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Do our favourite TV soaps affect our design tastes and decisions?

Published: 12th September 2014 15:26
Do our favourite TV soaps affect our design tastes and decisions?

(all pictures courtsey of Rex Features)

 Corrie's Barlow's set Who "lives" here??  (Watch the video to find out)

 

 

  • New research has looked at soap opera interior style and how the sets influence and reflect how we live today.
  • The poll asked the nation’s soap fans to judge which soap families and characters have the most and least stylish homes and rooms.
  • Watch the video to take a trip down memory lane to look back at some of the most iconic sets in British soap history.


Revamped BrooksideRevamped "Brookside" set

Hilda's Ogden's famous Hilda Ogden's 'muriel'!

 

Whether you are a fan of the cobbles, the square or the Dales, the homes featured in our favourite soap operas are as familiar to us as our own. From Ken and Deidre’s living room, to the Home Farm kitchen, these houses and rooms seem to leave just as big an impression on us as some of the characters.
 
According to the research, a third of us think soap operas represent British life, with Coronation Street voted as the soap that’s most accurate in its depiction, despite a few rooms potentially being in line for a bit of a makeover. Just like real life then!

 

British television and soap opera expert Dorothy Hobson has been working with a new Argos homewares brand Heart of House to curate and investigate soap living over the last few decades to determine just how much our favourite soap operas reflect our tastes in real life. 

The Heart of House research also looked at the most iconic TV homes and found that 'Downton Abbey' was beaten to the top spot by Del and Rodney’s flat from 'Only Fools and Horses' – however there was no suggestion the nation would want to replicate the interior of the Nelson Mandela high rise in our homes!
The results of the research may surprise you (or may not!)....


Dot Cotton’s, the Dingle’s and the Barlow’s homes voted the most out of date in British soap operas.

·       The recently renovated Home Farm on Emmerdale comes out as the best place to live in Soapland.

·       Del and Rodney’s Peckham flat voted the most iconic TV home, while Hilda Ogden’s ducks make the list of the TV items we’d most like to have in our homes.

Their homes are almost as familiar to us as our own, but millions of soap fans agree that many of our favourite Coronation Street, EastEnders and Emmerdale families could do with a big home makeover.

That’s according to a recent poll which saw Dot Cotton’s out of date living room on EastEnders voted as the soap room most in need of a revamp.  The Dingle’s shabby farm cottage on Emmerdale came in second, with  Ken and Deidre Barlow’s dated living room from Coronation Street third on the unenviable list.

Declan and Charity’s recently renovated Home Farm on Emmerdale was voted the most stylish in British soap, followed by Carla Connor’s flat on the Street and the Branning’s home on EastEnders.

And while the number of murders, affairs, accidents, fires, weddings, divorces and robberies seem a bit excessive on the Cobbles, in the Dales and on the Square, almost a third of us actually think our favourite soaps accurately represent British life, with Coronation Street voted the most realistic.

The poll, by Heart of House, also asked people what the most iconic TV homes are of all time, with Del and Rodney’s Peckham Flat in 'Only Fools and Horses' coming top, followed by the 'Downtown Abbey’ Highclere Castle, and Monica's living room in 'Friends'.

A huge flashy kitchen from MTV’s 'Cribs', Carrie’s walk-in wardrobe from 'Sex and the City' and the 'Big Brother' hot tub, were the top three items we’d most like to take from the telly into our own homes.  Hilda Ogden’s legendary flying ducks from the Street also made the list.

Dorothy Hobson is an expert and lecturer in British television and soap operas, and author of the book, ‘Soap Opera’ – she joins Jack Wallace from Heart of House, to look back on some of the most iconic sets in soap history and how they leave just as big an impression on us as some of the characters.

 

 Soap rooms most in need of a revamp

  1. Dot Cotton’s living room (EastEnders)
  2. Lisa and Zac Dingle’s living room (Emmerdale)
  3. Ken and Deidre Barlow’s living room (Coronation Street)
  4. Bianca’s living room (EastEnders)
  5. Roy Cropper’s living room (Coronation Street)

  6. Patrick and Denise’s B&B Living room (EastEnders)
  7. Fiz and Tyrone’s living room (Coronation Street)
  8. The Carter’s kitchen above the Queen Vic (EastEnders)
  9. The back room at the Rovers (Coronation Street)
  10. Emily Bishop’s living room (Coronation Street)

 

Most stylish décor in soap

  1. Home Farm – Declan and Charity (Emmerdale)

  2. Carla Connor (Coronation Street)

  3. The Brannings (EastEnders)  

  4. The Mitchell’s (EastEnders)

  5. The Beale’s (EastEnders)

  6. Nik Tilsley’s (Coronation Street)

  7. Debbie Dingle (Emmerdale)

  8. Tony and Diane’s flat (Hollyoaks)

  9. The Webster’s (Coronation Street)

  10. Nicola and Jimmy King’s (Emmerdale)

 

Most Iconic TV Home

  1. Del and Rodney’s Peckham Flat (Only Fools and Horses)
  2. Downtown Abbey (Highclere Castle)
  3. Monica's living room (Friends)
  4. Big Brother house
  5. Duckworth's house (Coronation Street)

 


Stella's 50, is the decor?Corrie's Stella is 50. Is the decor?

Emerdale's Old Hill FarmEmmerdale' Old Hill Farm

Dingles' Living Room (Emerdale)Dingles' Living Room (Emmerdale)

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