Here's How Pros Design the Fabulous Spaces From 'And Just Like That'

For the debut episode of HGTV’s all-new YouTube series HGTV On Set With, HGTV sat down with set decorator Karin Wiesel Holmes and production designer Miguel López-Castillo of Max’s And Just Like That — returned for an all-new second season June 22 — to get behind-the-scenes glimpses of how they, quite literally, build characters; what we see in their homes is an integral part of what we know about their priorities and motivations. From lighting and flooring to wallpaper, furnishings and even local grocery bags, Karin and Miguel realize the spaces that help tell Carrie, Charlotte and Miranda's stories.

“I did the original [Sex and the City] series as both a set decorator and a huge fan of the show and spent my 30s growing up with these women,” Karin says, “so it was an incredible opportunity to come back and revisit these characters that I had known so well. It was kind of like reconnecting with an old friend who I had not spoken to in 20 years.”

Ready for an inside look at how that reunion came together? Watch HGTV On Set With: And Just Like That and shop with us to bring their design choices into your own home. We took diligent notes on her work, and we’re zooming in on pieces that kindle the show's magic.

Fair warning: We're diving into major plot points from the first season of the show. If you haven't caught all of those episodes yet and don't want a side of spoilers with your design dishing, stream them on Max and we'll be here when you're ready!

Carrie’s Apartment

As Sarah Jessica Parker told Vogue, she saved and stored both furniture and clothing from Sex and the City’s six seasons and two movies — which enabled Karin to revisit decor like the credenza and bench in Carrie’s Upper East Side bedroom for And Just Like That. This space is a kaleidoscopic mixture of eras and hues, including a Hollywood Regency-style EF Chapman tassel lamp from the ‘80s that echoes the silk lanterns in Carrie’s walk-in closet and the citrus-bright, midcentury Seth Thomas flip clock beside her bed.

Sarah Jessica Parker also had a hand in an instantly-iconic new element of Carrie's apartment: She created this blue chrysanthemum wallpaper with her friend Eric Hughes, the interior designer who collaborates with her on the look of her own home.

Charlotte’s Apartment

“When we decorate a set, it doesn’t just stay the way we did it once,” Karin explains. “It moves through the story with the characters, so if something’s going on in a character’s life we try to reflect that in the set.” The traditional look of Charlotte and Harry’s apartment was established in And Just Like That’s first season. For Season 2 “the one thing that we did is build a closet for [their children] Rock and Lily,” she says. The Scenic Department created the modern art displayed here in the piano room, and Karin added reproduction Jeanneret armchairs reupholstered with Kravet fabric.

“One of my goals this season was to bring some joy into the homes,” Karin says. On Rock’s side of the kids' bedroom, that meant swapping out the bedding and layering in posters, a skateboard and more personal items to reflect the evolution of their characters.

Miranda’s Brownstone

After shocking her Manhattan-based friends with the news of her and Steve’s decision to move to Brooklyn back in the sixth season of Sex and the City, Miranda settled into cozy, casual brownstone life. The neutral pieces in her family’s home reflect a shared aesthetic rather than Miranda’s personal sensibilities, which dovetails with the surprise at the end of And Just Like That's first season, when she announces that she’s following her new partner, Che, to Los Angeles.

LTW’s Closet

Lisa Todd Wexley, or LTW, is an ultra-fashionable documentarian, mother and wife — and the show’s breakout style star. Tasked with creating interconnected closets for LTW and her husband, Herbert, Karin and Miguel made the latter “bright, chaotic eye candy.” (They also created a zillion-pound, button-tufted swinging door to separate the spaces.) “One of the first things that I showed Miguel and our showrunner was this incredible chandelier,” Karin recalls. “We had designed this pouf to sit underneath it, and it looked great, but we still needed something [more], so we ended up getting an orange rug to ground it so it could really hold its own under that amazing chandelier.”

Nya’s Loft

Miranda’s Columbia Law School professor and friend, Nya, shares a Brooklyn loft with her musician husband, Andre. Between takes, everyone shares it. “Nya’s is the set that everyone wanted to hang out in,” Karin recalls. “It was very warm and felt very inviting.” She and Miguel developed a layered space featuring vintage finds, pieces the characters might have inherited and gifts from artistic friends — and they aimed for authenticity by “shopping locally, sustainably and really trying to give it that vibe,” she says.

Seema’s Apartment

As an accomplished New York City real estate broker and proudly independent woman, Seema has taken the time to create an Upper East Side headquarters that provides the pampering she deserves. “For Seema’s [bedroom] I was given the directive that it should feel like a hug,” Karin recalls. “So we chose furniture with rounded edges to really emphasize the femininity. Her room is anchored by a gray velvet, king-size bed that, to me, feels like a hug.” Karin also made a point of always having fresh, intricate flower arrangements in the space to “just bring that bit of luxury and life and beauty into the bedroom.”

The second season of And Just Like That is streaming exclusively on Max. For even more inside scoops, follow along on Instagram for series details and dispatches from the costume department, and follow HGTV on YouTube.