Even dysfunctional families can have amazing decor, as you’ll realize when you check out these decor ideas inspired by Royal Tenenbaums!

“I think we’re just gonna to have to be secretly in love with each other and leave it at that”

Once you’ve seen a Wes Anderson movie, there’s no going back – you’ll want to go and watch everything in his filmography! This explains why you’re seeing another Wes Anderson movie in this challenge after The Grand Budapest Hotel – The Royal Tenenbaums!

Anderson weaves his magic once again, this time within the pink walls of a dysfunctional family’s home. The movie was released in 2001, but it has become such a classic that it was included in the BBC’s list of 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century.

And this is no small part due to the amazing decor – in fact, the design was so good that it was featured in the Cooper-Hewitt Museum!

The movie is set in New York in the seventies and tells the story of a family with a lot of unresolved issues. The Tenenbaums’ home is set in Harlem, in a gorgeous townhouse. The decor is designed in classic Wes Anderson style, with bold colors, visual symmetry and lots of hidden details.

Decor Ideas Inspired by Royal Tenenbaums

Wes Anderson worked with production designer David Wasco to decorate the Tenenbaums’ family home in Hollywood Regency style. You’ll see lots of stained glass windows, ornamental details, moulding and dark woods. Anderson has set up the house to look like a dollhouse, where each character’s room is a little world of its own, disconnected from the others. It’s a wonderful representation of how disconnected the family members are, and we’ll find more cool symbolism as we go!

Pink walls

One of the first things you’ll notice when you watch the movie is the bright flamingo pink on the walls of the Tenenbaums’ home. This color became so popular that it began to be referred to as ‘Wes Anderson Pink’! Pink is a color of childhood and of innocence, and it represents the characters’ return to their childhood home.

But pink isn’t only on the walls – it’s scattered across the movie, becoming the family’s trademark color. The older members of the family and the houseman wear the same shade in their clothing. The Tenenbaum children, however, have their own characteristic colors, showing how they’re in their own little worlds.

Childhood Memories

Childhood trauma is a major theme in The Royal Tenenbaums, and it explains why the family members are the way they are. When all the adult children come back to their family home, it seems like they’re right back where they started, like they never really outgrew those childhood spaces.

That’s why Anderson focuses so much on the little childhood memories scattered around the home. Richie’s tennis trophies line the mantle and the walls. Margot still has her record player and old photos. When Richie sets up a tent in the family room, he fills it with his childhood things, turning it into a familiar little safe space of his own.

Hobby items

We’re seeing an increasing trend of people displaying their hobby items as decor, and this is something Wes Anderson did a couple of decades back! The Tenenbaums children display their hobbies proudly, whether it’s a die-cast car collection, a drum set or a collection of plays.

This applies to hobbies that may not be so common – actually, the weirder, the better! Richie has a butterfly/insect collection hung up on his door, while Margot’s little model playsets sit right under her precious books. Richie’s murals are also still on the wall, an indication of his painting hobby.

Retro tech

Wes Anderson loves his retro tech, and that’s why you’ll see lots of it in the Tenenbaums’ home! Mini box TV sets, a chunky typewriter, rotary phones and a vintage record player make multiple appearances throughout the movie.

Of course, we can’t ignore Chas’ massive setup in his room, featuring lots of phones, computers with huge monitors and possibly even a fax machine! Raleigh is a neurologist who’s conducting research, so he’s got lots of machines in his office for his experiments.

African art

The matriarch of the Tenenbaums family, Etheline, is an archeologist, and she has traveled extensively in Africa. As a result, she’s brought back lots of African art and handicrafts, which are proudly displayed throughout the house.

Etheline’s office has many frames featuring African people in traditional clothing. African masks are everywhere, with a large prominent one hanging on the door of Margot’s room. The aged appearance of these masks creates a nice contrast with all the retro tech, mixing both worlds seamlessly.

Zebra accents

Zebras are a recurring theme throughout the movie, and they are associated exclusively with Margot. The zebra wallpaper in Margo’s bedroom was a huge hit, and eventually became the company’s bestselling print! The print of jumping zebras adds a sense of excitement, and it’s not an animal usually seen on the walls of kids’ rooms!

Besides the wallpaper, zebras occur in many other places in the movie. Margot wears a zebra costume in her play, and the costume is still in her closet when she returns home as an adult. When she and Richie spend the night in the museum, they rest under a zebra in the museum’s Africa wing. You’ll also notice that all her dresses have stripes – both as a child and as an adult!

Books everywhere

Books are everywhere in The Royal Tenenbaums, which is not surprising since many of the Tenenbaums have written their own books. They also read a lot, both as kids and as adults – even the pictures Richie draws of Margot show her reading. In fact, you’ll often find the characters reading each other’s books!

Little Margot has an entire library of plays, organized neatly on open shelves. Many scenes involving the kids show them reading, or at least with a book in their hands. Etheline’s office also has long bookshelves stuffed with books – probably about Africa!

Enclosed spaces

Margot is one of the most complex individuals in The Royal Tenenbaums, and even among all of Wes Anderson’s female characters. She’s adopted into the Tenenbaum family, which always makes her feel like she’s not fully a part of it. As a result, she tends to close herself off and create little enclosed spaces, which seem like the only places where she truly belongs.

You can see this in the way her bedroom door has many ‘Keep Out’ signs. She spends most of her time in little ‘contained spaces’, like a bed that has curtains all around it, a tiny tent with childhood trinkets, or a tub inside a locked bathroom, which also has a curtain to cover it.

Gallery walls

Art is everywhere in the Tenenbaum house, and the interesting thing is that these range from carefully curated paintings to art created by the kids and even a stuffed boar head! But having a lot of art is not at all a problem here – because you can just create a massive gallery wall to display everything you have!

Etheline has created a gallery wall of sorts in her office with lots of African artwork. The ballroom has a long wall with all kinds of art on it, especially Richie’s pictures – most of which are of Margot. The staircase area also has gallery walls above and below, with even the kids’ pictures lovingly framed and hung.

Interesting lamps

It’s interesting that even something as basic as lamps can reflect the character’s personality, but that’s Wes Anderson for you! For example, Margot’s room has lamps that have a more unconventional shapes, which represent her creative personality.

On the other hand, Etheline’s office has a more formal lamp, which seems more appropriate for the space and her character. Besides these lamps, the Tenenbaum house has many gorgeous chandeliers and wall sconces, which add to the overall character of the family home.

The Royal Tenenbaums is one of those must-watch movies you’ll find most cinephiles recommending, especially if you like movies with lots of underlying themes and bright colors. There’s no doubt that Wes Anderson’s framing and visual composition elevate the movie, along with the amazing performances. Besides the decor, the outfits in the movie are also quite good, which is another reason to watch it!

This post is a part of Blogchatter A2Z Challenge 2026.

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