There’s a reason why the expression decorating “The Mad Men way” became a thing when people want to allude to their home styling preferences. Most Mad Men fans know that the ’60s bright, flashy colors vibe that was exuberated in the main characters’ homes are still, to this day, a visual reference for so many other shows. Hence, the tv series’ vintage and impeccable sense of style when it came to its characters and their houses’ retro-chic design, became memorable.
Anyone who has good interior design taste can be inspired by the homes featured on this show. From living rooms that featured shag carpets and large sectionals, to pieces of furniture with amazing fabric, patterns of contrasting colors were everywhere.
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10 Pete’s Bachelor Apartment
It’s no secret that Pete, like many of his male colleagues at the Sterling Cooper agency, had issues with staying faithful to his wife. By season 6, Pete’s wife Trudy was getting fed up with his on-going affairs and told him to keep them out of her house. That’s when Pete sort of found a love nest located near his office. It was a one-bedroom apartment, convenient for stay-overs in the city. This bachelor pad had a very downtown-cool feeling even though its decoration seemed a tad one-note.
9 Don’s Single-Guy Pad
Similar to Pete, during season 4, Don Draper also lived in a gloomy place after his relationship problems with Betty reached their limit. The pad, located in Greenwich Village, was his post-divorce rental place and viewers don’t have the best memories from this house. Don was going through his heartbreak and loss of his family and, while here, he spent most of his time drinking to forget. The overall look of this house was clean and simple but its style was certainly not as fun and witty as many other homes of the show.
Perhaps it was intentional to reinforce Don’s mental state of that time, one where he was mourning and being introspective while writing his thoughts in a journal.
8 Peggy’s Brownstone
The great majority of die-hard fans loved Peggy Olson. The ambitious young woman who was able to stand out on her job and climb the ladder of success, did it all by herself. She was introduced in the show while still living in Brooklyn with her mother, but as the independent, modern lady she wanted to become, she decided to move out. Eventually, Peggy and her boyfriend, Abe Drexler, bought a brownstone on the Upper West Side. Even though at the time it was a gritty neighborhood, they went on to renovate the place with an urban feel, clearly showing so many of the elements that belonged to the ‘6os design.
7 Joan’s Stylish Apartment
A brilliant set design is one that creates strong visual spaces that mirror the narrative and/or the characters’ personalities. This couldn’t be truer in Joan’s case. Her apartment in Greenwich Village screamed her name. Everyone knew Joan as a classy, elegant, fierce, single mother so it’s no wonder she would pick a house in such a historically classy area of New York. Without needing a husband or any other means to support herself to get a bigger/better home, Joan was fulfilled with what she had. Her apartment’s feminine touch was perfectly blended with rich elements of a vivid blue and burnt orange landscape.
6 Pete And Trudy’s First Flat
This apartment didn’t live long in the series but viewers still remember where Pete and Trudy lived before moving to their official house. They rented a modern take on old-school glamour, in a flat located on the Upper East Side of New York. In reality, this apartment was a temporary home while Pete was trying to ascend his position within the agency and before Trudy had their daughter.
Nonetheless, its location and decor fit squarely with both of these characters’ pedigreed families. The flat displayed elegant pieces of furniture, especially in their extra luminous living room that was filled with details that evoked a modern vibe.
5 Pete And Trudy’s Upgraded Home
While their first apartment was big and contemporary, the couple ended up deciding that they wanted a different place in a more suburban area. As season 5 began, while waiting for Tammy to be born, Pete and Trudy were already living in a new home in a wealthier village around the city. It looked like an ideal, luxurious, family place to raise their child and it gave them a feeling of living “in the country” because of its rustic appeal. One can hardly forget the wood paneling, rich with tradition, all around the house. Plus, its open and spacious kitchen was charming and endearing.
4 Don And Betty’s Suburban Home
This couple’s family home looked like a classic, typical house that had a lot more of a ’50s vibe than the actual decade these characters were living in. Its aesthetics could seem a bit boring as the overall look of each room felt outdated. Here, most likely the audience was being presented with an overly conventional house that was mirroring this marriage – an overly traditional one where a stay-at-home mother was unsatisfied with her role just as much as her husband who had a wandering eye. Yet, this quintessential All-American home displayed a very nice backyard, one that people remember was often used for hosting big parties.
3 Roger’s Luxurious Apartment
Most viewers are aware that Roger Sterling was a man with money and a successful business owner. He had inherited most of his financial profits and that’s probably part of the reason why he acted a bit snobbish and insensitive to his employees’ hardships. Therefore, it was obviously expected that Roger’s home would mirror his wealthy position, even if fans didn’t get a look into it until the fifth season. While his place was not showed as much as others, it still made a strong impression due to its luxurious and over-the-top decoration. It had spacious, non-traditional, sleek furniture that incorporated a fresh attitude, alongside beautiful artwork featured on several walls.
2 Francis And Betty’s Castle
One of the top pieces of real-estate in this show was the “castle” where Francis, Betty, and the kids lived. From an outsider’s view, this spectacular location was to die for. But fans remember that this place hosted some of the hardest times these characters went through. It had everything to be the perfect home but it ended up reflecting a foreboding, dark, mysterious time. However, even if this place looked old-fashioned, it was still more exciting and interesting than the one Betty lived in with Don, which was something that she really wanted. Its glamourous old-style decoration represented the fulfillment of the fantasy of her relationship with Francis. But, in reality, it didn’t match the modern life Betty wanted to have.
1 Don And Megan’s Penthouse
Let’s call this pad a “picture-perfect Americana” because it really was. There wasn’t a place that fans saw as often as this one, besides the agency’s office. The couple’s penthouse had an extraordinarily exuberant vibe with a solid retro ’60s style. Plus, it was on top of a high-rise building, with a killer view of the city. It was a big, open-plan space, filled with different textures, colors, and even dreamy carpets. It was a clear mix between Don’s preference for modern elegant pieces that constrasted with his younger wife’s taste and hippie influence. But their blend made this place much more special.
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