Spellbound Spaces: Halliwell Manor
A deep dive into the home of my favourite witch trio - the Charmed ones!
With a publication name like sit for a spell, it probably won’t surprise you to learn that I am a huge Charmed fan. You’re reading the words of a girl who used to hold the handle of the kettle when it was nearly done and imagine she was the one causing it to bubble and boil. #justgirlythings
Since my dad passed away in September, I had been searching for a TV show to watch that would provide comfort and nostalgia. Something I can remember watching with my Dad or that he would remember me watching.
A show he would have seen and thought of me.
Enter Charmed, with its monster of the week format and 90s styling of 3 sister witches trying to balance protecting the innocent with having a successful career and love life.
From the first scene, I felt a weight lift from my chest. Seeing the Halliwell Manor on a dark and stormy night felt genuinely comforting and I settled in to enjoy it. So…What is it that makes the Charmed house so very charming? (sorry).
Exterior
Built in the late 1880s for a prominent city councilman, the house is actually in LA, rather than San Francisco where Charmed is set. It is a beautiful burgundy colour which contrasts with white trim and stunning stained glass window detailing.
It is a classic Victorian delight and we, the viewer, immediately understand the language of this. There is something supernatural, something mysterious about the women who live here.
Sarah Burns, writing in American Arts about the Addams family home, said:
The old dark Victorian house had become a capacious symbolic vessel… It was terrifying and monstrous, tasteless and romantically antiquated…”
Historically, witches have been seen as a form of evil in the world so housing the sisters in an old and dark(ish) Victorian house makes sense. However, the sisters are a force for good in the world and so the interiors then have to match this tale of ‘good witches’. In terms of tasteless or romantically antiquated, I am firmly in the camp of the latter for this home.
Interior
Breaking the term down into ‘romantic’ and ‘antique’, I do think these were starting points for the set designers when it comes to the interior. Unfortunately, there is little to no information that I can find on set design for the house so I want to pull out the key features of the Halliwell manor.
Dark wood
This shows up all over the house, in furniture, doors, floors, archways. It helps to ground the house in its history as a Victorian home and adds a touch of gothic. The designers could have really gone all out but instead they add lightness with floral wallpapers, pastel walls, or light coloured rugs to break up all the darkness. It keeps the house looking like a home.
Stained glass
I would sell my soul for the windows of the Halliwell manor. There, I’ve said it. It’s such a beautiful addition to the home and they bring in so much gorgeous light. You can see it best in the sunroom where rainbows are cast on to the floor. Keeping the sunroom mostly white (white wicker furniture, white walls, white and pale grey check flooring) was a brilliant move - it reflects back all the brightness and provides a canvas for the multitude of colours. The colourful windows also inject some vibrancy and break up the darkness of the wood throughout the house.
Floral patterns
The dining room of the Charmed manor has at least three different floral patterns in but they all look cohesive. By keeping the colour palette the same (red, pink, green, cream) but mixing up the size of the floral and their height, it allows the room to absorb the pattern. Large floral wallpaper borders at the very top of the walls, then a small to medium size floral on the walls to a small floral pattern on the chairs. I think this could have easily looked overdone but it comes across as a witchy grandmacore perfection instead.
Antique furniture
Considering the house has been home to witches for generations, the manor is sure to be home to some beautiful furniture. It’s usually dark wood with vintage elements so every room in the house speaks the same language of well-loved vintage. However, it’s not a museum and anything that should be comfortable is comfortable, like the sofas and the beds are always bulging and covered with pillows. No fussy uncomfortable vintage pieces when you need to settle down after fighting demons.
Details
There are also the occasional details which repeat to show the whimsical nineties/noughties witchy nature of the house.
🌜 Celestial details
🐆 Leopard print
🕯️ Candles
Celestial
These are usually reserved for the bedrooms of the sisters - I’ve yet to spot it in any of the common rooms. Whether it’s prints or pieces of furniture, moon, stars, and the sun all make an appearance.
Leopard print
Spotting the lamp and bed cushions in one of the bedrooms rewired something in my brain. Leopard print and Victorian antiques? Sign me up!
Candles
Are you even a witch if you don’t have candles in pretty much every room? I love how they’re done in Charmed. The array of colours for the candlesticks and candles themselves are cute and modern.
Note on Costume
Whilst there was little on set design that I could find, there are a few articles on the fashion in Charmed and rightly so. The actors were allowed to choose their own outfits and it seems they chose outfits that they felt most empowered or comfortable in. The manor then provides a traditional and neutral backdrop which really lets the sisters’ modern styles shine. In a few scenes, I was struck by the contrast in costume versus set. The dark wood panelling and dusky pinks walls really make a leopard print dress or a slinky LBD or strappy heels pop.
Spell Ingredients for a Charmed home
🟫 Don’t be afraid of the dark wood. I love these Victorian chest of drawers.
🩷 All that deep wood will contrast beautifully with a pastel pink paint like Pink Slip from Little Greene.
🕯️Candles and candlesticks in an array of colours are an affordable way of getting the Charmed look. I love the cobalt blue glass ones for their colour but the handmade wooden candle stick and the darker vintage version would make a bright candle pop.
🛋️ Keep the seating comfortable with this Victorian style sofa.
🐆 Complete the look with a pattern that speaks to your personality like this leopard print cushion.
🌷 Small print floral chairs paired with larger print floral wallpaper in the same colour palette like these vintage chairs with Richmond Green in Stella by Little Greene.
🪟 Last but not least, this stunning Tiffany style lamp. Whilst I would love to have stained glass at home, Tiffany style lamps are an affordable way to bring in some beautiful colours and lighting.
P.S. If you also find the Charmed home comforting, you’ll be pleased to know we’re not alone and if you love how the sisters dress, I highly recommend halliwelldressed on Instagram.