An Interior Designer For A Family Business?

I think part of the reason for this program’s popularity is that it represents security, the idea that even if something goes wrong, there will be family and people who will step up to take care of children. Whether arguments between parents make children worry that their parents will divorce, or that their mom will die like a schoolmate’s mother did, or some other tragedy, children do have security issues. Here, there’s not only Uncle Bill, but also Mr. French, both kind and competent, making everything alright again. I used to wish Uncle Bill was my uncle!

I loved this Marina!! You did an awesome job once again. I just finished perusal all 5 seasons of this show and I still love Uncle Bill’s apartment. I just knew there had to be another bathroom somewhere for the kids because I just couldn’t see them using Uncle Bill’s tub every night! LOL! Thanks for bringing back so many good childhood memories!

I absolutely loved this one. Family Affair is one of my all time favorites. I always loved Uncle Bill’s apartment. Thank you for so many views and details …loved that Kathy Garver was a part of this! Your articles keep getting better and better. As someone who loves home decorating and loved these classic tv shows and movies, I always look forward to a new article from you. You’re a favorite ! Other classic tv shows homes I would love to see are: Courtship of Eddie’s Father, That Girl, Nanny and The Professor, and the original Bob Newhart Show. One kind of out of the box would be Starsky and Hutch apartments. Others Bonanza, Family Ties and Eight is Enough. Movie ones: You Got Mail ( Kathleen Kelly’s apartment), Christmas Vacation, Mary Poppins ( The Banks’ house), and The Sound of Music Thank you for all you do to bring these to us!

This is one of my favorites ever. Congratulations. What struck me was the serenity of the home. It is not filled with TVs, computers, and every toy in the world. I may just have to de-clutter my house a little. It was lovely to see ‘Cissy’ and hear her teenager to adult view of things. I was heart-broken when Anissa died so unnecessarily. God rest her soul. Jody was another Beaver Cleaver in some ways. Yes, they were the ‘Good Old Days’ for sure. I also loved the mid-century color scheme throughout the house. Great job and thank you so much.

Wow!! Can you imagine $85-95,000/mth! Uncle Bill was loaded! Absolutely loved this tour! Thank you SO much for your efforts. It is so appreciated. I’d love to see Sound of Music house! I’d also be interested in the Cosby house, Fresh Prince of Belair, Fraiser (love Fraiser’s apt, but how mysterious is Niles’ house??), and how about Happy Days/Lavern &Shirley!? So many possibilities!! ❤️❤️

I was sure you did a tour of the “My Three Sons” house at some time. But I looked on your website and was unable to find it. (Either house.) I really like the one in the earlier seasons. Would love to see your take on it. The house in the later seasons was all right as well, but the “older” house was/is my favorite. If you could do that one, I think it would go over quite well. Thanks again for all of your hard work in making these articles. Not everyone truly appreciates just how much work goes into these. You make them flow seamlessly…not always an easy thing to do. You are truly a master of this art form.

I watch 2 episodes of this show every single night. It’s hard to believe how much the children change over the course of the 5 seasons. You could always tell that Uncle Bill LOVED those children! He teared up quite frequently when one of them touched his heart – which was just about every episode. Cannot speak for sure, but I think he had a favored love for Jody. I think they had worked together before this show? Anyway, those were definitely the days!

One of my favorite shows growing up. If I had the money I would build a home following this type of design because it reminds me of my home growing up. I love the colours and use of wood because it made the home very cozy as I remember my home. Many of the 70’s homes I loved because they were in the same era, like the Brady Bunch, Courtship of Eddies Father, Mary Tyler Moores apartment etc.

Great work again. So well done. I was always floored by this amazing home (and the middle-of-the-door knobs). I remember when Jody asked the roaming violinist at the French restaurant if he knew “Turkey in the Straw” and the way the kids pronounced their Indiana home town “Terra-HUT.” I’ve never been there, so I don’t know if that’s how they really pronounce it 🙂 Kathy is beautiful as always. I know it isn’t always the case (everyone is different), but I’m happy to see stars of old shows look back with a general fondness for the experience. It’s not surprising her story about Brian Keith’s acting style. I always appreciated how it seemed he was never in a hurry and the show allowed him to go at his own pace. As a fan of Rifftrax (if you don’t know, look it up), I recently saw Johnny in a movie from 2013 called “A Talking Cat!?!” It was fun to see him again. Thank you for doing this.

