'Moonlight' set decorator Chris Marsteller answers your questions

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By April MacIntyre Dec 4, 2007, 19:51 GMT

Back in September, CBS and Warner Bros. invited Monsters and Critics to tour the sets of their new vampire thriller series, “Moonlight,” starring Alex O’Loughlin, Sophia Myles, Shannyn Sossamon and Jason Dohring. British actress Sophia Myles EPA/Wolfgang Kumm

British actress Sophia Myles EPA/Wolfgang KummSince then, the series has taken off like a rocket in popularity.Many fan websites have popped up, and diehard fans of Alex O'Loughlin turned out to support him and donate toys for the charity Christmas toy drive at the Pole Position Raceway in Corona this past weekend.Many of you read the set-tour piece and submitted "talkback" questions for the set decorator, Chris Marsteller.Chris has kindly responded to all your questions:From the Set Tour talkback:

fireplace with crystals

What are the crystals used in the fireplace? How does it work?The crystals are actually small pieces of tempered glass. There is a flame bar below and the the flames pass through the glass providing us with our effect for Mick's fire place.

bookcase

I love the bookcase and want to buy or make one for my new library. Any suggestions?Of course, Mick's bookcase is custom built. It was designed by our production designer Alfred Sole and is (as most of Mick's place) a defining part of the set. If I may make one suggestion. I don't know what size most of your books are, but I would take an average and tallest measurement of your books. The squares in Mick's bookcase were built at 16 inches. This requires a large size (table or art) book to fill it properly, which became one of our biggest challenges given our time frame and budget. As far as purchasing something like Mick's bookcase I think it would be difficult to come by. Depending on your budget and resources I would try to find a carpenter or cabinet maker to handle the project. For a lower budget perhaps some modular wine storage cubes would give you a similar effect.

Who did the artwork in Josef's [Jason Dohring's] office / condo on his ceilings and walls? ThanksThe artist is Alex Gross. We came across an art book of his and really felt it had the right flavor for Joseph. We wanted to make a large statement in Joseph's office and also hint at his age as a vampire. With the show being set in LA and wanting to keep a very contemporary edge to it, the challenge came in defining the characters.

With Joseph, it came down to grand scale. And what could be grander than a painted ceiling a la the Vatican.Where do you find the decor for Alex's home, and how do you decide what items "go" or "fit" with each character?When I started prepping the show there were many discussions as to how our vampire's live. We wanted to keep the show very contemporary and and imply that vampires do live among us and on the surface you might not recognize anything out of the ordinary at first glance.

With Mick's loft I chose some pieces from Cisco Home, Design Within Reach, Diva, Sonrisa, and other small shops around LA.

The idea was to keep Mick's very clean and simple. He has been living long enough that he has his life style down to a sort of routine and it is unnecessary to have a lot of excess. And though he does most of his business at night, and simple lines often times feel colder, we tried to keep it warm with our color pallette.

Talkback

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JerseyGirlDec 4th, 2007 - 23:10:59

Great and informative article! thank you thank you. Love everything about the Fortress of Style, from the Bookcase and very unique Crystal Fireplace and have spent many an episode wondering about Josef's artistic ceiling. Thank you for all the information. More with Moonlight, please. It rocks. :)

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ChristyDec 4th, 2007 - 23:23:08

The sets are awesome on Moonlight! Thank you for the article on the Fortress of Style and Josef's ceiling. Very cool information.

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AmyDec 4th, 2007 - 23:27:23

Best set on television! One of the things I like about rewatching all the episodes is just to study all the details on the sets.

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Amy V.Dec 4th, 2007 - 23:44:47

Mick's and Josef's apartments in Moonlight are so beautiful and stylish. My faves in Mick's apartment are the fireplace and the bookcase and I love Josef's ceiling (I have a feeling there is one big clue to be found on that ceiling). Kudos on creating such fabulous sets! Makes Moonlight a joy to watch!

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malissaDec 4th, 2007 - 23:52:17

Yeah i just LOVE to see the fire place its so amazing and pretty and love Mick's apartment too,is really creative.

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bakednudelDec 5th, 2007 - 01:31:43

THANK you so much for answering these questions! I love the set design in Moonlight and have been obsessing over it since the first episode. Thanks for answering our questions and I'm sure we'll have more as the series goes on.

The art in Mick's apartment--is it all real artists and craftspeople, like the artist for Josef's ceiling? or was any of it made specifically for the show?

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celticwitch99Dec 5th, 2007 - 04:37:11

Great to see these kinds of details about the show. Mick's fireplace has always interested me, and his bookcase has also made me think, 'Oh wow, now that would be the answer to my overflowing bookcase problems!' The more I see of Josef's place, too, the more it says about him. Just excellent.

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BethDec 5th, 2007 - 15:23:39

Thanks so much for these answers! I love Moonlight, and the sets really work well to capture the characters' lifestyles. Excellent design!!!

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AmarantheDec 5th, 2007 - 20:50:48

I would like to know who did the painting in Mick's loft - the one with helicopters & palm trees?
Thank you,
And yes, wonderful sets!

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lynnrxgalDec 5th, 2007 - 22:10:43

Love the sets! Thanks for the info. I forwarded this to my son who lives in Seattle and has a good eye for decorating. I know he will covet the bookshelves!

Moonlight is THE best show on TV!

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