What Kerry Washington Did Not Want In Olivia Pope’s Apartment

We've all been there — sitting on the sofa, reveling in some Shondaland magic on a Thursday night, admiring Kerry Washington's way with a trench coat, when all of a sudden it dawns on us: Damn, I could totally live in Scandal.

You owe that feeling to set decorator Amy Wells, an industry veteran whose career spans '90s hits (Clueless, American Pie) and current obsessions (Scandal, Mad Men). "Every script and situation requires a different approach," Wells told R29. "I rely on communicating with the director, writer, or creator — and sometimes that's the same person — to get the tone of the script and what they're hoping to achieve. At best it's a group effort with lots of communication and understanding."

We sat sat down with Wells to chat about re-creating the past ("Do it like it was, not how it would look in a magazine"), Sears catalogs, and the one item Kerry Washington would not tolerate in Olivia Pope's apartment.