The Homes That TV Built

LONDON, May 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

4.6 million homeowners have filled their homes with furniture and designs inspired by TV shows

• Over £3.5 million spent on furniture and interior design features from sitcoms, dramas and reality shows.
• Carrie Bradshaw's apartment from Sex & the City  voted the greatest and most inspirational on-screen living space.
• The Norcross home from The Only Way Is Essex  revealed as the most expensive to replicate.

At times it feels like we know the homes in television shows better than our own, but for some an affinity with fictional living spaces extends far beyond the TV screen. In fact, according to a survey by MORE TH>N Home Insurance [1], an estimated 4.6 million UK homeowners have been so taken with living spaces in sitcoms and dramas that they've spent thousands of pounds filling their own homes with identical furniture and interior design features [2].

Taking in everything from the apartments in Friends, to the '60s design masterpieces of Mad Men and even the 'reality' homes of TOWIE, the survey sought to discover just how influential iconic on-screen living spaces are on Britons' homes. For almost one third (31 per cent) of the 3,000 homeowners surveyed it would seem such shows are a treasure trove of inspiration, with respondents spending an average of £3,836 each to make their humble abodes look like they belong on the TV - over £3.5 million in total.

In terms of the TV home that's held in the highest regard, nothing comes close to Carrie Bradshaw's aspirational apartment from Sex & the City. While the US comedy-drama may have left screens almost a decade ago, in the style and interior design stakes it has truly stood the test of time, with inspired homeowners spending a total of over £530,000 on replicating the famous walk-in wardrobe (45 per cent), floor-to-ceiling bookcases (38 per cent), and flowing white curtains (30 per cent) seen in the chic Manhattan pad - more than any other on-screen living space.

TV LIVING SPACES

                        Total amount
                        homeowners spent on
                        furniture / design
                        inspired by living    Most popular furniture /
    Living space        space (GBP)           features*

    1. Carrie                                 Walk-in wardrobe (45 per
    Bradshaw's                                cent), floor-to-ceiling
    apartment ('Sex                           bookcase (38 per cent),
    and the City')                            flowing white curtains (30
                        GBP530,716            per cent)

                                              Leather chair and
                                              footstool (28 per cent),
    2. Don Draper's                           fireplace (26 per cent),
    apartment ('Mad                           shag pile rug (18 per
    Men')               GBP455,500            cent)

                                              Colour Scheme (35 per
                                              cent) Coffee table (34 per
    3. Monica's                               cent), Cream sofa (27 per
    apartment                                 cent), 50s fridge (26 per
    ('Friends')         GBP421,750            cent)

                                              Range cooker (44 per
    4. Norcross home                          cent), framed mirror /
    ('The Only Way Is                         plasma TV (22 per cent),
    Essex')             GBP398,130            pool table (22 per cent)

                                              Wooden flooring (31 per
                                              cent), brown leather sofa
                                              (29 per cent), vintage
                                              gadgets / science
    5. Sheldon's                              equipment (18 per cent),
    apartment ('Big                           antique library chest (17
    Bang Theory')       GBP375,750            per cent)

    6. Frasier Crane's
    apartment                                 Eames chair (23 per cent),
    ('Frasier')         GBP361,500            Grand piano (22 per cent)

                                              Oak lamp tables (18 per
                                              cent), red sofa and
    7. 'Downton Abbey'                        footstool (16 per cent)
    interiors           GBP360,500            chandelier (15 per cent)

                                              La-Z-Boy reclining chairs
                                              (24 per cent), vintage
                                              posters (17 per cent),
    8. Joey's apartment                       table football (16 per
    ('Friends')         GBP352,500            cent)

    9. Del Boy's flat                         Cocktail bar (6 per cent),
    ('Only Fools &                            dresser (4 per cent),
    Horses')            GBP312,750            tiger rug (3 per cent)

    TOTAL               GBP3,568,380

Notes to editors:

1.   Research conducted by One Poll on behalf of MORE TH>N Home Insurance in May 2013. 3,000 British homeowners were surveyed.

2.   According to "A Century of Home Ownership and Renting in England and Wales" (Part of 2011 Census Analysis, A Century of Home Ownership and Renting in England and Wales) there are currently 23.4 million households in England and Wales, of which 15 million are owner occupied. 31 per cent of the 3,000 homeowners surveyed by MORE TH>N Home Insurance claimed they had been inspired to purchase furniture and interior design features after watching TV sitcoms and dramas. 31 per cent of 15 million equals 4.6 million

* Percentages based on the number of people that admitted to purchasing furniture or interior design features from each of these TV shows. These percentages are not a representation of the total sample of 3,000 homeowners.

About MORE TH>N:

MORE TH>N is the direct financial services arm of RSA. It offers motor, home, pet, life and travel insurance by phone and via the internet. It also offers van, shop, office, business car, hotels, property, club and contractor.

SOURCE MORE TH>N Home Insurance