behind the scenes

Preview the Part Martha Stewart, Part Pee-wee’s Playhouse Set of Amy Sedaris’s New Show

The Kitchen: Sedaris in costume on the set of her new show. Photo: Todd Oldham

When Amy Sedaris was growing up in North Carolina, she was obsessed with what she calls “hospitality shows,†on which hosts would convey homemaking tips and entertain experts in their “homes†— which were, of course, TV sets. So for At Home With Amy Sedaris, her highly skewed reimagining of those shows, she sought a backdrop that would capture that warm but uncanny vibe. “I wanted that I Dream of Jeannie feel, where she’s in the bottle and there’s no other, outside world,†Sedaris says. She drew inspiration from favorite designers and artists ranging from John Derian to Rebecca Morgan for a result that’s meticulously assembled, down to the nonexistent products stocking the fridge and a lampshade made from dyed sample strips of fake hair. (Sedaris has the same lamp at home — she made it herself.) “It’s based on my apartment,†she says of her TV abode. “It’s just bigger, with a nicer refrigerator.â€

The Fridge: The props here were created for the show, down to fake labels for “Concordâ€-brand shortening, heavy cream, and pickles. The face on the labels is Sedaris’s — a painting of her by her sister, done when both were kids. Photo: Todd Oldham
The Garden: The home’s dual-purpose garden-graveyard features markers for a departed aunt and beloved pets. Photo: Todd Oldham
The Wig Wall: The home also boasts a wall of wigs. Asked if it’s called “the wig wall,†Sedaris says, “It is now.†Photo: Todd Oldham
The Workspace. Photo: Todd Oldham
The Living Room. Photo: Todd Oldham
The Guest Room. Photo: Todd Oldham
The Bedroom: A fake-hair lampshade made from hair-dye samples, designed by Sedaris herself. Photo: Todd Oldham
The Bathroom. Photo: Todd Oldham

At Home With Amy Sedaris premieres October 24 on TruTV.

*A version of this article appears in the September 4, 2017, issue of New York Magazine.

Inside the Set of Amy Sedaris’s New Show