While recently watching a super old episode of Parks & Recreation, we had to laugh when we saw what looked exactly like our card-catalog-turned-spice-&-spoon-rack in the background behind Amy Poehler. Especially because the episode was all about her unabashed hatred for libraries:
Isn’t it a dead ringer for the $5 thrift store version I got two Valentine’s Days ago from Sherry (read more about that here)?
So it got us wondering if you’ve ever seen something you have in your house on TV. Was your fancy stapler on The Office? Did your Ikea curtains make an appearance on Project Runway? Have you spotted the same touristy magnet from Texas on someone’s fake sitcom fridge? Spill the as-seen-on-TV beans.
jbhat says
I have a lamp that I bought at a vintage goods store that I saw on TV when I recently channel-surfed onto that movie “The Truth About Cats and Dogs.” It’s in the living room of the guy’s apartment–and I was shocked to see my mid-century find on the big screen.
Alicia says
I saw my oversized living room pillow that I brought from “Pier 1 Imports” on the TBS show “Are We There Yet?”
Kate says
In Chandler’s and Joey’s apartment on Friends, they had a Hofbrauhaus beer stein on top of their fridge (large grey stein w/ blue crown over letters HB). I have the same Hofbrauhaus stein from Munich, circa 1959. My parents got it when we lived in Germany and it lives on top of my fridge now.
Kristina says
OK, this is embarrassing to admit, but over the years in the mid to late 90s, I had three of the same bedspreads that they used on the Real World in the girl’s rooms. It’s always surprising to see your stuff on television, set up in a whole other way. Also a sign I was way to trendy as a teen, perhaps?
Celise says
I totally saw that card catalog, too, and you two came to mind. LOL.
MandeeFoFandee says
even better than home decor…
Pam wore my wedding dress when she married Jim! =D
Emily Rae says
Oh my gosh Janelle I WANT that sweatshirt!
kathleen says
My Ikea wardrobe from college was in all the hospital rooms on Greys Anatomy! Also, my mom has your same yellow pottery barn rug!
marin says
forever and ever ago, I was watching Clarissa Explains it All (On nickalodian) and she had one of the treasure troll suffed animals (that are like 18 inches tall) in pink satin PJs. I had the same one. I freaked out becuase I thought for sure that somehow made me famouns. I was seven. lol.
Stephanie says
I remember watching Kings of Queens and noticing that they had our same placemats on the table in the kitchen. I had purchased them at Linens and Things so there weren’t fancy, but they were colorful and matched anything.
Ashley says
I’ve seen my Longaberger pottery on The O.C. and it also made an appearance on Friends in Monica’s Apartment (on top of the fridge). Longaberger has also been in a lot of movies. I HEART Longaberger.
Jes says
Charlie on Two and a Half Men has our same Cuisinart coffee pot :)
Libby says
Have you ever shown the inside of the spice holder?
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, just follow the link in this post!
xo,
s
Jolene says
When I was in high school (10 years ago!) I had an antique bedroom set and one day I was watching old SNL episodes from the 70’s on Comedy Central and saw my headboard in a skit. I was so excited!
Annie says
J.T. and Turk from Scrubs had the same opaque-with-white-leaves shower curtain in their apartment that I had in my house. I purchased it at Bed, Bath and Beyond.
Sophie says
I had to come revisit this post, since today I realized my Physics teacher has the exact same one, too!
She keeps it on top of her filing cabinet, though I’ve got no idea what she stores there :P
stephanie says
i noticed in the movie ‘elf’ starring will ferrell that he was lying on the same sheets that i had at home, when he is at the family house in a bed. martha stewart sheets with a leaf motif.
Lori says
I can’t recall anything of my own, but last night I think I saw your sunroom daybed on Big Brother! I guess I spend too much time on your blog. :)
T. says
Joey and Chandler on Friends had my same Koziol vegetable brush. I just spotted my IKEA lampshade in the recent issue of Cottages and Bungalows, not as an ad, but as the actual decor in the featured home. And (I hate to admit this) on Everybody Loves Raymond, Ray and Debra’s headboard is the exact match to my entertainment center. I love my entertainment center, but hate the matching headboard. I can’t stand the decor in the Barone’s home. Nothing matches, there is no flow, and I find it inconsistent with Debra’s character (as a woman with an upper-class CT upbringing) to decorate that way.
MelissaG says
That’s funny..also on Park and Recs I spotted our Pier One Pillows…we happen to dvr the END of that show when dvr’ing The Office so I spotted them…funny.
Ashley says
Two years ago I picked up a pillow from a yardsale for two bucks… I think it’s from Target, but its got a creamy gold background with vibrant orange abstract stripes all over. I’ve seen this pillow in Lauren Conrad’s old apartment on The Hills AND in Sweet Dee’s apartment on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I was ecstatic!
Jessica says
Lori,
I think I saw the daybed on BB too. Upstairs, outside the Head of Household room?
It’s not decor related but I saw our wedding venue (Leu Gardens) used in a photo shoot in a recent issue of Parents (or was it Parenting?) magazine.
