But for interior designers, the distractions of a TV home quickly rises above anything the actors are doing, wearing, or saying. Christina Applegate’s character in Dead to Me is a fabulous example. For a woman with two young sons who only comes home to drink wine by her pool, how is her house so sparkling? Best friends and founders of Merinda Studio, Erin McCarthy and Mindy Turitz, agree. “Once in a while, the beautiful and spacious kitchens we see on television remind us of our own cluttered and messy spaces. A Netflix binge session is likely to send us straight to our cabinets and pantries for a clean-out session. [Although], maybe that’s not such a bad thing.” Think Renata’s Monterey mansion on Big Little Lies. Is it architecturally beautiful? Sure. Would we want to live behind that glass-walled window, surrounded by minimalist furniture and an alarmingly intense five-year-old? No, thanks. “[No] words written or hanging on the walls,” said Cheryl. “Words belong in real books in a beautiful home library not in corny 2 ft tall wood letters.” Two popular shows are guilty of this trend: Jules Cobb’s EAT sign in her Cougar Town kitchen and Jan Levinson’s home office in The Office. Sure, the latter’s a giant sign for her own candle label, “Serenity by Jan,” and it’s there to show you she’s bonkers but… do not replicate it in your own home. “The chaotic décor includes a yellow couch that sits in the middle of the room, which clashes with the yellow and pink walls. These colors do not work well together, and the stark contrasts also make the room appear much smaller.” “Any time I watch re-runs of Big Bang Theory, I notice how cluttered and messy Penny’s apartment is,” she said. “And the color scheme is too bright for me. But at the same time, that matches her personality!” “In Sheldon and Leonard’s living room, I’d probably change the color palette… freshen it up a bit,” said Aino. “[The] combo of beige walls and wooden floor with reddish wooden furniture makes the place feel stale and a bit gloomy. I’d add some pure white and highlight the blue color, which can be found in the curtains and the rug. I’d also love to organize the space again… [or] at least hide all the loose stuff from the tables.” Diving into the specific details in an attempt to figure out what’s going on here will only cause further confusion, warns Joe. “The rug isn’t hideous, but when you pair it with the different colored walls, it becomes too contrived,” he said. “The striped rug with the artwork that introduces another striped effect clashes with each other. We have three different style tables. The espresso center table with a white lacquered bar with a traditional turned console table in the left foreground is a poorly executed mix. It looks like different pieces were shopped at a flea market and placed, thoughtlessly throughout. And that lampshade…need I go on?” “The dated door style, crown molding protruding past the walls, open above the refrigerator, and the most egregious error: the white tile running up just a bit on each side of a stainless panel behind the range. No, no, no.” And it doesn’t just stop at the kitchen! “The living room is cluttered and way too busy,” Cheryl added. “It is supposed to be upscale and they missed the mark.”
