When thinking of tv shows and films set in the 50s and 60s, Mad Men is the first show that comes to mind. The drama, set in New York in the 1960s, focuses on the advertising agency Sterling Cooper: the era of “three-martini lunches, nonstop cigarette smoking, the rise of TV commercials, and the growth of a political-cultural awareness encompassing the John F. Kennedy assassination and civil rights.”
The fifth season of Mad Men takes place in 1966, when it was part of the American culture to be educated, intellectual, and to have taste. Soon after the recent marriage between Don and Megan Draper, Megan moves into Don’s Park Ave apartment. It goes without saying that this set was one of the most best known sets throughout the series. Megan’s stunning decoration included a 1960s sunken living room and a mixing of solid textures on the carpeting and sofa in contrast to the strong geometric pattern of the curtains and lamps in the room. Although the furniture was incredibly modern at the time, she still managed to make it comfortable and welcoming.
Although Megan and Don’s Park Ave apartment may have been one of the most well known sets, the offices seen throughout the series are also mid-century heaven. In an interview with the creator of the show, Matthew Weiner, he states that in designing the sets for the offices, they wanted to make sure that there weren’t any cubicles. They wanted the space to be open, with ceiling to floor windows and white walls while featuring pops of color, from the orange and blue chairs to the aqua colored ashtray on the conference room table.