The Frack mirror from Ikea is featured in Battlestar Galactica. Frak is the made up curse word that they use ALL the time in the show. Yup, we’re geeks :)
pearls and green tea says
Ooh ooh ooh! I have a good one. Our lighting fixture above our dining table was in “The Break-Up” with Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn. Extra exciting because when I first saw the movie, I looved their condo and didn’t notice the light fixture.
Here’s the fixture in the movie:
http://hookedonhouses.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Break-Up-dining-room-2-511×288.jpg
and here’s ours:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_831x7dwjhp8/ScuW33CCXOI/AAAAAAAAAFI/Fnnoxx8Zc60/s1600/IMG_1568.jpg
Excuse the photo of our dining table. This was like a month after our daughter was born and we turned our living room into Baby Central for convenience sake! Since then, I’m happy to report that the table has gone back to it’s original purpose. :)
http://pearlsandgreentea.blogspot.com
martha says
Recently I have seen my bird plate from Pier 1 on modern Family…also my duvet cover on Mod fam. and my fab thomas paul fabric is used on Cougartown. Those set designer have great taste :)
Danielle @ MissMouthy.com says
The girls on Friends had a Costa Boda vase we received as a wedding gift. I thought it was okay, but after that, I LOVED it!
Johanna says
I have a lamp in my living room that I saw in Cate’s house on Life Unexpected. As far as I can tell it was only in one episode (the pilot maybe?) and then it was gone. Also recently I got a little black dress for my 20-year high school reunion and Gloria on Modern Family wore the same one on the “dressed in white” family portrait episode — va va voom!
Suzi says
Thought of this post today while watching an early episode of tomorrow’s “Days of our Lives”. I totally saw your clam shell dish (the one you use as a fruit bowl) in Bo & Hope’s living room. The episode will be on NBC tomorrow – not that I expect you to watch it just to see your own bowl! But if you happen to have it on, you can see it over Bo’s shoulder a whole bunch of times in the first 30 minutes of the show. Kinda cool!
Linda says
I once recognized a stairway rail like mine in some movie that I can’t remember now. But, of course, the rest of the house was different.
Weirder still, though, once I was watching television and a commercial for an insurance company appeared. I thought, “That looks familiar,” and gradually realized I was looking at the big weeping willow tree in my front yard. Not just “another one like it” – my own actual tree. They had filmed the ad on our street using my tree as their background. I always thought I should have gotten royalties but didn’t. ;)
Amy says
We have the same 1958 Frank Reenskaug danish rocker in our nursery as Liz Lemon has on 30 Rock – but ours has BOTH original cushions….eat your heart out Liz.
Shannon Best says
We have Everybody Loves Raymond’s headboard….but ours is painted Williamsburg Grey. I love it. Every time we watch the show we laugh.
Shannon in Austin
Amy says
I hate to admit that I watch reality shows but I was watching the episode of The Hills where Heidi goes to see her relationship counselor about wanting to have a baby and behind the counselor is the same painting that I have in my living room.
Keli says
Two and a Half Men used to have my pillow, which I noticed while flipping through channels and then watched Two and a Half Men for the next few weeks just to see it in the episodes. I’ve since given up on that, though, since I truly can’t stand the show.
Amy says
My kitchen table is at Bella’s dad’s house in Twilight.
Stephanie says
I saw our IKEA striped potholders on the oven of the Dunphy family on Modern Family. :)
Vivian says
My drinking glasses we had at the time when Napoleon Dynamite came out were the ones they drank orange juice with raw eggs out of, and my husband and i just went to see inception and the glasses we have now were in a scene on that movie!
Shane says
I hate to say it, but when I was in collage my roommates and i had an official “Married with Children” couch from hell.
Nancy R says
My Parent’s vinyl flooring, installed in the mid-70’s, was once shown in a Trading Spaces episode…I believe one of the designers described it as, “It looks like a pumpkin threw up!”
Indeed.
Thankfully, they no longer have that flooring either!
Nicolette says
My gold Kate Spade clutch is front and center in a scene in Bewitched (the movie). WIll Farrell comes to pick up Nicole Kidman for a date… and actually picks the bag up and sniffs it.
That’s my favorite.
I also see my Emeco “navy” chairs all the time.
Melissa says
My Pier 1 mugs from a couple years back have shown up on shows like “Modern Family,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” AND “Two and Half Men.” CRAZY
Leana says
I was watching “Entourage” (one of my fav shows) and noticed that the picture in Vinny Chase’s room with the pool table is the same picture in my dining room! It was like $50 at Target. It has an airplane on a green background and a saying on it about living your dreams or something. It’s funny cause he lives in a mansion and yet he has this $50 canvas. I guess maybe I just have good taste.
Andrea says
My Ethan Allen rocking chair (circa 1978, but traditional) is in the movie “How do you know”.
My grandfather had bought it to rock me in when I was a baby, and I inherited it.
Sarah says
Lol, My Dad has the same metal drawers in his workshop
Jenny says
My personal favorite was seeing one of the books I designed popping out of one of Emily Henderson’s styled bookcases on Secret From a Stylist. xox
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so awesome!
xo,
s