After our post on dream movie apartments generated so much discussion, it occurred to us that another installment was in order. Television is just as responsible as films are for our unrealistic apartment fantasies. Sunken living rooms, hardwood floors, and skyline views were all common fixtures in the homes of our favorite characters — rarely did we see a protagonist wrangle with poor water pressure or get stuck with windows that faced brick walls. With that in mind, we’ve complied a list of the best apartments on television, from the Bass-Van der Woodsens’ swanky uptown abode to Fraiser’s chic Seattle sprawl. Share your own picks in the comments.
Frasier’s apartment on Fraiser
Frasier’s Seattle apartment makes living in the Emerald City look far more straight-laced than we imagined. While we could do without the psychiatrist’s restrained modernist touches, we are suckers for his apartment’s interior architectural shapes. Plus, Frasier’s view of Seattle’s skyline is unreal — literally: The panoramas were constructed by the show’s producers after they decided the Space Needle should appear more prominently. In reality, no one in Seattle could have a view like that.
Rick Castle’s apartment on Castle
Richard Castle is an author of mystery fiction with 26 bestselling novels under his belt, and his swanky loft certainly is deserving of a bestselling author. With clean, modern furnishings and slick hardwood floors, everything about the author’s apartment suggests swagger — and a whole lot of cash.
Charlotte York and Trey MacDougal’s apartment on Sex and the City
While most of our girlfriends were pining over Carrie Bradshaw’s walk-in closet or Samantha Jones’ red-lit boudoir, we couldn’t help but be charmed by the apartment that Charlotte York shared with her temporary spouse, Trey MacDougal. We love the Upper East Side abode for its rich, intricate woodwork, sky-high ceiling, and enviable stretches of open space.
The Bass-Van der Woodsen-Humphrey family apartment on Gossip Girl
The penthouse shared by the Bass, Van der Woodsen, and eventually Humphrey clans is the ultimate luxury pad, a fitting homebase for some of New York City’s wealthiest socialites. There is much to covet here: the sharp, modern lines, the turned wood, the Eames lounge chair — but we’re fixated on the art. Littered with Marilyn Minter photographs and pop-art portraits, the Upper East Side home has enough wall candy to rival the city’s best galleries.
Bill Davis’ apartment on Family Affair
During the 1960s, television spawned multiple series about the bachelor father, yet none were as swinging as Family Affair‘s Bill Davis. Recently orphaned Cissy, Buffy, and Jody were lucky to end up living in Davis’s gentlemanly bachelor pad. Equipped with a stately butler, French, and Davis’s sophisticated possessions, the grandiose Park Avenue apartment made us briefly consider a career in civil engineering.
Wilhelmina Slater’s apartment on Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty‘s Wilhelmina Slater may be conceited, cruel, and notoriously power-hungry, but she certainly knows how to live. Slater’s New York City apartment is ornate, beautiful, and over-the-top, featuring some of the most amazing window frames and light fixtures we have ever seen.
Sean Blumberg’s apartment on Felicity
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Felicity featured some of the most outrageous living spaces on TV — we would love to know where J.J. Abrams got his intelligence on college dorm rooms — yet the ultimate fantasy apartment belonged to the series’ slightly older non-student, Sean. Featuring roof access, an open loft on the second floor, and enough space to hold a wedding rehearsal dinner, Sean’s place became his friends’ go-to hang out spot. Just look at how much light it gets!
Joey Harris’ apartment on My Two Dads
While the concept of My Two Dads is a little troubling, we would gladly have accepted our mother’s philandering if we got to live in Joey Harris’s (Dad 2) colorful and wacky apartment. The loft is a kid’s dream, with cool gadgets strewn across the floor, a massive spiral staircase, and creatively shaped furniture to hunker down and veg in.
Monica and Rachel’s apartment on Friends
The balcony and elbow room are reasons enough to desire Monica and Rachel’s Greenwich Village apartment, but we love it for Monica’s kitschy, flea-market furnishings. There is something joyous and delightfully homey about the pals’ place — and who could deny those purple walls?
Philip Drummond’s apartment on Diff’rent Strokes
Rich businessman Philip Drummond’s penthouse apartment is extravagant and palatial, exhibiting a very ’80s sense of high-end, with a wide marble staircase and tall French doors.
Sarah’s apartment on Chuck
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Like plenty of other fans, we were thrilled to see Agent Walker get over her massive commit issues this past season and finally move in with Chuck. But if we’re being honest, we have to admit that we were kind of sad to see her say goodbye to her fantastic bachelorette pad, which as it turns out, is actually a room in the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica. From the fantastic emerald green/white/silver color palette to the mirrored wallpaper to the fantastic vintage-style furnishings (as selected by famed interior designer Kelly Wearstler), this spy’s apartment is all about the girly eye candy.
Sydney Bristow’s apartment on Alias
After a hard day’s work of wearing wigs and kicking ass, a girl deserves to come home to an amazing apartment. Luckily, CIA double agent Sydney Bristow’s Santa Monica apartment does not disappoint. The wood walls captured us from the start. Throw in great furnishings (like the lamp seen above), warm colors, and a close proximity to the beach, and, well, we can’t ask for more.
Rhoda’s apartment on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
To some, Rhoda’s attic apartment may seem outdated and tacky, but to us the space is a vibrant and pattern-mixing piece of heaven. Although we’re sure that we are meant to prefer Mary Tyler Moore’s romantic one-room home, it’s Rhoda’s bead curtains, tasseled lamps, and Indian prints that fascinate us. For the longest time, the hot-pink apartment had us convinced that window designing was the most glamorous job in the world.
Rupert Giles’s apartment on Buffy the Vampire Slayer
With all the high-octane butt-kicking going on in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it’s difficult to appreciate a good crown molding, but somehow we always managed to swoon over Giles’ Sunnydale digs. Buffy’s mentor’s place is stuffed with eccentric decorations and beautiful, hand-carved furniture, and boasts a rather swanky lofted bedroom. The apartment also comes with access to an adorable courtyard, which hosted its fair share of vampire battles.
Arnold’s apartment in Hey Arnold!
Say what you will about Arnold — he’s a football head, he is obnoxiously righteous, he is the last stalwart of grunge style — but the boy has one cool New York City abode. When you’ve got a couch that comes out of the wall, a ceiling made entirely out of glass, and pull-down stairs, you don’t need much more.