Friday, February 8, 2013

Cougar Town Set Design {Epic}


Seems like only yesterday, but it was way back in 2009 when my favorite comedy writer Bill Lawrence debuted his newest show Cougar Town. It started out as a show about a recently divorced woman (Courteney Cox) on the prowl for hot young 'uns.  Gross.

About 6 episodes in, the show hit it's stride and became a funny ensemble about a group of neighbors in fictional Gulftown, Florida (the "cul-de-sac crew") who drink a lot of wine and are quirky, funny & sweet.  It's not about cougars anymore.
The show's greatest asset way back then was it's awesome set design by the amazing Archie D'Amico.


Easy breezy coastal design without being too beachy.  Captivated a nation.  Or at least thousands of crazed bloggers and internet lurkers like myself.  We went nuts trying to source every single detail of the set.  Like the fabric, Thomas Paul's Aviary in Robin on the barstools, Ikea's Henriksdal.  That was a week of my life finding that fabric.
Had slipcovers made for my kitchen chairs.  Still love them.


The darling kitchen table from the set below is custom made.  Wicker chairs from Crate & Barrel.



I came dangerously close to having a coral sofa made.  I'm a white sofa girl...always will be.  So glad I didn't do it, but still love the look.  Lamps filled with shells are the Bacchus Lamp from Pottery Barn.


Custom made coffee table is gorgeous.  Spent a month of my life looking for this table until I finally heard from set designer himself that it was custom.


I was never that crazy about the bedding in the master bedroom...
It has since been changed on the set.  But I did love the bedside lamps from PB...bought 'em.  



Frosted pantry door created quite a buzz.  And the vintage bamboo hat rack is from Wertz Bros. in L.A.  I say that so casually but it took me a month or more to find out where that hat rack came from!  I must have been insane.  Or maybe the challenge of the hunt.


The crazy gorgeous fabric on the two club chairs in the living room...Gran Umbelifera by Gaston y Daniela.  That was SO hard to track down...seriously at least two months of looking.  It's like $500.00 a yard and you have to buy like a million yards. 
But pretty right?




And perhaps best of all...the painting on the far wall in the living room.
Changed. My. Life.
OK, maybe not my actual life, but you know.




Tracked the painting to a prop rental house on Santa Monica Boulevard.  It's an old unsigned painting from the 60's.  Seriously?  I wanted to buy it so badly.  But no deal.
 


(p.s. see that white etagere from Bungalow 5 hiding behind the French door in the photo above?  Still love that piece.)

I never imagined a set design would have so much impact on my own design tastes, but this set hit me like a bolt of lightening.  And I wasn't alone.  In November 2009, a sweet blogger named Melkorka did a blog post "Does Anyone Else Watch Cougar Town For The Set Design?".  Innocent enough question.  As of today's date there are 138 comments and 20,548 hits on that post with the most recent ones being in September 2012.  That's 3 years!(I'm new to blogging but that seems like a LOT of hits to me!)  Poor girl, we took OVER that post.  It became a chat room for all us crazies trying to source every detail of that set. 
I didn't have a clue what a blog was then...people were asking me to post pictures of my finds and sources.  I couldn't understand why I couldn't post pictures in the comments section of someone else's blog.  Oy vey.


I recently emailed Melkorka to ask her if I could post the link.  She's no longer blogging much (I think we scared her) but she sweetly said absolutely yes. 

You can read the original post and comments here on Our Little Big House.  There are lots more sources named along with a couple of comments by Archie D'Amico, the set designer.  I am the crazy poster going by the name of Hartmom (don't hate me).

Entertainment Weekly did a piece on the sets naming many sources but they had some pretty glaring errors.  Shoddy research ;)


The "EAT" letters...yeah have those in my kitchen too...originally from Anthropologie but since discontinued.



It's always fun when something really gets your creative juices going, and the Cougar Town set did that for me.  In many ways it changed my design outlook forever. 

Gotta love that!



As always, thanks for reading...I appreciate you so much!

xo

~Karen~


P.S.  If you are interested in the new bedding in Jules' bedroom set, click here.




37 comments:

  1. hi karen, your enthusiasm for my kitchen sent me over here. do you know i've never watched an episode of cougartown? omg, i'm so embarrassed. i love your passion for hunting down a source! anyway, thanks for dropping by. 2 of my sons live in hollywood so i'm partial to that town too. :)

    xo
    janet

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by Janet...yes, your kitchen has really gotten me excited!

      You must watch Cougar Town...it's quirky and funny. New episodes on TBS now.

      Delete
  2. Loved the post! It is so fun to see how the set inspired your own spaces! - I had never seen that EW story, kind of crazy how everyone's enthusiasm for that set design can take over a little renovation blog like mine and spawn a story in an entertainment magazine! Cheers from NY! (and thanks for the sweet shout out!)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Melkorka! Your original post is so fun to look back on and I have so many great memories from those days of hunting down sources.

