How the “Friends” Homes Would Look If the Show Was Airing New Episodes in 2020

As of today, May 6, it has been 16 years since we bid farewell to our favorite “Friends.” It is the saddest sweet sixteen in history. But with a planned “Friends” reunion special for HBO Max in the works…eventually (it’s been postponed from its original May release date), there is a silver lining. And in even better news, when HBO Max launches on May 27, you’ll once again be able to stream all ten seasons of “Friends” to your heart’s content. It’s a very good thing since I need to have “The One Where Everybody Finds Out” ready for viewing on demand at all times.

The folks over at e-design company Modsy are also celebrating both the good “Friends” news from this month and the finale anniversary with another “Friends”-centric interior re-imagining. This time, they’ve dreamed up spaces that might appear if “Friends” ever did a new scripted episode. They’re answering the question: What kind of spaces would some of the “Friends” characters be living in today?

Monica might not be too happy about it, but the team over at Modsy sees Joey making the big move across the hall and claiming Monica and Chandler’s (and Rachel’s and Phoebe’s) old place as his own. Modsy’s VP of Style, Alessandra Wood notes that the grey color scheme gives the space a much more masculine feel, and goes nicely with a “minimal yet comfortable” aesthetic. Of course Hugsy and Pat the Dog made the move, and although his favorite recliner isn’t featured, it must be hiding in a bedroom or something. Where else would he sit when he watches the new version of “Little Women” which you know he is definitely doing?

It may not be as convenient as her apartment, but 16 years later, you know Monica is still hosting gatherings both big and small for her people. All of that company means she needs a lot of seating in her living room. Modsy based Monica and Chandler’s 2020 furniture off of their furniture from the series run, which means they stuck with a traditional aesthetic, including two roll arm sofas in navy (plus a nod to the big orange couch of Central Perk!). In fact, as Wood points out, the entire color scheme is based off of Monica’s beloved vintage Jouets poster—which she still has a spot for in her suburban home.

If “Friends” made a new episode in 2020, Ross and Rachel’s daughter Emma would be just about getting ready for college (I KNOW), so what would her dorm room look like? Assuming she got her fashion sense from her mom, Wood thinks Emma would have a “cool, collected vibe” mixing some “quintessential Gen Z” pieces with items that remind Emma of home (that stuffed dinosaur is definitely Ross’s doing). Modsy gave Emma lots of sleek, minimal wood pieces, and softened everything up with an easy-breezy color palette of whites, creams, and pops of pinks and reds. 

For more Friends in 2020 reimaginings by Modsy, you can head to their blog and find more info on all the looks featured here.