The City of Love: How Production Designer Claire Bennett Made Los Angeles the Heart of “Nobody Wants This”
When viewers become smitten with the characters of Nobody Wants This, they are also captivated by the world surrounding them. The Netflix romantic comedy series, nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series for its second season (its second consecutive season earning the nom), was created by Erin Foster and stars Kristen Bell and Adam Brody as mismatched lovers in modern-day Los Angeles. The series nimbly balances humor, romance, and emotional intimacy with a grounded sense of place. Much of that authenticity comes from the carefully considered environments where these characters live, work, and fall for each other.
Production designer Claire Bennett, who designed the first two seasons of the series, approached the show not only as a romantic comedy but also as an opportunity to showcase Los Angeles in a fresh and personal way. From character-driven homes to real neighborhood locations, Bennett helped create a world that feels both aspirational and familiar, capturing the warmth and optimism at the heart of the series.
For Bennett, part of the appeal of Nobody Wants This was the opportunity to tell a story rooted in Los Angeles. “The show was brought to me by producers that I’ve worked with previously throughout much of my career,” Bennett explains. “I read the script, and I thought it was funny and endearing. I was really excited to hear that it was LA-based.”
Having worked in the industry for nearly two decades, Bennett watched the landscape of production in Los Angeles change significantly. The chance to create a series that embraced the city itself felt meaningful. “To see, just in that timeframe, the way the industry has changed, and filming moving away from LA, it was just super refreshing to have a project here in LA, for LA,” she says.
Early conversations centered around whether the series would rely on constructed sets or embrace real locations throughout the city. Ultimately, the creative team decided that Los Angeles itself needed to become part of the story. “The overriding directive was to see LA and embrace LA, and for LA to be the backdrop of this love story. It’s aspirational, it’s inspiring, it makes you feel good again,” Bennett says. “Given the state of the world, and all the horrible things that are happening, I read this and just was immediately enamored with the happiness of it.”
The aspirational approach taken by Bennett extended beyond using recognizable locations. Alongside location manager Derek Alvarado, Bennett spent extensive time scouting neighborhoods across the city to find places that reflected the characters while also showcasing parts of Los Angeles that audiences may not always see on screen. “We were kind of all over, and that was really refreshing, because I think it shows a real LA, in terms of its urban sprawl,” Bennett says. “So many of us exist and coexist across a very large area, and I think the show did a good job representing that.” Rather than limiting the series to the familiar images of beachfront neighborhoods or the glamour of the West Side, the team explored areas such as Los Feliz and the East Side, creating a more expansive portrait of the city. That commitment to authenticity also extended to the details within those locations.
Kristen Bell, who also served as a producer on the series, was especially interested in making sure the show reflected real Los Angeles. “It was very deliberate,” Bennett says. “Kristen was very keen on this, representing real businesses, having props that were real. Off the top of my head, I can’t even think of anything that was really fictitious. For the most part, we used real locations; we didn’t change names.”
From coffee cups and storefronts to wardrobe details, the production design worked alongside other departments to create an environment that felt lived-in and genuine. “It helps give a realness to the story and make it feel very genuine, which helps the audience really connect with the story,” Bennett explains.
One of the biggest challenges of working entirely with locations was finding spaces that served both the characters and the practical demands of production. Unlike a soundstage, real homes and businesses cannot easily be altered to accommodate cameras, lighting, and crew movement. “In the design world, it can be almost taken for granted that you’re filming on location because it’s seen as an easy option,” Bennett says. “But actually, I think it’s got its own challenges.”
The production team had to consider everything from available space and natural light to the position of the sun throughout the day. Every location needed to support both the emotional story and the technical requirements of filming. Bennett worked closely with set decorator Michael Voelker to ensure each home revealed something about the characters who inhabited it. The spaces were not simply attractive backgrounds; they became extensions of the people living inside them. “We talk to the writers a lot about where they’ve been previously, what careers they’ve had previously, or where they went to college, or what they do for a living,” Bennett says. “All of those things get built into the layers of dressing that we can then show to the audience.”
Bell’s character Joanne’s apartment was one of the most carefully considered spaces in the series. The creative team wanted it to reflect her personality and her uncertain place in the world. “Old Hollywood was the initial directive,” Bennett explains. “But a lot of those older properties aren’t so easy to film. They’re small, you can’t get crews in, and we scouted a lot to find a middle ground.” The final location captured the architectural charm the team wanted while still allowing production flexibility. The apartment also reflected Joanne’s aspirational outlook, with carefully chosen vintage furniture and details that suggested a character building a life for herself. “It’s definitely taking a lot of the backstory of the characters in, as well as trying to represent a real world, albeit a slightly aspirational one,” Bennett says.
Maintaining visual consistency across the series required close collaboration between departments. With multiple directors and cinematographers across the two seasons, communication was essential. “It all comes down to collaboration and communication,” Bennett says. “Locations were obviously key on this one, as well as having options regarding locations.”
Bennett worked closely with cinematographers Adrian Peng Correia and Wes Cardino to ensure that locations supported the lighting approach and overall tone of the series. Since the production did not have the flexibility of a soundstage, the team needed to be prepared with creative solutions. “We always carried as a set dressing team extra practical lamps, whether it was floor lamps, table lamps, twinkle lights, etc.,” she says. “It’s important because they’re sometimes walking into a location for the first time.”
Bennett’s careful attention to detail extended into the visual references created before filming began. Bennett and her team developed reference boards to define the characters’ aesthetics and distinguish their worlds. “Nothing that we’ve shown on the screen is just a fluke,” Bennett says. “We’ve actually thought about it, we’ve referenced it, we’ve decided what sort of style the characters might like to live in, and then we try to find that in the real world.”
One of the most ambitious examples of the show’s commitment to showcasing Los Angeles came in season two, when the team filmed Morgan’s (Justine Lupe) engagement party at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. The location presented unique logistical challenges as an active venue, including the construction of a large heart-shaped tunnel that had to be installed and removed around the museum’s schedule. “We built it just for that scene,” Bennett says. “And the great thing is that we were able to support local businesses during the shoot. A florist that we used helped us massively.”
Despite the challenges, the location represented exactly what the series aimed to achieve: a celebration of Los Angeles itself. Looking back at the first two seasons, Bennett hopes audiences recognize the city as more than just a backdrop. “I think I’d like audiences just to see a fresh look of LA,” she says. “We’ve written a bit of a love letter to LA.”
For Bennett, the production design supports the romance at the center of the series by creating a place viewers want to visit and experience. “It’s a place that the audience wants to be, that they want to explore, and the backdrop helps to support what’s going on in the story,” she says. Through its neighborhoods, homes, businesses, and small visual details, Nobody Wants This presents a Los Angeles that feels both nostalgic and new. Like the best romantic stories, the city itself becomes part of the relationship, inviting audiences to fall in love with the characters and the world they inhabit.
Stream Nobody Wants This now on Netflix.
Featured image: Nobody Wants This. (L to R) Adam Brody as Noah, Kristen Bell as Joanne, Director Heather Jack in episode 207 of Nobody Wants This. Cr. Erin Simkin/Netflix © 2025