The only reason I watched Family Affair was to see the gentlemen’s gentleman, Mr. French. As usual Marina, you work is first rate. As a kid I was always impressed with that sumptuous New York City apartment next to the park. I think my favorite episode is one where Sissy is trying to make friends with some hippies and she invites them to the apartment to prove to Uncle Bill that there’s nothing wrong with them. Of course by the end of the episode she realizes that they’re really just a bunch of going nowhere losers and she suddenly feels like she needs a shower.

Wow. Just amazing! I loved that home. My favorite was the living room with the beautiful fireplace and extended base that became planters. The patio was an extension of that living space. The tactful and balanced use of wood and stone throughout was just beautiful. The detail that went into that set was absolutely breathtaking. You did such a great job with this article. You’re work is beyond excellent. Thank you!👍🏼👍🏼

Am I to understand that the monthly rent was $85,000 to $95,000 ?! I guess Uncle Bill must have been a millionaire to pay nearly $100,000/mo in rent. Was this show supposed to be in New York ? I can’t remember 😊 Beautiful penthouse ! As a tiny tot, I wanted to live in that apt. with that family. There was so much love that I felt when I watched the show. I identified with Buffy as she was the youngest character. I loved her doll, Mrs. Beasley. I remember one Christmas time the toy departments of the stores my mother took me to had Mrs. Beasley dolls packed on the shelves. I wanted one very much, but never got one from Santa.😢 The show brought me comfort and stability for some reason. I think it aired on Monday evenings, but I am pulling from a memory of nearly 60 years ago. Lol. Thank you for this beautiful tour of an iconic home setting. ❤

There was the episode where mrs sabason knocked on the kitchen door when she was getting done from her nanny position. So Mr Frenches bedroom makes no sense. It’s in a separate outside hallway separate from the rest of the apartment? This meant anyone could wander up and knock on that kitchen door from the building and his bedroom right there near an elevator, which I assume how people knocked on that kitchen door.

The “Family Affair ” apartment was so modern and classy, I enjoyed your recreation of it. I never knew they had a service elevator. And Bill”s bedroom had an amazing bathroom, what a tub! Heres a fact for you, The horse mural behind bill’s headboard was first used in the series “Make Room For Daddy”.

You could take this a step further if you wish, by putting this apartment model into virtual reality! That’s the closest we can get to really feeling like we’re actually in the apartment and walking around in it, short of building it all in reality. They’ve done this with the Anne Frank house (in Amsterdam), and with others as well. Why not Uncle Bill’s home too? 😎 Also, I just binge-watched FA for the first time since childhood, so this tour seemed incredibly familiar. 😃 Seeing this, I really should’ve watched your tour first, then binge-watched the show! Thank you for putting it together. :thanksdoc:

This is amazing. I saw this show growing up. Would i like to live in an apartment like this? You betcha. 😅 Coincidentally i live in New York City. What i liked about shows back then no matter if you weren’t a parent to children biologically you still have wonderful children no matter how they’re related. One time I remember in a toy store I was looking at cars & trucks Hot Wheels was the thing at that time, Lone & behold I came across: Mrs. Beasley! 😄I then said to my parent That’s the doll on Family Affair! 😅. Kathy Garver is beautiful & The cast was great. The home can give a future plans for anyone inspired.This is a wonderful article to view. Excellent job. 👍👋👋✅

I’m so glad you did this one. I loved Family Affair. It was a great looking apartment, a lot of people I know compare it to Mr. Drummond’s apartment on Diff’rent Strokes ( which came years later). I like Uncle Bill’s apartment better. I remember being confused about Mr. French being British. But that was just his name. Again, great episode, is the building they used for the exterior shots still standing?

