Chairish Finds That Will Give Your Home The Golden Girls Treatment
For seven glorious seasons, The Golden Girls welcomed us all into their Miami home for cheesecake, stories and shenanigans. And over time, we all fell in love with the space, still beaming nostalgically at the thought of it. For those who don’t know, my day job is curating pieces for the vintage and designer furniture e-commerce platform Chairish. And while I was looking through the site one day, I came across some items that reminded me of The Golden Girls’ home, and it inspired me to put them all together so that anyone looking to add some GG flair to their home could easily find some pieces to shop through. Let’s stroll down memory lane and take a look at some familiar pieces reminiscent of the show. This article is filled with inside jokes from the show, so I hope you are ready for rapid-fire references!
On a side note, I created the main image through the Chairish app. The app has an incredible tool that helps you to visualize items from the site in a space together. You can even arrange the items in a photograph of the actual space you’re designing! To learn more about the Chairish app and see how their chic and unique products would look in your own home, click here! It is available to download on Apple devices.
The Living Room
Let’s start with the sofa set that inspired this entire article. When I saw this sofa on the site, I knew I had to show it to every Golden Girls fan I knew. There’s almost nothing else in the world that is more memorable in their Miami home than their beautiful rattan sofa with wide-winged arms. This is already such a rare and fun find, but if you wanted to take things right over the top, you could also switch out the cushions for ones upholstered in a pink patterned fabric similar to the one on the show.
And here we have the matching side chair that you can imagine Sophia sitting on with her iconic rattan and pearl purse in tow.
This style of coffee table is the cherry on top of a beautiful Hollywood Regency style living room set. Its rattan structure gives it a light and delicate look, while keeping it sturdy enough for endless servings of ice cream clowns with sugar cone hats.
The girls kept many different paintings around the house in fittingly gold frames. But the one that stood out to me the most was the one near the kitchen door. It can be difficult to see from far away, but it looks to be a print of a piece from Claude Monet’s Water Lilies series. It went perfectly with the pale pastels of some of their upholstery and linens, and paid homage to Blanche’s passion for art.
The pillows that the girls leaned on and hugged for comfort through many seasons of heart-to-hearts, and heartaches literal and figurative, varied depending on the episode. But when I think of Golden Girls pillows, I think of the round tufted ones with large buttons in the center.
Something I noticed while writing this article was how inspired by Chinoiserie the girls were. They have a few ginger jars placed around the house, as well as a few vase lamps. These ornate beauties really dress up a space…much like the most famous Chinoiserie piece in the Golden Girls home (we will get to that later in the article)
We may be living in a smart phone world, but no one can argue that the most satisfying way to hang up on someone isn’t by jamming the receiver back on the base. This vintage phone reminded me of the one the girls used in the livingroom. Not only will it give your home a classic vibe, but it will also give you a satisfying motion to make the next time (God forbid) a date cancels on you.
This vase is quite similar to the one with which Dorothy framed the fickle bride-to-be, Priscilla. And it will quickly become your best piece of crystal as well. It’s guaranteed to dazzle, filled with flowers from a gentleman friend, or even as a sculptural piece on its own.
A tan version of this beautiful Bergere style chair was frequently seen next to some palm fronds near the kitchen door. It adds a lot of beauty to a room when it’s not in use, and comes in handy when ex-husbands show up unexpectedly.
While it was tricky finding sconces that matched the ones the girls kept in their living room and hallway, I found these to be quite close. Sconces add a lot of light to a space with low ceilings that don’t accomodate chandeliers. And many TV sets use sconces to their advantage due to the lack of ceiling on a set, and how attractively angled sconce lighting is. While they’re not as common in homes today, they can really be a game-changer when lighting and decorating a space.
The Kitchen
Another major piece of Golden Girls iconography is their dining set. Hollywood Regency inspired, this set is incredibly similar to the one the girls spent countless nights at, indulging in cheesecakes and telling unforgettable stories.
In the background of the kitchen, a very similar baker’s rack was always seen filled with plants, books and Chinoiserie accents. It can instantly add a touch of shabby chic and homeyness to any kitchen or patio.
Due to the rise in popularity of Jell-O salads in the 1960s, copper Jello-O molds rose to prominence in the average household, adding unique shapes and details to the jiggly dessert that showed off the floating fruit and candy within. By the 1980s, the Jell-O craze had died down, but everyone still decided to hold onto the beautiful copper molds for kitchen decor. And the Golden Girls and my grandmother were no exception. They can also be used for baking uniquely shaped cakes. Just be sure to research the pan you purchase, what its lining is made of and what temperatures it can/should be cooked under if you’re going to try to bake a cake in a copper mold.
