Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment is one of the most in . While the fictional writer’s impeccable fashion sense doesn’t exactly translate to her interior design style, her apartment is equal parts approachable in how it’s decorated and unattainable in terms of its price, location, and size. The residence is an anomaly that Sex and the City fans will continue to eternally discuss. As we await a third season of the reboot , which is currently filming, we’re taking a look at all of the design eras of Carrie’s apartment. From the realistic version of it in the pilot episode to the reboot makeover, analyze every detail below—and shop the looks.
The Pilot Apartment
Carrie’s apartment in the pilot episode—which premiered on June 6, 1998, and was filmed before the series got picked up by HBO—is more in line with where you’d expect a single writer living alone in New York City to reside. Located above a coffee shop with a glowing green sign just outside the window, the apartment is messy and feels cramped. A fireplace-shaped niche is home to a cart overflowing with dirty laundry. Stacks of magazines live on the floor, on a chair, and even on top of the radiator. Carrie’s bed seems to be a pull-out sofa bed, which is littered with Chinese takeout containers. While it’s not exactly brimming with inspiration, the gray satin bedding, patterned drapery, green storage lockers, and fun lamps give the interior character.
The Rent-Controlled Haven
After the pilot, Carrie’s apartment evolves into the iconic Upper East Side residence it’s widely known as today. The large alcove studio is in a pre-war brownstone and holds the fictional address 245 East 73rd Street. (True fans know the exterior stands at 66 Perry Street in the West Village.) Carrie lives in the rent-controlled gem for a shockingly low price of $700 a month. It’s perhaps her greatest love, and we can’t blame her.
Inside, the apartment boasts a walk-through closet with plenty of room for Carrie’s Manolos and party dresses. There’s a separate kitchen and ample space for a real bed, living/dining area, and Carrie’s writing desk that’s perfectly positioned in front of a window. Mint green walls, a mix of patterned accents, and wood furniture complete the space. Naturally, the interior changes over time, but she typically keeps three framed prints over her bed near three open shelves. (That wall briefly gets a baby in season two!) While she uses multiple bedding sets, the most recognizable one is a dreamy lavender floral set. Her drapery varies from neural solids to patterned options including muted red polka dots and neutral stripes. There’s also always adequate storage in the form of shelves, built-ins, and bookcases for her vast collection of reading material. The approachable design makes her whole lifestyle feel somewhat attainable.
Aiden’s Short Move-In
Aiden Shaw’s mark on Carrie’s apartment begins when they first meet and she decides to impulse buy an old leather chair from his furniture store. It adds a slight masculine touch to her bachelorette pad. When Carrie’s building becomes a co-op, Aiden ends up buying it so they can live there together as a couple. With him, he brings a whole lot of stuff: five deodorants, a George Foreman grill, and a plant (which Carrie is horrified by). He plans to combine her apartment with the neighboring unit so they can both live there comfortably. Their breakup marks Carrie’s transition from renter to owner thanks to Charlotte, who lets Carrie use her ring as a down payment.
The Movie Makeover
In the 2008 SATC movie, Carrie gives her apartment a makeover with help from her assistant, Louise, after Mr. Big gets cold feet on their wedding day. She paints all of the walls bright blue and the trim white, hangs fluffy cream drapery, and brings in botanical patterned seating and white furniture. The wall behind the bed is given a gallery wall treatment. Across the room, there’s a white-gray built-in storage system with a flat-screen TV secured in the center of it. The overhaul doesn’t exactly scream glamour, but it nails popular design moments of the late 2000s.
And Just Like That… Carrie Moves in With Big
Carrie’s interior design style as seen through the apartment she lives in with Big at the beginning of And Just Like That… deserves an honorable mention. From to the muted blue paint on the dining room built-in with ample record storage, it certainly has elements that are worth recreating.
Carrie Returns to Her Emotional Support Apartment
After Big dies, Carrie leans on her emotional support apartment. This time, her reading material is on full display in the living area thanks to a wall-to-wall bookcase. Behind it is a teal floral wallpaper that was created by and her interior designer Eric Hughes, and . The apartment is once again outfitted with enviable midcentury modern wood furniture. A few old pieces were pulled out of storage for the reboot including the chair Carrie uses as a nightstand. Other changes materialize as gray walls, yellow open shelving, gray bedding with multi-colored flowers on it, and and brown striped curtains.
At the end of AJLT season two, Carrie decides to say goodbye to her longtime UES apartment in favor of a Gramercy Park home. She bought it with the money she inherited from Big and intended to share the place with Aiden while he split time between his farmhouse and New York City. While her plan with Aiden didn’t go exactly how she wanted it to, we’re eager to see how she decorates the new place in season three.
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