Who can turn the world on with her smile? Who can take a nothing day, and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile? It's Mary Tyler Moore, that's who! And if you watched TV in the early 1970s, chances are you were watching the Mary Tyler Moore Show.
I remember enjoying the show with my parents when I was a little girl, and then rediscovering MTM in Nick at Nite reruns as a college student. I must have watched every single old episode in my dorm room ~ the show held memories from my childhood, but now as a young woman, I found it newly inspiring. Mary Richards was a single, fashionable career gal who was as smart as she was pretty and likable. Best of all, she had the ultimate pad ~ and I wanted one just like it.
Mary's Minneapolis apartment was cozy and always neat (her parents instilled cleanliness ~ remember the episode when her father came to visit and checked the top of the mouldings for dust?). Check out the floor-to-ceiling windows and wall-to-wall shag carpeting. Her parties were notoriously lousy, but somehow people never wanted to leave and they always kept coming back!
In fact, Mary's friends Rhoda and Phyllis would "drop in" at least once every episode, and she would always welcome them with a smile and a beverage. Love the beer stein on the table, the lush fern in the background, and the groovy
stained glass window in the hallway.
I remember being so impressed by the fact that Mary had a place for everything, and everything was in its place. Why wasn't my home like that? Her walk-in closet held only what she wore and needed ~ and her stylish luggage pieces
had their very own spots too!
By day Mary had a comfy brown sofa ...
... which by night became her bed!
(The flower power sheets and bedspread are swoon-worthy.)
Remember the awesome stained glass window that pulled down to separate the kitchen from the living room? That way Mary could perform her hostess duties in peace while her guests conversed and sipped their cocktails!
(Notice how the funky purple and red tea towel hanging in the background
complements Mary's and Rhoda's outfits.)
Everything in Mary's apartment was functional or stylish, or both ~ from the manual typewriter she used to type her correspondence, to the wicker ottoman she sat on, to the now-ubiquitous "M" hanging on the wall. What was not to love?
If you haven't seen the Emmy award-winning Mary Tyler Moore Show, check it out. The universal themes of relationship and career struggles and triumphs still resonate today, and lovers of vintage fashion and decor will be instantly inspired.
The It Girls of TV Land
For more on Mary's apartment and the history of the Victorian house that contained it, visit this site where I found most of the images in this post.
