Bring your favorite TV shows to life: Designers recreate iconic sets for the home

ANGELA WEISS // AFP via Getty Images

Bring your favorite TV shows to life: Designers recreate iconic sets for the home

Television has created some of the most memorable backdrops in pop culture, from cozy coffee houses to dramatic throne rooms. Beyond entertainment, these beloved settings can also serve as rich sources of inspiration for interior design, sparking ideas for color palettes, textures and layouts that evoke the same emotion at home. This season, Houzz worked with five leading design and construction firms to reimagine iconic TV settings as real-world living spaces. The designers took inspiration from Gilmore Girls, Yellowstone, Mad Men, Friends and Game of Thrones to prepare fresh, functional and unforgettable spaces that can be applied to any home.

Read on to see how the pros transformed beloved television sets from Central Perk to Westeros into kitchens, living rooms and other spaces, and how you can bring that same spirit to your own home. 

Interior Impressions, courtesy of Houzz

Family Room inspired by Gilmore Girls | Designed by Interior Impressions

Gilmore Girls, set in the idyllic town of Stars Hollow, has charmed generations, not only through its quick-witted dialogue and heartfelt relationships, but also through its warm, eclectic interiors. For fans who love the show’s cozy aesthetic, this family room imagined by Interior Impressions, offers inspiration for bringing that familiar Gilmore charm into your own home.

“This living room design is our interpretation of a now more worldly Rory Gilmore,” said Amy Leferink, founder and principal designer of Interior Impressions. The room blends nostalgic warmth with sophisticated detail, using approachable design elements homeowners can adopt. Architectural touches like built-in cabinets, French doors, generous windows, and arched openings echo the original set’s character and can be recreated through thoughtful millwork, paint choices or even furniture placement that frames key focal points.

Lighting plays a major role in capturing Stars Hollow’s lived-in glow. Leferink’s team layered table and floor lamps, wall sconces, and a statement ceiling fixture to build a soft, welcoming atmosphere, which is a strategy that interior designers use to instantly warm up a space. Vintage-inspired floral wallpaper, layered rugs, mix-and-match pillows and collected accessories bring in the eclectic cottagecore feel fans know and love.

Personal touches like books, a record player and a writing desk highlight Rory’s love of literature and music, and offer ideas for showcasing your own passions. 

May Construction, courtesy of Houzz

Kitchen inspired by Yellowstone | Designed by May Construction

Set against the sweeping backdrop of rural Montana, the neo-Western drama Yellowstone has made the Dutton Ranch kitchen almost as iconic as its characters. With its rugged materials, stainless steel cookware, and no-nonsense functionality, the space captures the essence of Western living, and it’s a look many homeowners are eager to bring into their own homes.

For May Construction, a Yellowstone-inspired kitchen meant blending rustic authenticity with modern comfort in ways homeowners can easily adapt. Stone finishes, exposed beams and warm wood textures establish a rugged foundation, while sleek countertops and updated appliances add the kind of refined practicality that works beautifully in a contemporary home. 

May Construction, courtesy of Houzz

The refrigerator styling, stocked with fresh milk and marinating meat, reinforces the Dutton family’s connection to their working cattle operation. “I really wanted to include a butler’s pantry. Gator seemed like an impressive chef on the show, with many key moments taking place around his cooking,” said Donna Gutto, designer at May Construction. “And the saloon doors took me back to the 1923 prequel series.” These elements help construction and design pros to create a kitchen that feels both rugged and refined for their clients — a modern interpretation of the Dutton Ranch aesthetic that’s just as at home off-screen as it is on it.

Honeybee Interiors, courtesy of Houzz

Bedroom inspired by Mad Men | Designed by Honeybee Interiors

Mad Men, the acclaimed period drama set against the backdrop of 1960s advertising, continues to captivate viewers with its impeccable storytelling and its equally iconic interiors. The show’s midcentury furnishings, warm wood tones, sculptural lighting and tailored aesthetic all contribute to a look that remains just as timeless today. For homeowners drawn to the elegance of the era, the style offers countless opportunities for designers to weave that refined, vintage charm into a modern home.

Honeybee Interiors embraced this spirit by interpreting midcentury design through a contemporary lens. “We wanted the space to feel timeless and tailored, a modern interpretation of midcentury luxury,” said Sacha Berger, principal designer of Honeybee Interiors. The resulting primary bedroom blends authenticity with accessibility, giving readers a clear roadmap for achieving their own Mad Men–inspired retreat.

A wall of fluted wood paneling adds depth and architectural presence, which can be replicated through textured wall treatments or wood accents. Rich walnut furniture and smooth neutral textiles reinforce the clean lines and warm palette that defined the midcentury era. Floor-to-ceiling windows framed by velvet drapery let soft light filter in yet provide complete privacy when closed, echoing the show’s themes of polished appearances and quiet introspection. And for a true Don Draper touch, a well-placed whisky decanter adds a moment of indulgence and vintage charm.

Allito Spaces, courtesy of Houzz

Living room inspired by Friends | Designed by Allito Spaces

As the beloved gathering place for six twentysomethings navigating life in New York City, Friends’ Central Perk became one of the most recognizable TV hangouts of the ’90s and beyond. Its relaxed, eclectic style — anchored by the iconic orange couch — offered an inviting backdrop for heartfelt conversations and hilarious moments. For fans, the café’s charm remains endlessly appealing, and many of its design cues translate beautifully into a warm, welcoming home.

Allito Spaces embraced this spirit, blending the comfort of home with the casual character of the show. “With this design, I wanted to capture the sense of togetherness that defined the series,” said Allison Garrison, principal designer of Allito Spaces. Elements from Central Perk make an appearance in approachable ways that readers can adapt: brick accents evoke the café’s walls, while a wall of windows mirrors its connection to the bustling city beyond or helps create an airy, open feel in a real home.

Allito Spaces, courtesy of Houzz

A layered Oriental rug and fringe-trimmed upholstery bring texture and nostalgia into a room, while collected artwork and accessories add the lived-in charm that passionate fans will recognize. These details not only nod to the show but also offer simple, effective ideas homeowners can use to cultivate a welcoming space of their own. 

Interiors by Design, courtesy of Houzz

Parlor inspired by Game of Thrones | Designed by Interiors by Design

In the television drama Game of Thrones, the throne room was crafted to inspire awe with its cavernous, imposing space that underscored the power and legacy of the kingdom. While most homes don’t call for that level of grandeur, many fans are drawn to the show’s rich textures, dramatic lighting and old-world craftsmanship. Those elements can translate beautifully into a modern interior when approached with balance and intention.

Interiors by Design embraced this idea, transforming the iconic throne room into a grand parlor and office that feels both commanding and inviting. “Winter is coming. And this year, it’s bringing with it more than cold weather; it’s bringing inspiration,” said Azelia Dickson, principal designer of Interiors by Design. Drawing from what she calls “Medieval Fantasy Grandeur,” the team blended deep, color-drenched walls with towering arched windows that flood the room with natural light, which is a combination homeowners can use to achieve drama without sacrificing livability.

A monumental marble fireplace framed by polished stone columns serves as the heart of the space, offering a stately focal point that can be echoed in any home through bold materials or an architecturally detailed mantel. An ornate desk stands in place of the Iron Throne, establishing a sense of presence, while a carved wood chess table adds a layer of strategy and storytelling. Decorative choices from wrought iron chandeliers and candelabras to gilded accents and heavy drapery amplify the regal atmosphere. 

With the right balance of texture, form, and light, homeowners can work with design and construction pros to find ways for even the boldest fantasy elements to be adapted into a sophisticated, everyday living space worthy of its own legend. Whether inspired by small-town charm, ranch life or medieval drama, these spaces highlight the power of storytelling through interior design and how visual tools can help design and construction professionals to bring bold visions to life for their clients.

Houzz is not affiliated with, nor sponsored by, the referenced TV shows or their respective production companies.

This story was produced by Houzz and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.