I was very little when this was on. The way they referred to Terre Haute on the show was scary to my little mind. As an adult I traveled through Indiana and found myself a bit nervous as we drove through it. Today I live near the town where they filmed the movie Tom Sawyer. In 1973. In 2013 the town had an anniversary celebration of the film. My son went with some friends. Afterwards I asked if he had fun. He said that he met and had his picture taken “with some old guy.” I looked at the picture. It was Johnny Whitaker. He could not understand why mom and I were so excited! Why is the globe in Jody’s room backwards?

I saw Family Affair in likely its first rerun as I wasn’t born when the show started. It seems like the show was on in reruns for decades. I loved seeing what the entire house would have looked like. Is the estimated rent in what it would cost in NYC? I recently started perusal the show again just to ensure I hadn’t missed any episodes. What program is used the rendering of the rooms? Time to do such must take many months to gather the details and then create the views. I am glad I discovered your YouTube website, it really is amazing and obviously a heartfelt project. I have always wondered how the Southfork Ranch in Dallas was laid out. We can view the outside of the house, but the inside was filmed on a set, I don’t think it would match up. I also have the same questions and thought about the Robin Masters’ Estate in Magnum P.I. It was sad that they bulldozed the entire house. Thank you again for all of your work and insight to give a full view of houses many feel like they grew up in.

Beautiful job on this! How I miss this show & the simpler times! Definitely, one of my favorites!! Thank you so much for doing these home tours! I would love to tour two other homes from my list favorite shows: The Big Valley & Bonanza. I have searched for the floor plan for the Barkley Mansion, however the print for it is totally wrong. At the top of the stairs, it shows the doorway to the right leading to Jarrod’s Bedroom and a guest bedroom but you can see a railing would have been the back stairway to the kitchen. I tend to believe that Silas’ quarters may have also been upstairs near the back stairway as was common in that time period (My parent’s Victorian home had a back stairway off of the kitchen with the smallest bedroom – similar to Mr. French’s room – being at the top of the back stairs). The dining room layout on the floor plan does not match with the sets as they appear on screen and as far as I can tell, the kitchen is actually separated from the house by a breezeway which would not allow for the back stairway coming down into the kitchen as it was show in at least one or 2 episodes.

I watched this show and loved it but oddly enough, without now perusal episodes, all I remember was the time Mr French and the kids were stranded somewhere and he made chocolate milk using a chocolate candy bar and applesauce using an apple if I am remembering correctly. 🤔 Sure would like to know why that is the only thing that stands out to me. 🤔

Thanks for this tour. I always thought the apartment was not that kind of place to raise the kids. They should be in a house with a yard. But that’s why the apartment works for the show. Because it was wrong, and had to adapt, just as Bill and Mr French did. Now that you are in the Fedderson universe, I can’t wait to see the ever morphing My Three Sons California house.

How weird I just saw the first episode of this series while website surfing on PlutoTV a few days ago. I hadn’t seen this show in years. I forgot how incredibly kind Uncle Bill was…I had a few uncles like that actually! I love these tours, and how cool your got Kathy Garver to speak with you Marina! Great job again!

Hi Marina-hope you receive this comment…sitting here perusal The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime) season 3…and that New York apartment…OMG it’s so large and spacious, and I think I just heard them say in Ep3, that it’s on the 27th floor? Anyway the family lived in it during the first season and had to move out for financial reasons…and now in Season 3 they moved back into again with all new decor. That apartment is just awesome!

so very nice marina & the bonus treat of hearing bits & pieces from kathy garver/cissy is awesome 🙂 my gosh – just those MASSIVE halls mazing through out the penthouse is like visiting a art museum – great pieces and art throughout – i hope the kids helped mr. french keep things neat & tidy LOL 🙂 i’ve only ever known one high profile executive who lived like this but that was in southern california, not new york, but i was totally enamored with the “space” he & his wife called “home”, loved it, loved especially their super glamourous deluxe patio & outdoor entertaining arrangement – it was a most enjoyable 3 month summer internship for me – i wish i could brag & boast about some events, but not only would i sound like a pompous bore and garish, but upon excepting the internship i had to sign my life away promising i would never talk about or write a book or the rights to my interpretation of events i heard & witnessed – i wouldn’t trade it for anything though 🙂 it’s truly an executives high end penthouse for uncle bill, mr. french & the kids and while $95k per month rent is something i’d NEVER be able to afford, i believe in places like NY, CA & FL – that, in my mind, it seems extremely reasonable – just sayin LOL 🙂 thanks again for another awesome tour – do you know what’s next on your list – so many possibilities 🙂 p.s. edit: what is the piece of art called over your left shoulder? 🙂

