Designing desire.
A bold and original imagining of one of the greatest love stories of all time.
Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” stars Margot Robbie as Cathy and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff—whose forbidden passion turns from romantic to intoxicating in an epic tale of lust, love, and madness.
The Come Undone Kit was created to capture the tension, intimacy, and release at the heart of the film. Below, read a Q&A with Suzie Davies (Production Designer) and Charlotte Dirickx (Set Decorator), offering a behind-the-scenes look at their work—and how the film’s themes inspired this collaboration.
In Conversation with Suzie Davies
Production Designer
Q: When approaching a story rooted in passion and restraint, how did you think about designing spaces that could hold that emotional tension?
A: Emerald’s script was so wonderfully descriptive that it allowed the design to become part of the storytelling. We leaned into well-known architectural tropes to both contract and expand the spaces—for instance, the low, oppressive kitchen ceiling leading into the soaring double-height parlor. A natural rhythm emerged from these contrasts, and in that way the design became an extension of the narrative.
Q: Were there particular textures, materials, or palettes that you felt embodied desire?
A: We absolutely played with texture—particularly moisture. We wanted the entire environment to feel oppressively wet, as if the “Wuthering Heights” building itself was sweating. Walls were designed to glisten and drip, and wherever possible we introduced reflective surfaces. It created a visceral, tactile quality that made the atmosphere feel alive and slightly unsettling.
Q: How do you balance historical authenticity with a modern sensibility to make the world feel relatable today?
A: Every period film places its emphasis differently. While we researched the era extensively, our choices here were driven by a desire to create a slightly heightened reality. The aesthetic is at times deliberately anachronistic, but always in service of tone—less about strict historical accuracy and more about what felt emotionally and visually right for this story.
Q: Can design itself convey lust, or is it more about what it allows the characters to do within it?
A: Design can’t create lust on its own, but it can absolutely shape the environment that allows it to spark. When characters inhabit a space that’s charged—through texture, light, and scale—the design heightens their physicality and makes desire feel almost inevitable.
Q: How did you use candles within the set to help create a sense of intimacy, connection, or sexuality?
A: The lighting in the film is not only historically grounded, but also amplifies heightened moments. The glints and glimmers of candlelight playing across moist, reflective surfaces create an atmosphere that feels charged and almost stylized.
In Conversation with Charlotte Dirickx
Set Decorator
Q: Props and set details often carry symbolic weight. Were there objects that became central to conveying intimacy or longing?
A: Dressing a film is always about complementing and enhancing the action within a scene. For this project, we used texture very deliberately—allowing it to heighten atmosphere and subtly intensify the tension between characters.
Q: How do small details in a room contribute to a larger sense of sensual atmosphere?
A: Detailed dressing was crucial, but restraint was just as important. By limiting what we placed in a space, we created a more heightened feeling. For example, in the kitchen there’s hardly any traditional kitchen equipment at all—so the simple act of kneading bread on a large, almost bare table takes on an intense, sensory quality.
Q: Was there a particular scene where set decoration felt crucial to the storytelling of desire?
A: During prep, Emerald came across a reference image of a jellied fish—and from that, the infamous lipstick-and-fish scene was born.
Q: Did candles play a role in your design choices as a way to heighten sensuality and connection?
A: The candles were all very carefully chosen—single, double, and even triple-wicked, in a range of shapes and sizes. Each created a different quality and intensity of light, allowing us to sculpt the atmosphere moment by moment alongside the cinematographer.
Discover the limited-edition Come Undone Kit.
Get tickets to "WUTHERING HEIGHTS."
#WutheringHeightsMovie only in theaters February 13
© 2026 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved
