Despite my best intentions to read before bed, I more often than not succumb to the loop of sitcoms that are on rotation in my Netflix queue. Watching The Dick Van Dyke Show has become something of a nighttime ritual. I have always had a fondness for classic shows, it elicits a sense of nostalgia for a time I never actually lived through.

The Petrie Family lived in a ranch style home on 148 Bonnie Meadow Road in New Rochelle, New York. Although the street number is fictional, the show’s creator Carl Reiner did grow up at the address in New Rochelle. In honor of the show’s historic value, the New Rochelle City Council unanimously agreed to rename the street Dick Van Dyke Show Way according to this report late last year. Despite the semi-real address, the show was filmed at the Desilu-Cahuenga Studio (owned by Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, as the name suggests) in Hollywood from 1961-1966.

THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW: LIVING ROOM

INSPIRED DESIGN

The architectural design elements and spatial layout are consistent with the time period: step down living room, single story home, and two bedroom house with a small den. The grasscloth wall paper adds some texture to the space, while the low pile carpet is carried throughout the home (sparing the kitchen).  For lighting, a unique Moroccan style lantern is by the front windows and a mid-century table lamp placed behind the couch.

The living room furnishings are a mixture of empire style and modern pieces. Taking a closer look at the coffee table and lounge chair, the legs and wood construction mirror a much simpler empire style, lacking ornate carvings and gold details. The feel of the room is modernized by the large sectional and wingback chair. Lastly, it would not be a proper mid-century design without the quintessential fiddle leaf fig by the front entryway.

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~Maggie