Thursday, January 23, 2014

Tour StoneHaven, The Werewolf Lodge from Syfy's Bitten Series


Are you guys watching Syfy's new series Bitten? It's based on Kelly Armstrong's Otherworld series, which I've never read (time to rectify that, I think). The plot so far is fairly simple. Elena, the only female werewolf in existence, must leave her comfortable, humanish existence to help her werewolf pack hunt down a rogue wolf. Hilarity does not ensue.

I like the series. The characters are well-drawn (with lots of hunky, shirtless guys), the plot moves along (albeit at a leisurely pace) and the special effects are quite nifty. It's an enjoyable ride.

But what I really love about the series is the sets. I you liked the Witches of East End house, you'll love this series. The pack lives in a woodsy manor that is to die for. It's called Stonehaven.

Here's a front view. Pesky trees hide most of it.


Here's a side view.


But the exterior is not the best part. The interior design is amazing.


Here's the foyer. I love the blue and the cream against the wood paneling. Fabulous color choice. The big statue next to the stairs is a Native American animal totem. Very appropriate. The portraits on the foyer table are genius. They testify as to the pack's close-knit relationships. I love that they are the first thing Elena sees when she enters the house. That's the root of her conflict right there.


Another view of the foyer. You can see more of the blue and cream paint job. You can also see the large grandfather clock. It's a nice contrast to the primitive totem. I think my favorite detail is the supermarket daylilies on the foyer table. Priceless antiques next to $5.99 flowers. You can tell it's a guy house.


Here's a better shot of the hallway. I love the wallpaper and the chandelier. Very cool.


The foyer leads to the living room. Now this is my favorite room.

The decor is not exactly subtle. The room has a lot of natural details, including the stone on the fireplace, the twig chandelier, and the animal skulls strewn on the tables. Taxidermy samples and pictures of hunting scenes hang on crimson walls. The room tells you a lot about Elena's pack. They value tradition (note the Chesterfield sofas, brass lamps, and traditional frames) but death and violence are recurrent themes (dead animal parts litter the room and there's no escaping the blood-red walls).

I like the transition from the pretty cream-and-blue foyer to the crimson-drenched living room. It mirrors the pack's dual nature. Very well done.


A close-up of the leather Chesterfield chairs. Very masculine. There's a mural on the wall behind Jeremy, the pack alpha. It's a fleeing stag, perfect for a werewolf lodge.

I love this decor, it's beautiful and creepy and sad. It reminds me of the set design in WoEE, but I think I like the Bitten set design more than the WoEE design. The WoEE house is pretty, but it doesn't really tell a story (not that there's anything wrong with that. I luuuuurve the WoEE house). The Bitten house, on the other hand, tells the story of Elena's werewolf clan perfectly.

I also like how the set design highlights the estrangement between Elena and her pack. It's very effective. Take a look at Elena's Toronto apartment.


Gorgeous, isn't it? It's also completely different from the werewolf lodge. The apartment is airy, bright and full of windows, and everything is modern, clean and free of clutter. This is the home of someone who is breaking away from the past. Instead of hunting scenes, Elena's apartment is decorated with abstract portraits. A perfect setting for someone trying to figure out who she is.

The set designer did a fantastic job. The sets are not only pretty and interest, they are an integral part of the storytelling. Kudos.

I'm excited about this series. I'm really looking forward to following Elena in her journey. I also hope Syfy does a Stonehaven house tour like the one they did for Being Human. That would be awesome!

All images belong to the Syfy Network.

1 comment:

  1. where is the exact location of the stonehaven manor?

    ReplyDelete