Tour ‘The Originals’ Moody New Orleans Mansion (PHOTOS)
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“Because of New Orleans’ warm climate, we wanted the courtyard to feel like an extension of the house,” Eigenbrodt notes. “A majority of the chairs are covered in variations of tapestry cloth. Since these guys are rich, the minute it starts to rain, they just have servants put all the furniture away.”
“Along with the gas lamps, the creeping vines, and the wrought iron railings, this fountain evokes the sensuality of the French Quarter,” Eigenbrodt says. “We found it in Georgia, but to fit the scale of the courtyard, our plasterers and sculptors had to add another section to give it additional height.”
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The home was painted in rich jewel tones, including emerald green, topaz yellow, and, of course, ruby red to hide the spilled blood—in this case, thanks to Elijah’s (Daniel Gillies) revenge on the wolves.
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Catering to the family’s love of luxurious objects from the past, the Mikaelson abode is candelabra- and chandelier-heavy, Eigenbrodt says. “Our set decorator, Carol Bayne Kelley, has done a great job of sourcing every chandelier in Atlanta, where we film. For the dining room, we bought four or five beautiful half-dome chandeliers of various sizes.” All the antique furniture and accessories are also handpicked by Kelley.
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Visiting George Clooney’s wine cellar was a great inspiration for executive producer Julie Plec when it came to creating the dining room. “Two of the dining room’s side walls have backlit cases of wine,” Eigenbrodt points out. “That’s how Clooney displays his bottles.” And the food on the table is real, confirms Eigenbrodt. “Occasionally, we’ll employ food stylists if there’s a big banquet because we want, say, a suckling pig to really look beautiful. The pig will get an extra coat of oil or spray gloss to make it look better on camera.”
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Though Marcel (Charles Michael Davis, left, with Morgan) ruled the roost for decades before Klaus’s return, few tangible remnants of his reign remain. “There’s an interesting purple wallpaper in the sitting room,” says Eigenbrodt, “and a vintage stereo system with his old albums—that’s it.”
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The Originals’ production designer Bill Eigenbrodt has built the perfect setting for Klaus (Joseph Morgan) and his centuries-old vampire clan—an opulent New Orleans home that’s both mysterious and elegant. “The Mikaelsons have a great respect for anything that decays because they do not,” says Eigenbrodt. “They love exposed brick and mortar, broken plaster, and crumbling molding.” Eigenbrodt takes us behind the mansion’s gates.
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