“Mad Men” is Back with More Retro Goodness

by HOOKEDONHOUSES on JULY 27, 2008

By now you’re probably onto me and figured out I’m not one of those intellectual “I only watch educational programs on PBS” types. I love me some good TV. If there are fabulous sets involved with the show, all the better, which is why “Mad Men” is one of my favorites. Season 2 premieres tonight (Sunday) on AMC, and my DVR and I can hardly wait.

“Mad Men” takes place in the early ’60s–the so-called “good old days” when men were men and women knew their place (which was either at home or in the secretarial pool). I wouldn’t want to go back and live like that, but it sure is fun to watch.

Take a look at Don and Betty Draper’s retro kitchen:

Here’s Betty (on the left) chatting with her friend Francine in the kitchen. When I first saw the kitchen last season, it seemed wrong to me somehow. It just didn’t feel like a ’60s kitchen. I expected it to look cleaner and sleeker. Instead, it has lots of dark wood and an almost rustic look to it. All that dark wallpaper looked more ’70s than early ’60s to me.

But then I came across a photo of a kitchen in one of my old Better Homes & Gardens Decorating books from the late 1950s that was strikingly similar:

The kitchen’s floor plan is almost identical to the Drapers’. They enter from a back door to the right and the breakfast nook is separated by a similar peninsula with overhead cabinets and open shelves. They also have the same white appliances. The wallpaper is brown and plaid instead of blue like the BHG one, but they have the same overall vibe.

(Trivia alert! Betty’s friend Francine is played by Anne Dudek. Recognize her? She plays Alby’s creepy polygamist wife on Big Love.)

Here’s the Drapers’ bedroom. Look at the headboard on this bed (anyone who saw the premiere of Season 1 may remember they originally had Colonial furniture in here instead):

Now contrast it with the bedroom of Don’s mistress Midge, who’s a bohemian artist:

Are there any other “Mad Men” fans out there? Be sure to tune in to the premiere tonight. Season 2 will jump 18 months into the future, so I’ll be paying close attention to see if any of the rooms have been redecorated since Season 1.

For more information, visit the AMC website. You can read more about how the sets are designed and furniture for them is painstakingly chosen for each room in an interesting articlehere.

If You’re Hooked on Retro Rooms:

• Retro ’50s Kitchens
• Then & Now: Retro Kitchens Today
• A 1950s Housewife in Her Yellow Kitchen

You might also like:

Before & After: A White Kitchen Gets a Colorful Makeover

This Bainbridge Island Home Comes With Indoor Treehouse

Decorating With Your Kids’ Artwork

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Paul & Jamie’s Apartment in “Mad About You”

by HOOKEDONHOUSES on MARCH 27, 2011

One of the most popular sitcoms in the 1990s was “Mad About You.” Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt played Paul and Jamie Buchman, a young, married couple living in New York. The series ran for 7 seasons, from 1992-1999, and almost every episode took place in their one-bedroom apartment in Greenwich Village.

The building used for the exterior shots of their apartment is located on the corner of 5th Avenue and 12th Street in Manhattan. The interior scenes were filmed at Culver Studios in California.

Here they are outside their apartment with their British neighbors from across the hall:

When the series premiered, critics weren’t crazy about it. Entertainment Weekly gave it a C+ and quipped that they were “Ambivalent About You.” Ouch.

The EW article also noted, “Paul and Jamie’s biggest problems in life seem to be deciding which sofa to buy and which restaurant to choose for a leisurely brunch.” Indeed, one of the first episodes revolved around furniture shopping. And I remember being flabbergasted when that odd little sofa with the patchwork of patterns on it was what they came home with.

The Buchmans’ dog Murray was played by a Collie mix named Maui who was found in a California animal shelter by animal trainer Boone Narr. He started out in TV commercials before becoming famous as Murray.

According to an article in Mutt News, “Maui’s favorite skills are ‘hiking’ (making people believe he is relieving himself), sneezing, crawling, shaking his head and rolling over. In the summer of 1994 he shared the cover of TV Guide with fellow NBC star Moose (Eddie, the dog on ‘Frasier’).”

