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Unrivalled

A set design with a difference

Marmalade House Design

I’m very excited that Jilly Cooper’s second series of ‘Rivals’ is due to be aired today, featuring my own kitchen and pantry. It feels as though all the excitement and craziness of last summer is a long time ago, but now that the time has come to launch the new series, it feels like only yesterday.

Bright Marmalade House Design kitchen with cream cabinetry, a large wooden island, pendant lights and a window seat in warm spring tones in Rivals.

It is no mean feat agreeing for a major production company (in this case Disney+) to take over your home for a month or so. There was no option but to move out and leave them the run of the place, and soon our home was transformed into a 1980’s film set.

Two rivals stand face to face in a narrow pantry, with a Disney logo and shelves of jars, filming of Rivals at Marmalade House Design.
Two men in suits face off in a tense scene from Rivals, with the Hulu on Disney+ logo visible and warm indoor lighting against a lattice window backdrop.

We still won’t know what actually went on in our kitchen until we see the final episode but according to The Times, ‘it all still goes on in Rutshire!’ All we know is that the main love story of Taggie (Bella Maclean) and Rupert Campbell Black (Alex Hassell) continues in our pantry, alongside a head-to-head with Lord Baddingham (David Tennant) and Freddie Jones (Danny Dyer)

Warm 1980s kitchen restyle with blue walls, cream cabinetry and Laura Ashley fabric accents, plus lemon-themed ceramics and a central dining table.

It’s all great fun, and especially so for me, as in my first ever job in publishing when I left university, long before Marmalade House Design, was to work on the print version of Jilly’s ‘Rivals’ and a charming letter from Jilly remembering those days, just before she sadly died was very special. To have it filmed many years later in my own home was a happy end to the story.

So if you are interested, watch ‘Rivals’ it promises to be more than just entertainment, and episode 2 at Sarah Stratton’s dinner party, you will see my own kitchen. Enjoy!

Vanessa x