This is an ongoing series.
What is your dream living room set on TV? As classic shows live on through retro channels and streaming services, we’re seeing the sets that made us feel at home while watching our favorite shows. We’re taking a deep dive into what made these sets so special.
Frasier (1993-2004)
Quick show of hands: Did the décor of Dr. Frasier Crane’s apartment influence anyone else? It was hard not to be fixated by its ambiance. The place had clean lines, a minimalist feel, the soothing beige tones of the 1990s. His valued pieces included a Le Corbusier lamp, a Chihuly vase, an antique telescope, and assorted African artifacts. In 2018, Curbed determined the approximately 2,000-square-foot apartment ran about $3 million. How could Frasier afford such a place?
Through 246 episodes, the layout of Frasier’s apartment was imprinted in our minds. The show’s premise was the adventures of a snooty radio psychiatrist and his equally snooty brother coping with their down-to-earth father, Martin, and live-in physical therapist, Daphne. But for many of us, we tuned into to take in the apartment. Online fans continue to celebrate the apartment with their ideas of his floor plan or create Zoom backgrounds.
The front room was spacious and held Frasier’s brand of eclectic furniture, including his Eames and Wassily chairs, which made his father’s worn-out plaid recliner stand out even more.
The balcony revealed a to-die-for view of the Seattle skyline. Frasier’s bedroom was immaculate, and his bathroom, with black porcelain, would put Buc-ee’s to shame.
Frasier’s apartment at 1901 Elliott Bay Towers must have been on the corner of the building. According to one fan’s vision, the layout was V-shaped, with the living room at the bottom of the V. Take the hallway on the left side of the V, and you’d wind yourself into Frasier’s master bedroom, which led to his large bathroom. Martin’s bedroom was also in the wing. The right side of the wing was smaller. It starts with a step-up parlor showcasing a grand piano and wet bar. Further back is a small hallway before you get to Daphne’s living space. Heading back into the front room, the kitchen is to the right.
More sets are in the Frasier-verse. The KACL radio studio where Frasier does his show opens lots of episodes. In second place is probably Café Nervosa, where Frasier and his gang commiserated. Perhaps as impressive as Frasier’s apartment was Niles’ apartment at the Montana, which is even more pretentious than Frasier’s.
As for fun facts, Frasier’s apartment was housed on the same sound stages of Cheers, which spawned Frasier’s show. It also was used as the apartment in the TV adaptation of The Odd Couple, starring Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon. We’re also keeping an eye on a Frasier reboot, which is in development at Paramount+. You can learn so much more at the Frasier Wiki fandom site.
If we crave more, the Internet is full of Frasier floorplans (people sell prints of them), Lego sets, miniature replicas, and much more. We’re not the only ones who think Frasier’s apartment rules.
