The most memorable TV shows are the ones that are literally iconic. Elements of their set design and costumes remain etched in your subconscious forever. It’s the visual equivalent of the Friends theme tune: the unique fingerprint of a series that conjures instant happy memories.
But how about if you could devise a shortcut to that nostalgia hit and learn something about interior design at the same time? HouseholdQuotes has designed a new set of minimalist posters featuring the furniture – just the furniture – of 15 enduring television classics. These are the unforgettable pieces and home design combos that form the backdrop to a lifetime’s small screen experience.
Or are they? See how many shows you can recognize with the characters removed, and you decide! When you think you know the answer, hover on the image to reveal the TV show title.
1. Things Are Pretty Strange Around Here
Download the print version of this poster
We’ll start with an easy one. The, um, ‘wall augmentation’ of this show was central to the plot of the first season. But even without the wonky fairy lights, you should have no problem identifying this fantasy horror series from the retro ‘80s furniture. Click the image to reveal the truth underneath.
2. The One with the New Yorkers
Download the print version of this poster
You can say a lot with a signature colour. If we tell you this one is PANTONE 18-3838 (Ultra Violet), does that help? If not, the signature gold picture peephole frame on the door and the orderly open-shelved cupboards are there for you, too. Click to see if this is the one with the title you guessed.
3. It‘s the Accepted Creation Theory
Download the print version of this poster
Superman and Batman stand proudly in front of a virgin whiteboard. Do you catch the scent of geek? Many a sitcom has a well-worn sofa, but you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to identify that dartboard and Ottoman rug. Any theories? Click to reveal!
4. Gritty Melodrama, Four Times a Week
Download the print version of this poster
The hanging sign and ‘proper pub’ beer pumps should make this an instant ‘Bingo!’ – for UK residents, at least. Those who prefer their beer American might be thrown by the familiar bar stools, and if you’re afraid of a bit of soap, you’ll find this one well ‘ard. Drum roll… click to reveal.
5. This Show is a Ball
Download the print version of this poster
This is one of the more obscure interiors on our list. But, even if you can’t guess it, you’ll have a ball checking out these fabulous details. Will this pivotal location get a makeover as the forthcoming third season plunges our light-footed heroes into the late ‘90s? Clickety-click the image.
6. A Show About Very Little
Download the print version of this poster
The normcore outfits of this show’s title character made him an unlikely style icon decades after the final episode. But the main location was equally bland, featuring off-the-peg furniture and a poster of cars (but no coffee or comedians). No coffee table book about coffee tables either, while we’re on the subject. No double-clicking (unless you want to open the vault).
7. Beaming into Your Living Room…
Download the print version of this poster
Now, here’s an interior designer that boldly went where no interior designer had been before. This is a room you’ll either recognize or you won’t – although it has undergone several refurbs over the years (and centuries). While everyone in design knows we don’t need more chairs, perhaps this strange new recliner is worth waiting for. Set phasers to ‘reveal’.
8. Vampires Beware
Download the print version of this poster
There’s nothing as satisfying as rows upon rows of well-stocked books. This library seems to have a stake in the ‘esoteric’ book industry with titles like Sir Robert Kane’s Twilight Compendium and Blood Rites and Sacrifices available for reference only. Such order and tidiness in the publicly-accessible area means that, of course, it’s hell down below. Click the pic with a wooden stick.
9. Sitcom. Or Documentary. Meh.
Download the print version of this poster The minimalist representation of this room could have you cringing. Either it makes you think of the mundane absurdity of work or the toe-curling absurdity of the show in which it appears. But what do you think is in those cupboards? Probably lots and lots and lots of paper. Tap the image if you can be bothered. Download the print version of this poster Well-worn sofas don’t come much more worn than this – in fact, it seems to go through its own adventure in every episode. The simplicity of the animated design means you could easily replicate this room with a trip to IKEA, right down to the iconic rug. Click the image to release the hound’s answer. Download the print version of this poster If you’re lucky/retro enough to maintain a drawing room in your home, you’ve probably considered adopting the familiar colour scheme of this Yorkshire country estate. And you’ve certainly considered sitting at your grand piano to play John Lunn’s classic theme tune. Once you think you know the show, ask your servant to click the image. Download the print version of this poster The sign is a giveaway clue if you were a teenager during this show’s original early-noughties run. For those who have yet to drop by to the eatery’s Stars Hollow address, be warned that service very much depends on Luke’s mood! No checking your cell phone for the answer… just click the image instead. Download the print version of this poster You have to go right back to Friday evenings in the late ‘80s to see wicker like this appear regularly in a hit sitcom. But then, this show was very much about the enduring appeal of classic character and flair. Click the image to see if you’ve hit gold. Download the print version of this poster This puzzler is something of a trick question since there is no way the room in question would ever get mistaken for ‘minimal.’ We can reveal that it’s had a bit of a clean as well as a tidy for our new poster, making even that familiar shade of slime green seem appealing. And as for well-worn sofas, we’re reliably informed the inhabitants sleep – ahem – derriere-to-derriere upon it every night. Click to get that image out of your head. Download the print version of this poster The favourite place in the world of one doomed character (‘doomed’ doesn’t really narrow it down in this series) is positively palatial. Water features and a pleasant breeze make it the perfect place to sit “staring at the sky and doing nothing.” But mind you don’t sit in that ornate chair – it moves! Click the image but don’t complain if you don’t like the conclusion. When redecorating your home, it helps to look for inspiration from TV – whether choosing what to buy or what to avoid. As our minimalist posters show, it only takes a few key features to create a space that visitors will long remember.
10. America’s First Family
11. It‘s the New Upstairs Downstairs
12. Everyone’s Favourite Mum & Daughter Show
13. These Girls are Golden
14. What‘s the Weather Like in Philly?
15. A Very Dangerous Game
With Design Like This, Every Channel is the Decorating Channel