quieter than the focal point does not have to mean quiet so I think this was a 10 out of 10 like am I about to go put hot pink snakes skinned wallpaper up in my bathroom no probably not but did I learn a thing or two about a thing or two absolutely so thank you rup Paul and Architectural digest for this master class in in color and form and functionality and creativity and inspiration and also thank you for um just giving us such a an honest backstage tour like stages are hard and I love that they were talking about having to be able to be flexible that a camera person needs to be anywhere at any time this is a space that has to function it's not just a space that has to look beautiful that's one of its functions but it's a space that needs to work for them so having a giant giant F length mirror right backstage functional having a mostly clear floor functional like think about higher space needs to work for you all right y'all that is it for me if you liked this content go ahead and check out some other reaction videos I got on my channel I got a whole playlist of them or if you're looking for more interior design inspiration check out this video that the algorithm thinks you're really going to love thanks so much for tuning in today until next time my name is Julio and I'll catch you in 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