‘Widow’s Bay’ production designer Steve Arnold and set decorator Jennifer Engel describe creating an island setting that balances cosy New England character with an undercurrent of horror. Their work matters to the series’ tone, using apparently welcoming spaces and period details to make the setting feel both lived-in and unsettling without overwhelming its comedy.

Although filmed in Massachusetts, the production had to make mainland locations resemble a remote island, leading to more interior sets being built than initially expected. The team used Devens studios alongside nearby locations, while water-based scenes required travel to the coast; notable locations included the Driftwood Diner, a church exterior, Shirley’s Historical Society interior and an unusually well-preserved 17th-century house used for Richard Warren’s home. The show has received 19 Emmy nominations, and its key sets include the inn, The Salty Whale restaurant and colonial-era environments in Episode 6.