Half Man Production Designer Emer O’Sullivan on Designing Richard Gadd’s HBO Drama

<p><strong>Presented by HBO Max | For Your Consideration – HALF MAN – Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour or More)</strong></p><p>Production Designer <strong>Emer O’Sullivan</strong> joins <em>Decorating Pages</em> to discuss the production design of the HBO/BBC limited series <strong>Half Man</strong>, created by Emmy-winning Richard Gadd and starring Richard Gadd and Jamie Bell.</p><p>Emer breaks down the design of <em>Half Man</em>, including Laurie’s house, the boys’ bedroom, the kitchen, the hospital room, the prison visiting room, the wedding locations, and the Glasgow architecture that grounds the story across multiple decades.</p><p>In this conversation, Emer talks about using social realism photography, fashion photography, mood boards, hand drawings, wallpaper, pattern, color, and Scottish municipal architecture to create a world that feels emotionally truthful. She also discusses the responsibility of portraying working-class homes with warmth, pride, and specificity, rather than reducing them to gray or downtrodden spaces.</p><p>Kim and Emer also discuss the “cozy claustrophobic” design of Laurie’s house, the pistachio and pink palette, how domestic spaces change over time, building the upstairs of the house, transforming a rough location into a major set in eight days, and designing the prison visiting room with glass, brutalist influence, and controlled discomfort.</p><p>This episode is a must-listen for fans of <em>Half Man</em>, Richard Gadd, Jamie Bell, HBO dramas, production design, set decoration, Scottish television, character-driven interiors, and anyone interested in how sets carry emotion, memory, trauma, and story.</p><p><strong>Half Man</strong> is now streaming on HBO Max.</p><p>For Your Consideration: <strong>HALF MAN</strong> — <strong>Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour or More)</strong></p><p><br>👉 Get the FREE Quick Reference Set Decorating Template: www.decoratingpagespodcast.com</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Discover the Art of TV &amp; Film Design with Decorating Pages Podcast</strong></p><p><strong>Hosted by Emmy-winning Set Decorator Kim Wannop, this podcast takes you behind the scenes of your favorite shows and movies. Each episode features in-depth conversations with the industry’s top production designers, set decorators, prop masters, and art department professionals, offering rare insight into the creative process of visual storytelling.</strong></p><p><strong>Whether you’re a film and TV fan, aspiring designer, or entertainment industry pro, </strong><em><strong>Decorating Pages Podcast</strong></em><strong> is your backstage pass to the world of production design. Learn how sets are built, stories are shaped visually, and characters come to life—one episode at a time.</strong></p><p><strong>🔔 Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher, TuneIn, and iHeartRadio so you never miss an episode.</strong></p><p><strong>📲 Follow for daily design content</strong></p><p><strong>Instagram: </strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/decoratingpages"><u><strong>@decoratingpages</strong></u></a><strong></strong></p><p><strong>TikTok: @decoratingpagespodcast</strong></p><p><strong>YouTube: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@DecoratingPagesPodcast"><u><strong>Decorating Pages Podcast</strong></u></a></p>