Paul Reiser’s production company (which produced “Mad About You”) was named Nuance Productions after a line in Diner, the first film he appeared in (1982): “You know what word I’m not comfortable with? Nuance. It’s not a real word. Likegesture. Gesture’s a real word. With gesture you know where you stand. But nuance? I don’t know.”

Thirty-nine million people tuned in to see the birth of their daughter Mabelin 1997. They named her that after Jamie’s mother (played by Carol Burnett) suggested it could stand for “Mothers Always Bring Extra Love,” and I think 39 million people collectively rolled their eyes…

Lisa Kudrow had a recurring role on the show as the inept waitress Ursula Buffay until she was cast as Phoebe on “Friends.” In one episode, Paul and Jamie see Ursula after a long absence and ask where she’s been. The answer: “Hanging out with friends.”

Paul and Jamie’s bedroom featured black and white photographs of New York hanging over their bed…

…and an old piano in the corner.

Teri Hatcher was considered for the role of Jamie Buchman but lost out to Helen Hunt in the end.

I remember an interview with Paul Reiser where he said that in the audition he was impressed by the way Helen just walked in and started puttering around in the kitchen like it was hers while they read their lines. He thought she was a natural, and perfect for the kind of comedy he wanted to do. It’s hard to imagine anyone else in that role now. She won 4 Emmy Awards for this role from ’96-’99.

Jerry Adler played Mr. Wicker, their friendly superintendent.

Back out in the living room (with apologies to Helen Hunt for snapping this horrible photo of her!) we see the swinging door that leads to the kitchen:

Helen Hunt was reportedly in serious talks to take over the role of Sarah on “Parenthood” after Maura Tierney bowed out, but it went to Lauren Graham instead.

By the final season, both Reiser and Hunt were being paid $1 million an episode, but the ratings took a nosedive after the show was moved to Monday from its former Tuesday night slot.

In this Thanksgiving episode, Paul and Jamie try to distract their family until a new turkey can be delivered through the window (long story!).

Paul Reiser hasn’t done much since “Mad About You” went off the air in 1999, but he’s returning to TV with a new sitcom on NBC starting April 14 called “The Paul Reiser Show.” He’ll be playing a fictionalized version of himself and show his life after TV.

I hope you’ve enjoyed looking at some of my favorite sitcom sets this month! In case you missed the others, they were:

• Cougar Town
• Modern Family
• Newhart

P.S. You can see all of the Movie and TV Houses I’ve featured over the years here.

You might also like:

The “Sex and the City” Movie: Real Estate Heaven

Harrison Ford’s Waterfront Home in “Firewall”

Jennifer Lopez’s Brownstone in “The Back-up Plan”

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“Flipping Out:” Jeff Lewis Puts Valley Oak House on Market

by HOOKEDONHOUSES on AUGUST 31, 2010

Are you watching Bravo’s popular reality series Flipping Out? The show is now in its 4th season, and I’ve been watching since the beginning. For me it brings back nightmares memories of working as an assistant to a brilliant but demanding designer myself. Jeff Lewis has definitely mellowed out on the show over the years, though. (Makes me wonder if my designer has, too? For the sake of whoever is working for her now, let’s hope!)

Jeff lives and works from a beautiful house he renovated in Los Angeles called “Valley Oak.” He’s been trying to sell it off and on since the reno was finished, and it’s back on the market for $2.495 million. Let’s take a look!

House Beautiful’s Kitchen of the Year was designed by Lewis. You can see the photos of ithere.

Jeff’s Office:

Jeff says he hasn’t seen former BFF and business partner Ryan Brown since the Fall of ’09 when they had a very ugly and public falling out on the show. I took a poll at the time to see who you were siding with in the feud, and you can see the (surprising to me) results here.

Oh, and you can see photos of Ryan Brown’s house, too–I posted them here.

For more photos and information about the Valley Oak house, check the listing.

Go to TV/Movie Houses to see more famous houses like this one.

You might also like:

“Flipping Out:” Ryan Brown at Home in L.A.

House Beautiful’s Kitchen of the Year by Jeff Lewis

“Flipping Out:” Jeff Lewis & Ryan Brown Throw Down

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