Whether you play chess or not, you can’t deny that these decor ideas inspired by Queen’s Gambit are game-changing – a sure winner!
“It’s your game. Take it.”
Everyone loves an underdog story, especially if it has something to do with sports. However, The Queen’s Gambit is a little unconventional when it comes to underdog sports stories!
For starters, our protagonist is female, starting out as a little girl living in a dark, gloomy orphanage. Secondly, the sport in question isn’t the ‘screaming-in-the-stands’ variety, like football or baseball – it’s chess!
Released in 2020, The Queen’s Gambit is a miniseries based on Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel of the same name. The series had amazing performances and excellent production design, which is why it ended up winning 11 Primetime Emmy Awards and 2 Golden Globe Awards!
Set during the Cold War in America, the story follows Beth Harmon’s journey from orphan to world chess champion. The show’s design changes with the storyline, and every scene is just picture-perfect!
Decor Ideas Inspired by Queen’s Gambit
So why are we talking about decor ideas in a movie about chess? Well, that’s because production designer Uli Hanisch has beautifully created sets that reflect every phase of Beth’s life – her adoptive home, the various hotels she lives in and the championship venues.
Since the movie is set in the fifties and sixties, the decor reflects the bold patterns and maximalist aesthetic of the time. The best part is how every aspect of the decor beautifully corresponds to Beth’s growth through the series, often reflecting her psychological state.
Beautiful wallpapers
The fifties and sixties certainly loved their wallpapers, as did the makers of The Queen’s Gambit! The wallpapers completely cover the walls, making them an integral part of the mood of the space. This kind of wallpaper use is called the ‘grandmillenial’ style – it’s not for everyone!
For instance, Beth’s orphanage days show dark walls, which transform to bright colors as she enters her new home. Beth’s adoptive Mom was expecting a girlie girl, due to which she set up a room drenched in pink gingham wallpaper. As Beth moves across cities, the wallpapers change, becoming edgier over time, with more geometric shapes and deeper colors.
Traditional furniture
‘Midcentury maximalism’ was the hallmark of the sixties, and this can be seen in all the furniture across The Queen’s Gambit. Many pieces are made of dark solid wood, which adds to the moody vibe of the space. Besides that, you’ll find gilded accents, clawfoot legs and lots of curves.
If you’re looking for these pieces, one good place would be your grandparents’ home! Otherwise, you can look at vintage stores, antique markets or thrift shops. A single, grand piece is enough to transform the vibe of your room.
Blue-green palette
One thing you can’t miss in the show is the deep bluish teal living room of the Wheatleys, Beth’s adoptive family. The curtains, the wallpaper, the rug, the sofas – the room is absolutely drowning in blue!
While that may be overkill, there’s no denying that it’s a gorgeous colour, and would look amazing in a modern home in limited amounts. The same colour also appears in other parts of the series, making it kind of its signature colour.
Feminine florals
The Wheatleys also use lots of florals, and I mean LOTS! For instance, the bedroom is covered in florals from top to bottom – the wallpaper, curtains, bedding and even lamp shades have florals on them!
Again, while this may seem overwhelming, the floral-on-floral trend is making a comeback, also as part of the grandmillenial style mentioned earlier. You can do the walls and perhaps some cushions on the bed, or a floral rug with matching lampshades. Experiment till you find the right balance.
Geometric patterns
The Art Deco style was quite popular during the fifties and sixties in America, and a popular theme in this style was geometric patterns. These are particularly visible in the parts of the series when Beth is attending matches in Vegas.
Geometric patterns make their way into sculptural elements as well as in wallpaper and furnishings. The best thing about geometrics is that you can make it as trendy or traditional as you like. There’s something classic about basic shapes, and you can spin it any way you like!
Ruffled curtains
The makers of The Queen’s Gambit went all out with curtains, installing them even on beds and in bathrooms! But these curtains aren’t just swathes of fabric; they’re beautifully draped, with pleats, ruffles and the works!
Nearly all the curtains have a little ruffle at the top, which looks lovely, especially the cafe curtains in the Wheatleys’ kitchen. The bathroom counter has a little curtain skirt at the bottom, probably to hide the items behind it – a trend that’s becoming quite popular in kitchens. We saw it in the kitchen of It’s Complicated; if it’s right for Nancy Meyers, it’s right for us!
Chess boards
This may be stating the obvious, but it’s hard not to – decor ideas inspired by a movie about chess have to feature chess boards! It is said that the series was quite accurate in depicting championship-level chess moves and this also increased public interest in chess!
It’s nice to see how the chess board themselves change with Beth’s journey. In the orphanage, when she’s learning chess from Mr. Shaibel, the board is a flat, basic one. As Beth rises in the world of professional chess, her boards become more and more luxurious. As the show progresses, the boards become heavier and the pieces become finer.
Symmetric lamps
Another aspect of the Art Deco style is geometric symmetry, and this is something that adapts beautifully to more contemporary homes. Throughout the series, you’ll notice this symmetry in the lamps – there are always two identical lamps placed on either side of a big piece of furniture, like a bed or couch.
And these lamps aren’t little cutesy pieces – they’re massive, grand objects that scream glamour! They often have little sculptural details that add to the opulent vibe and tell us that Beth is now a successful woman!
Retro phones and TVs
You can’t talk about decor ideas from the sixties without talking about some rotary phones and boxy TV sets! When Beth is a child, the orphanage has a rotary phone, but as she becomes an adult, we start to see phones with buttons.
Rotary phones are now available as decor pieces, although it’ll be really hard to find one that actually works! You can buy a vintage boxy TV from an antique shop – it would be a sure-shot conversation starter in your home!
Mixed art
The artwork shown in the series varies vastly, probably because Beth is traveling so much for her chess matches. The art in the Wheatley home has a theme of horses, with a particularly poignant scene of Beth standing in front of a lone horse painting after her mother’s death.
Other pieces of art feature themes ranging from Asian-style paintings to abstract art to portraits of people. Whatever you choose, make sure it matches the print of the wallpaper that’s going to be in the background.
Vintage posters
If all the wallpapering and antiqueness is weighing you down and you want to add some light-heartedness to your space, go with some vintage posters! An old advertisement or even a framed map looks amazing, and is a budget-friendly way to add some interest to any wall – plain or wallpapered!
If you ask me, The Queen’s Gambit is a complete package – the story talks about some serious issues, like the abuse of orphans, alcoholism, ruthless competition and of course, being a woman in a man’s world. The performances are superb, and every frame is a sight of beauty. If you haven’t watched it yet, I highly recommend it!
This post is a part of Blogchatter A2Z Challenge 2026.
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