10 TV homes that'll give you serious design envy

By: Decades Staff Posted: September 18, 2017

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Image: Lionsgate Television

When it comes to television, there's a lot to be envious about. Maybe your favorite character has the job you've always wanted, or someone who isn't you gets to play your longtime celebrity crush's spouse. However, the most unrealistic aspect of a lot of TV shows is the houses the characters live in. They're impeccably decorated and completely clean, totally encompassing the era the show takes place in.

It's easy to watch a TV show and think, "I can totally make my living room look like that." But a fancy couch and a half dozen snake plants later, you realize it's actually not so easy. For a little design inspo — or envy — check out some of the most swoon-worthy homes on television.

Lucy and Ricky's Upper East Side apartment

An apartment on the Upper East Side is pretty unattainable for most people these days, but it wasn't so inaccessible in the 1950s! Though Lucy and Ricky's apartment is small, it's cozy and with its midcentury modern furniture, it has more personality than most other TV shows in the '50s.

Samantha and Darrin's suburban home

Samantha's not your typical housewife, so why would she have a typical home? Just because the Bewitched house is located in the suburbs doesn't mean it has to be cookie cutter. Complete with an exposed brick mantle and and a doorway leading to the backyard, it's clear why the Stephens family chose the 'burbs over a stuffy apartment near Madison Avenue.

Image: Sony Pictures Television

'The Brady Bunch' house

Is there a more iconic house than the one the Bradys live in? Along with the fashion, the home the Bradys live in all have the quintessential 1970s aesthetic. Stone and brick walls? Check. Open staircase? Check. Plenty of orange? Of course. The only thing it's missing is a cone fireplace.

Robert Hartley's Chicago condo

There's nothing that Chicagoans envy more than a balcony, so it's understandable that a successful psychiatrist would have one. It's decorated modern — for the '70s — with a good use of earth tones, but it's not too "hip," making it a believeable home for someone with such a dry sense of humor!

Mary Richards' bachelorette pad

There's just too much to say about Mary Richards' Minneapolis studio apartment. Chic spaces like this are typically reserved for shows that take place in New York or California, but this apartment just goes to show that the Midwest can be just as fashionable when it comes to home design.

'Three's Company' apartment

From the cool arched door to the whole window dedicated to potted plants, is there anything not to love about the Three's Company apartment? We'd try to pull one over on a landlord, too, for a shot to live in this abode.

Image: DLT Entertainment

Jack MacFarland's apartment

Most of Will & Grace takes place in the namesake character's house, but their friend Jack has the really cool place. Complete with space-age furniture in bright colors, it makes you wonder why he spends so much time at other people's apartments.

Image: NBCUniversal Television Distribution

The Forman house

Red and Kitty tend to hang out upstairs in this stylish living room while the kids are down in the basement in That '70s Show, but there should be more scenes that take place up there! With built in planters in the wall, a classic avocado-green chair and shag-carpeted stairs, this set really does look pulled right now of the '70s.

Image: Carsey-Werner Distribution

Don Draper's bachelor pad

Mad Men has always been praised for its attention to detail and accurate portrayal of the 1960s. Don moves into this Manhattan condo in the latter half of the series as the show is beginning to transition into the late '60s and early '70s, so it's appropriate that he has a lavish, mod pad. For classic TV buffs, the period apartment brought to mind the one seen on Family Affair.