Décors

Décors refer to the physical environment of a stage or screen production—the scenery, backdrops, architectural elements, furniture, and props that establish place, period, and mood and support the storytelling. In theatre, décors are created by the scenic or set designer in collaboration with lighting, costume, and sound designers; in film and television, production design encompasses décors alongside locations, set dressing, and built sets. The term emphasizes the visual surroundings rather than costumes or lighting alone.

Historically, décors evolved from painted backdrops and stationary stage machinery in classical and Renaissance theatres to flexible, modular systems in the 19th and 20th centuries that allowed rapid changes of scene. The rise of cinema expanded the concept to elaborate studio sets and on-location environments. Today, digital tools such as 3D modeling and previsualization complement traditional carpentry, painting, and prop-making, enabling more accurate planning and safer execution.

Planning décors involves aligning with the narrative, historical or stylistic accuracy, acoustics, sightlines, and safety, while balancing budget and technical constraints. In contemporary practice, décors form part of the broader production design, coordinating with lighting design, sound design, and costumes to achieve a cohesive visual language. The term is often used in French-speaking contexts and in English-language discussions of theatre to denote set design, while set dressing refers to non-structural furnishings and decorative details applied to a built set. The plural décors is used when discussing multiple scenes or productions.