      Thanks for your sweet comments and stay warm in NY this weekend!


      Delete
  3. I've never seen the show or the interiors! What I love most about the rooms is that they feel like they were put together so effortlessly - very fresh and fun. I am absolutely in love with your painting! It makes me think of this fabric: http://thesilktoilefabricgenie.com/gpjbanybilip2.html

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    1. oooh I love that fabric Kate...so pretty! And on sale too :)

      You are so right...the rooms were fresh and fun. They just made us feel happy. I think that was so much of their appeal.

      Delete
  4. I love how we can recreate a scene or pieces of a set in our space to make us feel more like a star in one's own home. I love that painting and your room.
    pve

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  5. I've never watched the show! I know! Iove set design though. How many of us dreamed about the kitchen and living room in the movie Something's Got To Give? Now I can see what I've been missing by not watching CT. Great post. :)

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    Replies
    1. People are still pinning and posting about the Something's Gotta Give house...ten years later! Timeless and classic design for sure. Thanks Marilyn!

      Delete
  6. Karen, I just found you from a comment you left at MySweetSavannah... which was about plates over the bed. We must have been posting at the same time AND we said almost the EXACT same thing! Now I had to come over to your blog cause 1. you are in California and 2. anyone that has the exact same thought as me in the exact moment I am having it, well, that's just very cool :)

    Marcy

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    Replies
    1. That's too funny Marcy! Well we have to think about earthquakes here in So Cal. Great minds think alike.

      I'm so glad you found my blog...and I'm off to check out yours!

      Hope you'll be a regular visitor :)

      Delete
  7. karen - i LOVE that painting, where did you get that?!!? looooove your living room! or old one.

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  8. Okay, yes we are kindred spirits, because while I am not a follower of THIS show, I get obsessed with set design alllll the time.

    I LOVE how you had that painting copied. My DREAM would be to have one of my paintings be in a modern day Mary Tyler Moore's apartment!! I also have loved that fabric you got for your dining chairs!!! and my daughter, Phoebe, has those Anthropologie letters ...in her initials...which I strategically made sure she have.."PHD" I LOVE telling people "I got my PHD in 1998!"

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  9. I really need to watch that show. Am I allowed to say that I am not a Courtney Cox fan? Too much face work, and she never smiles. However, now that you have laid out the set and sources...I guess I cold look around her.

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  10. This makes me want to watch the show...just for the interiors...like "Something's Gotta Give"...LOVE your painting (BEAUTIFUL). Just yesterday I recommended to a client that she take the frame off her painting.

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  11. Just landed on your blog from Lauren's, your post about e-design was so useful! I am now reading your old posts, I LOVE your style and the humor in your writing. The Cougar Town set is my ALL TIME FAVORITE TV set design! I love the show but I love Jules' house even more! Just so happy I stumbled onto your blog, adding it to my favorites list.

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    1. Wow, that's awesome...glad you landed here and are enjoying it! Totally agree about Jules' house being the absolute best ever on TV!! Penny Caaaan!!

      Thanks so much for taking the time to comment...I love reading the comments and appreciate so much it!

      Thanks for your very nice words :)

      Delete
  12. LOVE that you tracked down so many of these items. So fun to watch a movie or show that you feel like you could "live in" their space!

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  13. Holy Smokes....I'm putting you on it if I ever need to find anything! Like a dog with a bone.....obsessed!

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    1. Just described myself the other day using those exact words Sherry! Haha! :)

      Delete
  14. Do you happen to know where the new bed set (purple and tan flower like pattern) in Jules room is from, I have searched hi and low and cannot find it anywhere

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. when you find it, can you email me too?
      i have been looking everywhere and this site was the closest I got.
      Thanks,
      tracy

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    3. You can see it and find the link to buy it in my new post today.

      Thanks for reading :)

      Delete
  15. Oh my gosh!!!! I love you for posting this!!!
    Cougar Town is my favourite show & I LOVE the decor! Unfortunately I live in Australia so I can't get most of the things.. I will continue looking for 'replica' items.

    Thank you so much for this blog! Keep going xx

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  16. Karen,

    This blog has long since been over but I'm trying to find out the manufacturer of the chaise lounge in the bathroom on the Cougar Town set!! I can't find the same type anywhere!! I was trying to track down a way to get ahold of Archie D'Amico when I came across this blog. Would you have any idea Karen on the source of the chaise lounge???

    Many thanks,

    Shelly Feeman Sfeeman4@gmail.com

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    Replies
    1. Shelly, thanks for stopping by. The chaise was custom made. Shouldn't be too hard to have replicated though. Good luck!

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