Don’t pretend you didn’t wonder what exactly this was on the back wall of the kitchen all those years. I was always curious which of the girls would have prepared Jell-O in the shape of a lobster. Perhaps it was just there for decoration, as lobsters typically symbolize transformation and emotional growth. And as we already know, many transformative moments of growth occurred in that kitchen.
If you’d like to put your dining set at home (or the dining set above) over the top with Golden Girls aesthetic, this pale pastel fabric can easily be made into a table cloth that will give your home a huge boost of 80’s flair.
While the pot Sophia uses on the stove is a bit different in style from this Dutch oven design, they are the same gorgeous shade of red. And in addition to using this pot on the stove to make your award-winning marinara sauce, you can also use it as a vessel for taking your stuffed chicken down to Mississippi for an oven slow-roast.
Similar majolica canisters were always seen in the background of the kitchen holdng flour, sugar, and - secretly - Blanche’s mother’s jewels. But because of how wise burglars are getting, I’d stick to keeping cookies and tea bags in these.
The girls added country flair to their kitchen by hanging figurines of vegetables all over the walls. While I think it’d be more fitting to hang a figurine of a cheesecake on their walls, these veggies do a good job of reminding you to have a sensible meal.
The Lanai
This eleven-piece patio set by Chantilly is a great one-stop shop to recreate the oh-so-relaxing Miami lanai. It’s perfect for entertaining, dining, sunbathing…no wonder Sonny Bono didn’t want to leave. You are just cushions away from living golden.
While it was tough finding pieces that matched the Golden Girls’ patio set exactly, these chairs share a similar decorative apron detail to the legs. Perhaps they’ll inspire you to go outside for an afternoon of gin rummy.
Add a few comfy cushions and I think Sophia would approve of this luxurious patio chaise. Imagine yourself relaxing on it while listening to your favorite Prince song.
And the piece de resistance to the Miami-stylish lanai is the bar cart. Use it to serve up a refreshing pitcher of lemonade for your friends, or Cafe Vienna for a gentleman caller.
Blanche’s Boudoir
Let’s start with the detail Blanche’s bedroom was most known for: its palm tree print. From her bedspread, to her drapes, to her wall decor, her space was decked out in lush green palm motifs. And this wallpaper will immediately give your own boudoir the Blanche treatment.
This lucite mirror is quite similar to the one Blanche sits at while applying makeup. And you know that if Blanche owns it, it’s gotta give off some really flattering lighting. And for a daily boost to your self-esteem, lift it high above your head and look upward at it. I think it’s hilarious that the Golden Girls predicted the selfie angle way before the phone camera was invented.
While the decor in Blanche’s boudoir changed throughout the seasons, she always kept pink channel-backed chairs in her seating area. Researching the pieces Blanche kept around really showed off her love of Hollywood Regency and her marvelous affinity for girly things.
Finish off your Blanche-inspired seating area with these minimalistic yet elegant waterfall side tables. There’s no doubt in my mind that Mrs. Devereaux’ taste wasn’t glamorous and bold. Just add a ceiling mirror and you’re all set.
In some scenes on the lanai, Blanche can be seen holding a Chinese style parasol over her face. It’s perfect for reading your favorite romance novel outside, or protecting your delicate skin from the sun’s rays. And it’s yet another nod to Blanche’s love of Chinoiserie. Which brings us to our final item.
Sophia may not have liked Blanche’s ornate oversized Chinoiserie vas (and it clearly wasn’t all the rage at the time, considering that even the house burglars didn’t take it,) but today, pieces like it are incredibly sough-after in the world of interior design. Blanche really was a fashionable woman ahead of her time. Warning: Keep these vases away from shotguns at all costs.
For the vase seen in the main image, click here.
I really hope you’ve enjoyed this look through all the pieces in The Golden Girls’ house. I never realized until now just how stylish and beautiful each piece in the girls’ home was! While their home was quintessential 80s altogether, they really had a ton of very classic pieces of many different styles. And even predicted what would be trendy and stylish in the modern day
I had so much fun putting this together, that I’d love to do another one with another famous home or space from television or film. I’m thinking The Nanny or Will and Grace next? Let me know what you think I should do by leaving a comment or reaching out to me via my contact page. Thanks for reading. Until we meet again!