Abhiroop Das
Prime Video’s ‘We Were Liars’ follows Cadence Sinclair as her life changes drastically between the two summers she spends on Beechwood, a private island owned by her rich and powerful grandfather, Harris Sinclair. The place, which was once a source of dream-like joy and wonder for her entire childhood, now feels strangely distant, leaving the protagonist with more questions than answers. Many of the story’s most important moments happen in and around the largest mansion on the island, named Clairmont, which brings with it a rich and complicated history. Clairmont, coupled with Windemere, serves not only as a show of the Sinclairs’ wealth and prestige but also as the bedrock for the narrative, with every element of the narrative seemingly leading up to it. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Clairmont and Windemere are Fictional Mansions That Represent the Sinclair Family’s Values
Clairmont is the name of a fictional mansion created by E. Lockhart specifically for the narrative of ‘We Were Liars.’ As the residence of Harris and Tipper Sinclair, it is not only the most important fixture on the island but also emblematic of the family’s history and tradition. Lockhart has previously stated that as a child, she was intrigued by the private islands and the mansions on them, which she saw on the ferry route to Martha’s Vineyard. In fact, her grandparents actually built a house in Chilmark, a residence she would frequent during the summers. As such, the houses on these islands, alongside her personal experiences, may have likely inspired the creation of Harris’s summer residence and the culture around it. In the show, the mansion on Meisner Island doubles as the fictional Clairmont, enabling all the exterior shots.
According to the Liars (Cadence, Johnny, Mirren, and Gat), the sprawling house stands at the heart of everything wrong with the family. Its stature in the Sinclair ecosystem and the numerous valuable statues, paintings, and jewelry make it the object of everyone’s attraction. It is possible that Clairmont is inspired by real-life villas and mansions situated on private islands, such as The Great House on the Necker Islands, owned by the Branson family, and the Ziegler family’s Hay Island Mansion, known for its Colonial-style architecture. However, neither of the islands lies in or around Massachusetts, suggesting that while there are some similarities, they are not the definitive source for Clairmont.
Branson’s mansion also draws another parallel, as it was destroyed in a fire in 2011. In the show, the Liars, in a daring attempt to rebel against their family, decide to burn the house down and bring the family together to start anew. In the year following the fire, the warm, traditional Clairmont mansion is replaced by Harris’s New Clairmont, an unwelcoming building rendered in gray, representing the permanent turn in the family’s lives. The new mansion’s design is likely inspired by brutalist architecture, a style pioneered by Alison and Peter Smithson in the 1950s, characterized by its minimalist structure and aesthetic. Harris’s affinity towards abstract art with a monochromatic palette also finds its mark in his residence, which might be inspired by real-life brutalist buildings such as The Wilson Villa in Australia.
Just like Clairmont, the Windemere Mansion is a fictional building located on Beechwood Island. It is the residence of Penny and her daughter Cadence, the narrator-protagonist. This mansion may be inspired by lake-facing mansions in England, many of which can be found in the Lake District, a region and national park in Cumbria, located in the northwest of the country. However, while the popular residences in the region are lavish, they do not necessarily fit Cadence’s description of Windemere’s size, thus reinforcing its fictional nature.
Read More: Is We Were Liars Based on a True Story? Are the Sinclairs Based on a Real Family?
