Instantly recognisable from their regular appearances on TV, there are many famous properties that can inspire amazing design ideas in our own homes.
While we may not be looking to rent a country mansion or buy a five-storey New York townhouse, there’s a lot to be learned from the big stars of the small screen.
The industrial revolution
The Dragons’ Den warehouse may have been terrifying for wannabe entrepreneurs but if you’re looking for a genuinely unique property, it makes a much friendlier pitch.
Known as The Depository, this former storage facility in Stoke Newington was recently marketed at £3.25 million with the potential for conversion to a residential or mixed-use home.
With its bare brick walls and open beams, it certainly inspires a vintage industrial look that’s the ultimate in minimalist styling. Why not recreate this with a feature wall, exposed floorboards and steam punk light fittings?
By order of Peaky Blinders!
Arley Hall in Cheshire is not only famous for being home to one Thomas Shelby and his family, it’s also starred in The Antiques Road Show and Body Farm. The country house, with an adjoining chapel, is a Grade II listed building and is magnificent in both size and styling.
While your own dream home might not boast the huge gate and sweeping gravel drive, you can still make a grand entrance for yourself by making sure your kerb appeal is up to date. It’s simply a case of repainting the front door and upgrading with vintage letterbox and doorknocker fixtures. A retro-style outside lamp will perfect the look.
Put the doh! in domicile
742 Evergreen Terrace might not sound familiar, but it is famous – it is, after all, the Springfield address of none other than the Simpson family.
Every home needs a focal point and for Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie it’s the sofa in their front room.
Why not have your own talking point by investing in a one-off piece of furniture that makes the best use of space while adding the wow factor? This could be a retro-style settee, hand-carved coffee table or an ultra-modern mirror.
The fabby abbey
Highclere Castle is famous for its role in period drama Downton Abbey. A country house built in the Jacobean Revival style, in the TV show it’s not only home to an extended family with a full compliment of maids, butlers and cooks, it also plays host to a never-ending stream of VIP visitors.
If you’re looking on s1homes to rent or buy and looking forward to having friends and family over – but don’t have a budget for going large – there are many design ideas to free space.
For dinner parties, invest in foldaway chairs and a dual-function coffee table that extends upwards to become a dining table.
For sleepover guests choose a space-saving sofa bed or Moroccan pillows – huge, comfy cushions that can be laid out on the floor.
It’s elementary
The Brownstone is the sprawling town house inhabited by Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr Watson in the TV series Elementary. It may be a traditional New York building, but viewers will notice there are very few doors and most of the floors are made up of huge single rooms.
If you’d like to open up your own home to make it feel more spacious, consider – with the guidance of a professional builder! – the possibility of removing internal walls to combine dining and living areas.
A modern conservatory can also add space and light to a house, while an apartment will benefit from pulling furniture away from the wall and making the best use of hidden storage to declutter and mirrors to add light.
If you’d like to find your own star-of-the-show home to buy or rent, take a look right now on s1homes.