I am so happy to have discovered your website. Not only do you do excellent work, but for those of us that grew up on reruns of these wonderful shows, you make them come to life for us. My favorites have been Family Affair, Lucy & Rickys Apartment, Bewitched and the Jeffersons. (clearly I prefer the New York ones lol). I remember as a child picturing what my room and my life would be like if I lived in each these homes. Thank you for what you do. 🤗 Would love one of Oscar & Felix’s Manhattan apartment.🗽

Great job, once again. I did see the show some growing up, but it wasn’t one I regularly watched. I don’t think it played in reruns as much as other classic tv I caught in 80s. Aside from the practical reasons of having oddly angled walls for filming purposes, I definitely think production designers and art directors think boxy, rectangular rooms, are pretty boring. That’s my complaint with a lot of modern homes in that they are too rectilinear and plain. Too many “clean lines”. I think it’s hard to make a space look interesting and homey unless it has some complications and even a bit of clutter. It’s one reason I don’t mind wallpaper. Most homes could use the extra pattern and detail that wallpaper provides. Also, I was thinking the same thing about the shower in the kid’s bathroom. Why would they be using the master bath if they also had one. And good catch on the furniture piece reused in the Brady Bunch! Love stuff like that. Finally, it would be fun to see a making-of on one of these projects. Show how you model and texture and when you have to custom make pieces as opposed to finding good matches in model repositories or wherever.

My Mother must have been influenced by a Hollywood interior designer or similar person somewhere in her life. You’ve mentioned pass-through colors so that when you view a long space, the rooms are distinctive to the sight. Mom did that. You talk about mismatched furniture somehow blending and giving the room character. Mom did that. Now you’ve mentioned the artwork “traveling”. Mom did that. As a kid growing up, I remember furniture nd artwork moving all over our house. My sister and I even made a cozy “living room” in our basement from our Grandmother’s “left-behind” furniture. Since the basement layout essentially matched the main-floor layout, tis was easy. The basement even had a “living room window” common to “Berwyn Bungalows”. BTW, you should have been there at Christmas: Spectacular! and we were of “modest means”. Mom was simply creative, careful with her belongings able to make the old look new each year. People loved to visit our house at Christmas.

I couldn’t help but notice that a particular shade of green was used in much of the apartment and several of the other locations. Since there were no special effects, I am curious why? Even many of the outfits were that color green. I know the character Bill Davis was a very successful architectural/structural engineer so how much was he making a year and what would rent have been on his penthouse.

As usual, you did a wonderful job! I can’t wait until you have Julia Sugarbaker’s house on Designing Women. I would love to see all of their homes from Designing women. The outside of Julia’s house is a house in Little Rock, Ar and Suzanne’s outside shot of her house is the Arkansas governor’s home. I would love to see the insides of all of their homes.

Incredible rendering! I loved this show, I loved Uncle Bill )my parents were divorced, my Dad didn’t live with us, and there was something about Brian Keith that made me feel warm and safe. I loved the sound of Keith’s voice too, but even more Sebastian Cabot. His was one of the voices that, even as a little kid, I could listen to read the phone book (as people used to say if Orson Wells, and Wells later actually did on, I believe, the Dick Cavett show. As for the kids having to bring their own wardrobe, it’s not surprising in a way, and not just because the the studio and network weren’t sure the show would be a hit. The show had clearly blown it’s budget, and happily so, on Keith and Cabot’s salaries, and that incredible set. On one wall in the girl’s room, there is a tall narrow bit of artwork on one wall, that I think depicts some kind of stylized clown. For some reason, that picture i found visually disturbing, even as a small child. IIRC, there is similar art above two of the beds in the girls’ room in the Brady Bunch.

