The Circle is one of Netflix's most successful reality TV shows. Fans love to see how the contestants handle themselves and how they strategize their game plan. Will they fake it until they make it? Will they catfish the others? Will they be genuine? The drama that ensues is playful but intense enough to keep the audience interested.
But, fans don't just watch the show to see if the catfishers win. No, another major draw of the show is the sleek and stylish apartments that the contestants get to stay in. Producers of The Circle have done a pretty good job at matching the contestant to a room that fits their personality, but not always. Either way, fans love the room's artwork, accent walls, and furniture. The designs are the work of Catherine Land, the show's production designer, and she puts quite a bit of work into making the rooms as iconic as they are.
9 They Are In the Same Building As The UK Version
Land has a particularly difficult job because she not only has to design the rooms for the US version, but for all other versions of the show including the original U.K. series. Fortunately, the producers do one thing to make her work easier: they always use the same building for both the UK and US versions. All of the apartments are located in a building in Salford, England.
8 Rooms On 'The Circle' Are Specially And Individually Designed
Land designs each room without knowing who will be in them. The producers are the ones tasked with pairing the right contestant with the right apartment, so Land is designing these rooms to the producers' specifications but not directly for the contestants' personalities. But that doesn't change the fact that Land is intentional about every piece of furniture and color scheme that goes into each room. It's impressive that so many wonderful designs come from one person's ideas.
7 Rooms On 'The Circle' Have A Full Gym And A Rooftop Lounge
Although contestants from the show remain isolated from each other during the competition, they are not imprisoned in their rooms. They can enjoy all the amenities that the Salford apartment complex offers. The building has a complete gym and a very posh rooftop lounge.
6 No Two Seasons Of 'The Circle' Are Alike
Land, the production designer, has another large task to handle when making the rooms. The producers change the apartments every season for every version. Rooms are only reused in the seasons being shot and only when contestants get voted off. Having to change 12 apartments every time a new version or season of the show begins is a challenge for any production designer, so the fact Land keeps up with that demand is rather impressive. Fans of her work owe her a great deal of credit for the effort she puts into this show.
5 Rooms On 'The Circle' Have Names
Although it is not a part of the show, Land and the show's producers do have playful names for all of the rooms. The names usually refer to a region where the style of the room is popular. Some have been called "LA," "New York," and even "Maine." It is more of a way for the producers to refer to the rooms than it is a cornerstone of the show, but it is still a fun fact.
4 The Set Designer Makes The Art Herself
Just how much work does Catherine Land put into the rooms? Well, she puts a bit of herself into each one. Seriously, not only are the rooms the results of her work but so are the pieces of art in each room. Land used to be an illustrator and the artwork in each of the rooms is something that she made herself.
3 No, Rooms On 'The Circle' Are Not Available To Rent
Sorry fans, but the rooms as of 2022 are not up for rent. They continue to be used for the production of each season and version, so they are not made available to the public and even if they were. But rumors are beginning to circulate that one day the apartments will be available for fans to stay in. Imagine getting to stay in the colorful room that Chris got to stay in!
2 Chris Personalized His Room
Speaking of Chris, a popular contestant to come on the show, here is a fun fact about his apartment: although his personality matched his room perfectly, according to fans, Chris still made a point of giving it his personal touch. He added some posters as well as a few other knick-knacks. Hey, Chris is famous for being unapologetically himself, so it's no surprise he had to add a little bit of himself to his space.
1 The Walls On 'The Circle' Are Fake
According to Land, one thing that might surprise fans is that the walls "aren't really the walls." To be able to shoot the show properly, IE layout cables, move the cameras, etc., the walls we see in the apartments are moveable fakes. The accent walls are real, but parts of the apartment are designed more like studio sets rather than real apartments. Remember, not everything on "reality" TV is reality.
