HGTV | Saving The Manor
Embark on an exhilarating journey with UK’s dynamic duo, Dean and Borja, as they tackle the monumental task of restoring a majestic, yet crumbling English manor with over 65 rooms, spanning across five historic buildings. First owned by King Henry VII, this awe-inspiring estate holds secrets waiting to be discovered. Each episode climaxes with a breathtaking reveal, transforming medieval relics into mesmerizing masterpieces. Witness the entire property’s rebirth throughout the series.
Inspired by the vibrant charm of Victorian-era illustrations, newspaper ads, early photography, and decoupage art, the show’s visuals add an artful pulse throughout the show. The opening titles and in-show animations take a captivating, collage-like approach, adding to the series’ design-centric allure.
The graphics are inspired by Victorian era illustrations, newspaper advertisements, early photography and decoupage art. The show’s opening titles and animations throughout the series take an illustrative and collage-like approach to add to the vibrant, design-centric qualities of the show.
Title Sequence
Maps are essential in navigating the show’s complex renovations. Combined with the manor’s unique layout, the title sequence concept revolves around traversing a canvas adorned with design elements and story components. Unveiling each feature through ink-splash transitions and animated line drawings, the sequence becomes an immersive experience.
Illustrator and Animator, Dawn Charbonneau, shares: “Starting off by diving into reclaimed bits of vintage art and ephemera helped to set my mindset for this world we were building. Designing the title sequence came by way of allowing the art to dictate where it all fit together in its own imperfect-perfect way. Any sparse areas of the collage that needed extra texture were filled in by hand with simple line drawings.”
The original idea was to spend the entirety of the title sequence on this large composition as we revealed moments of illustration and photo treatments but it ultimately transformed into an energetic, edit-based collection of show moments, animated segments of the canvas we constructed, as well as overlaid illustrations.
Property Map & Design Plans
Navigating the aged manor’s unique layout required a detailed map, offering context as Dean and Borja journeyed through their renovation odyssey. The map and cross sections were illustrated to provide an overview of the estate and its isolated renovation areas. The duo’s design concepts for each space were also illustrated, ensuring a unified visual language throughout.
Illustrator, Annie Schweiger: “We wanted all the design elements to have a handcrafted and vintage feel throughout. Everything from the textured and torn parchment paper for the lower thirds to the hand drawn watercolor design plans, to the transitional ink wash animations Dawn created. We wanted each element to feel as artisanal as the estate itself.”
It was a rigorous process to combine the designers’ visions with the existing architecture but the result created an enchanting transformation everytime a new vision came to life.
Design Exploration
