Inside Your Favorite Sex And The City Character's Apartment (& How To Steal The Look)

We've been taking style cues from TV since its inception. For decades, weekly invites into fictional homes have inspired viewers to fall for anything from the Brady family's sunken living room to Monica Geller's homey turquoise kitchen. As for TV decor spanning the Y2K years, no show better encapsulates the range of interior tastes — especially traditionally feminine ones — than "Sex and the City." 

The legendary Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha each had crash pads that were spot-on extensions of their personalities. Because of this, the much-asked question, "Which 'SATC' character are you?", can apply to their living spaces as much as their personalities. Each character's apartment represented who they were, encompassing their careers, social status, and interests. They're TV show homes everyone wishes they could live in, and they span tastes from traditional to modern to eclectic. What's more, they show believable aspects of inhabiting small spaces in big cities, like Carrie's improvised hallway-turned-closet and Samantha's single-space loft living. Colors and themes were also no accident when it came to curating each apartment. It wouldn't feel right if Samantha were lounging in Charlotte's classic floral living room or if Miranda tried to work in Carrie's cluttered yet cozy bedroom.

Still, there are copy-worthy commonalities among each character's spaces. Layered lighting boosts the ambiance, and floor-length curtains — even if the fabrics vary from character to character — bring drama to each home. The cool thing about getting design inspo from these apartments is that you can borrow as many or as few ideas as you like and even cherry-pick from all four aesthetics.

With a property on Park Avenue and a name that sounds like British landed gentry, you'd expect polish and refinement inside Charlotte York's home. Sure, these adjectives fit, but more specifically, Charlotte's decor leans heavily into classic femininity with plenty of flowers. According to the New York Daily News, production designer Jeremy Conway described it as having an "ivory tower" feel, and at times that was sort of literal. The creamy whites and beiges of her first apartment were calming and bright, if a little impractical. After all, there's a bit of "let them eat cake" in not worrying about keeping so many light colors clean.

You can pull off this timeless fresh look with lots of layering of varying textures. The white, cream, ecru, tan, and other gradients work especially well in Charlotte's apartment because of their different finishes and feels. Luxurious taupe drapes frame filmy, colorless window coverings; the carved fireplace molding is coated in glossy ivory paint; and a white slipcovered couch has extra appeal draped with a nubby ochre wool throw. And no room of Charlotte's is complete without a towering vase of flowers — preferably white ones.

Later seasons show Charlotte welcoming more color into her interiors and even experimenting with perfectly mixed patterns that end up looking more English country manor than eclectic maximalist. Much of the house still gleams in signature whites, but the living room injects colors and patterns into the area without feeling out of place. The large-scale yet subtle tree pattern on the sage wallpaper fits into Charlotte's pale color scheme, but bits of bold coral, faded plaid, and dark wood make this room a magnet for gatherings.

The production team didn't miss a beat when it came to designing a seductive place for Samantha Jones to lay her head. With "maneater" being pretty much her defining characteristic, Conway described Samantha's decor as "big game hunter." In both of her pieds-à-terre, her trappings make sexy happen in contrasting but equally convincing ways. A key element is drawing attention to furnishing and accessories that hint at "extracurricular" activities.

In her first apartment, rich warm colors like scarlet, burgundy, and flame orange tie her rooms together, and the space is filled with fabric you crave to touch, like silk, satin, and velvet. Voluminous blood-red draperies set the scene in her bedroom, almost like stage curtains. An imposing carved bed made of dark wood gets plenty of attention against the mustard walls, and low lighting throughout the apartment keeps the mood on the sexy side.

At her new place in the Meatpacking District (slightly on the nose for Samantha), the airy loft space is much brighter than her Upper East Side den, but the bed still holds a prominent place in the open living area. Although the white walls and flowy transparent window treatments are a departure from the heavy red velvet, Samantha's party-friendly loft still contains pops of vital cherry red throughout, including with her extra-large velvet throw pillows. Her glossy blue-lit kitchen is more equipped for entertainment than stirring up a stew, but it's well stocked with bottles and stemware. Even if they're only for show, two red Le Creuset pots on the stove hint at domesticity that's overshadowed by the sexy shade.

As a purpose-driven lawyer, the no-nonsense aspects of Miranda Hobbes's personality are well represented in her first apartment. It has sleek, angular, and slightly masculine touches. Colors are dark, corners are sharp, and the only clutter consists of books and files strewn across her dining table. This pared-down background helps give statement pieces like the oversized sunburst mirror over her fireplace and the surprisingly playful kitchen tile the attention they deserve. The repeated angles also might be what make the pointy rays of the mirror and the multicolored checkered tile work in Miranda's staid interiors. When experimenting with this yourself, stick with standout accessories that mimic the lines in their more neutral surroundings.

If exposed brick and floods of natural light are your idea of heaven, steal the look from the Brooklyn brownstone that Miranda moves into with her family. The subtle features and pleasant imperfections of this apartment become the stars of style. Like in her solo abode, she doesn't go for lots of ornamentation. But that allows what's there to shine, like diagonal slats of the wood floors, chippy paint detailing, checkered entryway tile, and white molding around the living room's fireplace.

The series' central character, columnist Carrie Bradshaw, made the most of her tiny apartment in a way many people can probably relate to: Hang shelves wherever you can, store things in handsome containers under tables, and stack stuff wherever. Cluttered, comfortable, and well-stocked with books and cuddly textiles, it's not too hard to imagine making this apartment your home. Beneath the lived-in aspects of Carrie's home is a general theme of eclectic coziness while still showing a glamorous and sexy side — an effortless style that makes the best of what's available.

Since high-end clothes and shoes consume most of her disposable income, Carrie's furniture ends up being a hodgepodge that looks magically purposeful instead of seeming thrown-together. Nothing particularly matches, but everything "goes." The furniture is mainly vintage and mid-century modern, with a backdrop of muted unifying colors and well-stocked bookshelves. The cool mint-green walls are equally charming against the sitting area's brown furnishings as the dusty pink and plum textiles in the bedroom. The wood tones of the living room pieces play perfectly together, and art is hung asymmetrically or leaned against walls in an unplanned way that's still stylish. Then there's her office-sleepspace combo, which looks as inviting for work as it does to snuggle up in. Chez Carrie is proof that personal tastes can be chic even when you don't put much thought or money into it.