Check out a bit of behind-the-scenes scoop on two houses that are stars in their own rights on locally-shot TV shows. The Times-Pic's Dave Walker digs in on American Horror Story: Coven's Buckner Mansion set-up, plus the Top Chef New Orleans Bourbon Street digs where the cheftestants camped out. Not to burst any bubbles, but American Horror Story uses a soundstage and not the actual Buckner Mansion in the Garden District for interior scenes. The inside of the fictional Miss Robichaux's Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies does need to pass for the interior of the Buckner Manse, though, which means there's fun tasks involved like matching up the window size exactly.
As for the Top Chef house (currently on the market for $2,985,000), the owners were a bit reluctant to hand over the keys to a television production since they did just complete a massive renovation on the 1830s rowhouse, but eh, it all turned out okay. Production designer, Charles Aubrey, also designed the ridiculously over-the-top Real World New Orleans house in 2010 but toned things down a bit for the Top Chef dwelling. His main tools: "paint, (locally sourced) furnishings and artwork, and enough beds to house all of the show's chef-contestants for the run of the production period."
· 'Top Chef: New Orleans' and 'American Horror Story: Coven' open NOLA homes to TV nation [NOLA.com]
· American Horror Story: Coven coverage [Curbed NOLA]
· Top Chef coverage [Curbed NOLA]
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