A Guide to the Sitcom Interiors in “WandaVision”

Spoilers ahead for “WandaVision.”

For lovers of Marvel and sitcoms, “WandaVision” has it all. The Disney+ miniseries follows MCU characters Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) as they lead idyllic suburban lives in the small town of Westview, New Jersey. It soon becomes clear, however, that nothing is quite as it seems. Set after the catastrophic events of 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame,” “WandaVision” is one big nostalgia trip as it transports viewers to different eras through a sitcom lens — demonstrating Olsen and Bettany’s dazzling situational comedy prowesses along the way. 

Kathryn Hahn, Teyonah Parris, Randall Park, and Kat Dennings also star in the series as quirky neighbors and members of the government organization S.W.O.R.D. While the story arcs, juicy twists (sing it with me now: “It’s been Agatha all along!”), and explorations of grief make the show a must-watch in itself, the overall charm also rests in the nostalgic sitcom settings in each episode. “WandaVision” takes cues from “I Love Lucy,” “Bewitched,” “The Brady Bunch,” “Modern Family,” and much more; and frankly, the show’s interior homages are almost as magical as Wanda and Vision’s powers. 

Below, a breakdown of the sitcom interior homages in the show. 

The debut episode begins in the 1950s and 1960s with homages to “I Love Lucy,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” and “Leave it to Beaver.” Alongside a classic black-and-white TV format, the pilot borrows design cues from the homes of Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, Rob and Laura Petrie, and Ward and June Cleaver with its retro-modern furniture and sleek kitchen separated from the living space with pass-through windows. The special effects while Wanda prepares a last-minute dinner for Vision’s boss also conjures “Bewitched” and “I Dream of Jeannie.” 

The “Bewitched” and “I Dream of Jeannie” references are most prevalent in the second episode; “WandaVision” transitions to technicolor by the end credits (“I Dream of Jeannie” similarly underwent that transition from black-and-white to color while on air.) Some major design cues from the sitcoms include Wanda and Vision’s separate (but later combined!) beds, some vintage geometric wallpaper, retro modular furniture, and a dining room that looks like Samantha’s “Bewitched” dining room to a tee. 

Episodes 3 and 4 transition to the early 1970s with homages to “The Brady Bunch,” “The Partridge Family,” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” Now in full technicolor, some of the design details include stone walls and terracotta floor tiles in the living room — elements that take major cues from Brady, Carol, and co.’s suburban abode in “The Brady Bunch.” The groovy decor and brighter color combinations (such as greens and yellows) bring to mind “The Partridge Family,” while the opening credits also pay homage to “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” 

Episode 5 moves into the 1980s and 1990s with meta tributes to “Full House” (the sitcom that propelled Olsen’s older sisters, Mary-Kate and Ashley, into fame), “Growing Pains,” “Family Ties,” and “Step by Step.” Fun design cues from that era include the wood-paneled rooms, vintage floral wallpaper, and plaid decor in the kitchen. The opening credits, too, blend all of the TV credits of the aforementioned sitcoms into one mega opener. 

The early aughts are front and center in Episode 6, which is one massive tribute to 2000’s “Malcolm in the Middle.” During this era, wood-paneled rooms fade into the rearview and become replaced with more modern, white interiors that all adhere to the same general neutral color scheme. Wanda and Vision’s suburban home screams the Wilkersons in this Halloween special, which is another sitcom trope in itself. 

Wanda channels her inner Claire Dunphy in Episode 7, which transitions from the early aughts to the mid- to late-2000s. “Modern Family” and “The Office” are front and center as Wanda, Vision, and co. embrace the mockumentary sitcom format of the era. The opening credits pay tribute to the aforementioned sitcoms and “Happy Endings,” too, while Wanda and Vision’s suburban family abode take major design cues from the Dunphy household from “Modern Family;” the living room and kitchen are essentially the Dunphy residence to a tee. 

The sitcom settings become undone in the final two episodes as Wanda comes to terms with reality (and the realization that it’s been Agatha all along!) Still, they remain significant themes. By Episode 8, viewers finally understand why and how these settings were created and the roles they played in Wanda’s traumatic upbringing. They’re documented throughout key moments in her life via flashbacks: her father bringing home a briefcase full of DVD sitcoms; the family watching an episode of “The Dick Van Dyke Show” prior to their apartment being bombed amid the Cold War raging outside; Wanda watching “The Brady Bunch” in a cell; and Wanda watching “Malcolm in the Middle” with Vision at the Avengers compound as she reels from the death of her brother, Pietro.

By the finale, things all come to a head and the idyllic town of Westview returns to its former dilapidated glory, shedding once and for all the rose-colored comforts found in the fictional worlds of sitcoms.

“WandaVision” is available to stream on Disney+.