Marina,, You did it again you amazed me again with the Family Affair home tour.. I always wanted to tour that home ever since I was a little girl, Family Affair was one of my favorite shows and always wanted my own Mrs. Beasley doll but never gotten one… thank you again.. I love what you do.. keep up the awesome job.. I can’t wait to see which home you do next time.

This is one show I watched as a kid but didn’t see reruns of so I don’t remember it that well other than enjoying Cissy’s hairstyles and wardrobe. I didn’t realize the apartment was this huge! Like you mentioned I did remember those doors, you never see the door handles in the middle. It would make opening the door a bit harder but it sure looked nice. Thanks again for all your hard work. Makes me want to rewatch this show. I remember it as a heartwarming show which a lot of shows from the 60’s and 70’s were. I’m glad I grew up in this era, TV is simply not as good now. One home I think would be nice to see, and since it was small, it wouldn’t take as long would be the “Little House” from “Little House on the Prairie.” I got the full DVD collection for Christmas and am enjoying it so much. That home and the Oleson’s private home (separate from the store) and the home of first the Edwards family and then the Garvey family (same setting) would be lovely to see.

Another masterpiece! Every one of these articles, takes my breath away! I am in awe of what you are able to accomplish! The research must be arduous. I had asked you sometime ago about considering the Patty Duke Show house at 8 Remsen Street in Brooklyn Heights. Are you still considering it? i know loads of people who would love to see you tackle this project. You probably know the show ran three season 1963-66. During the 3rd season, the show was moved to Los Angeles. Anna (Patty) herself even said the show wasn’t the same in the last season. It was clearly in Los Angeles, even though it was still set in Brooklyn Heights. I’m sure you remember the article I taped on Remsen Street. You might also know that Kathy Garver was one of the recurring characters in the third season, before she landed the role of Cissy in “Family Affair.” I am one of 2,000 members in the Patty Duke Admiration Society. Bill Jankowski, one of the founders, wrote a book with Patty titled, “In the Presence of Greatness.” The audio version was narrated by Kathy Garver. Please consider this soon, and again, congratulations on this and all your projects!!

Beautiful job! These are so fun. Here are three homes: “Something’s Gotta Give,” The home Diane Keaton owned. That’s a beautiful kitchen, with two wings: one for her room and one for Jack Nicholson. Or Steve Martin’s “Father of the Bride.” Or, my top choice… the house of Eight is Enough. What was the square footage, what would it cost? What did a newspaper man make in the late 70s. Cold he afford that home? It was a nice sized home. I liked Dick Van Patten’s two french doors that opened to his large office on the bottom floor. As a kid, I thought about what type of profession I would want to enter based on the homes and life styles of the houses on Television. I used to wonder, “If I were a newspaper man, would I be good enough to afford a house like that?” “If I were an architect, would I need to be a partner? Was Mike Brady a partner?”

I barely remember this show, but I know my kid sister had a Mrs Beasley doll. It seems that your tours have more realistic looking furniture. Did you get new software or upgrade your system? I almost can’t tell it’s CG. Great work. I’d love to see some from my childhood. Happy Days, All in the family, one Day at a Time.

☺️ Thank you for creating this and sharing it with us! It was wonderful to see Kathy Garver as well. Thank you for including her interview. I loved Family Affair growing up and recently joined a Facebook group which is where I learnt of this website. What a unique website. I subscribed, of course and can’t wait to view all the other articles particularly, Bewitched. Could you please, do a tour of Hart to Hart? I loved their house. Thanks again 😊

Oh what a nice visit this was. I loved perusal the show, like many others here say. I liked the sparkly introduction of the show too, the red gems. 🙂 I don’t like every little detail of the apartment, but I do love the openness and roominess of it. And the front doors with the doorknobs in the middle! ha Hey, I also have a pink Princess phone like Cissy! Push buttons, not rotary, but who cares?

Actually, there was a bathroom in the girls room, between Cissy’s bed and the bookcase. Although, only seen when the door opened to glance in. Never was it shown fully. Further, as you mentioned there was another bathroom for guests. Mentioned in the episode where everything goes awry for Mr. French when he’s preparing for a museum fundraising party for one of Uncle Bill’s lady friends.