Through rich colours, vibrant decor and stylish couture, filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar has crafted a visual language over his five-decade career that now seems inextricable from contemporary Spanish identity. Interior design is sacred ground for the Madrid-based legend of world cinema, who constructs vibrant aesthetic landscapes in which equally rich stories unfold.
His latest creation, 'Bitter Christmas' (out in UK cinemas from 28 August 2026), is a work of autofiction about the craft of filmmaking. While the plot sees characters battling writer’s block and other personal demons, the slick design of the spaces reflects their emotional experiences - as well as Almodóvar’s distinctive taste in furniture, art and decoration.
Designing Pedro Almodóvar's rich universe
'Pedro’s universe is one of colour, symmetry and saturation,' says art director Antxón Gómez, who has worked on 13 of Almodóvar’s films over the past three decades. 'All the objects that appear have a narrative – the decoration is another character in the films.'
A filmmaker named Raúl (played by Leonardo Sbaraglia) is the autobiographically inspired protagonist of 'Bitter Christmas'. 'Raúl’s world is one where he's constantly writing,' says Gómez, explaining scenes that show the character typing at his desk. 'Behind him, there's a bookshelf full of books about culture and cinema.'
The red shelves are set against a glass wall to the outdoors, which Gómez says has a symbolic function. 'The idea was that Raúl is free because nothing is closed off behind him,' he explains. 'He has freedom of thought and freedom to write.'
Raúl’s home also offers a visual feast through furniture design. His living room features a Superleggera armchair by Gio Ponti and a Cornaro sofa by Carlo Scarpa. A Lámina ceiling light designed by Antoni Arola for Santa & Cole hangs in his dining room while an Angel Wing floor lamp by Alvar Aalto from Artek stands in the corner. The decor unites modern and contemporary icons, from a Cassina sofa designed by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand to Jaime Hayon’s Explorer table and Multileg cabinet for BD Barcelona.
The design of this and other homes serves to accentuate some of the story’s most evocative moments. When another main character, Elsa (played by Barbara Lennie), goes to her friend Patricia (Victoria Luengo)’s house, she finds a green Bubble sofa by Sacha Lakic – which formed part of a collection that Almodóvar himself curated for Roche Bobois in 2025. The two women sit on the sofa and cry while listening to Mexican singer Chavela Vargas, whose song Amarga Navidad (Bitter Christmas) lends the film its name.
Crafting a story through art and furniture
Complementing the furniture is a striking curation of artworks – nearly all from Almodóvar’s own collection. Many are by Spanish icons who emerged, like the director himself, from la movida madrilena – the countercultural movement following the end of Franco’s dictatorship in 1975. Sigfrido Martín Begué’s screenprint Santa Cecilia (1987) hangs in Patricia’s flat, while Raul’s residence houses an abstract oil painting by Miguel Ángel Campano – to whom Madrid gallery Maisterra is dedicating a new exhibition opening in September.
Alongside the Spanish names are New York-based contemporary artists like Inka Essenhigh, whose surreal floral paintings hang over Elsa’s bed as she suffers a migraine, and Asher Liftin, whose trompe l'oeil painting Studio Window IV (Hot Winter Sun) hangs opposite Raúl’s desk – another symbol of the open windows of his mind.
An architectural journey
Often favouring real-life locations over film sets, Almodóvar sets his stories in places replete with design heritage. The scenes at Raúl’s home were filmed in the Madrid residence and studio of modernist architect Francisco de Asís Cabrero, designed in 1962. The wooden-panelled structure supported by red steel columns and beams blends Spanish rationalism with a Japanese-inspired attention to blending indoor and outdoor space.
Likewise, when Elsa retreats to Lanzarote to unlock her creativity, viewers are greeted by another striking project -–a home called La Cabaña belonging to and designed by French designer Yoann Le Mercier. Set among the vast volcanic terrain of the island, the property features white walls and flooring throughout, with subtle touches of light wood and colourful fruit. Black rock walls close off the outdoor area, punctuated by cacti and other subtropical vegetation.
Taken by Le Mercier’s decor, which included an Honoré armchair, a Blasco linen sofa and Roger Capron ceramic coffee tables, Gómez and his team kept most things in place for the filming. Small additions they made included vases by César Manrique – an homage to Lanzarote’s most defining architect, whose house-museum is also found on the island.
The setting also allowed Almodóvar – normally famed for bright, vibrant colours - to take a significant new direction by embracing white and black. 'It was very unusual - but that’s what the island is,' explains Gómez, referring to Lanzarote’s black lava and whitewashed buildings. 'Respecting that was a very interesting decision.'
It’s part of a wider chromatic shift across Almodóvar's career: while his earlier works celebrated red, apricot and albero tones, his recent creations lean towards more melancholic shades of blue, green and grey. The changing colour palette echoes the evolution of a filmmaker who has charted immense social transformation over his time. 'Albero belongs to another narrative era of Pedro’s films,' reflects Gómez. 'Maybe we’ll return sometime – but we all need to change a little, right?'
Bitter Christmas is in UK cinemas from 28 August 2026
