TV shows have likely influenced your life: from bringing your friends together for a watch party to fueling Monday morning recaps with your coworkers. At some point between pressing “next episode” and realizing it’s 1 a.m., a show might stop being a show and become a source of inspiration. You may not realize that it could influence your next throw pillow purchase.  

Streaming has turned the TV sets that viewers fall in love with into full-blown mood boards. After spending hours inside neon-lit parties, majestic ballrooms, and sun-soaked villas, it’s only natural to want your own apartment to borrow a little of that feeling.  

As a renter, however, you might face unique challenges when incorporating TV show-inspired decor into your apartment. After all, your landlord may not approve of painting every room Bridgerton blue. The real trick is translating those aesthetics into easy, apartment-friendly updates.  

How streaming services are shaping TV-show inspired decor trends

Binge-watching gives viewers repeated exposure to a show’s visual world. The longer someone spends with a series, the more they notice the details: the wallpaper in a character’s bedroom, the lighting in a room, the color palette of a villa, or the way a set uses furniture to create a mood. 

Streaming has made those interiors easier to revisit. Viewers can pause scenes, screenshot rooms, search for similar pieces, and search for inspiration on social media. 

The result is a new kind of TV-inspired interior design. Instead of following one broad style, renters can decorate around a feeling: nostalgic, gothic, romantic, tropical, glamorous, rebellious, or dramatic. The best part is that these looks do not require renovation. Most can be recreated with renter-friendly updates like textiles, lighting, peel-and-stick accents, art, mirrors, plants, and thrifted furniture. 

TV show-inspired decor trends renters can recreate

Stranger Things decor: throwback 80s

“Stranger Things” is one of the clearest examples of how a single show can bring things back. Gen Z thinks that mullets are cool again, Kate Bush dominated charts decades after her hit “Running Up That Hill,” and Dungeons & Dragons is experiencing a true renaissance. But its influence also extends to design trends.  

“Stranger Things’” decor is full of warm wood tones, plaid patterns, retro lamps, basement rec-room energy, and nostalgic colors like forest green, mustard, rust, and brown. In fact, the more thrifted and mismatched it feels, the better.  

Quick renter-friendly ideas 

• Use warm-toned lamps instead of relying on overhead lighting.  

• Add plaid, corduroy, or striped throw pillows to a sofa or bed.  

• Hang retro posters with damage-free strips.  

• Look for thrifted wood side tables, vintage lamps, or old-school storage pieces. 

• Bring in mustard, rust, brown, or forest green through blankets, rugs, curtains, and art instead of paint. 

• Renter-friendly wood slat panels go a long way. They’re also a great investment if you like great acoustics! 

Bridgerton decor: romantic regencycore

“Bridgerton” interiors are part of the show’s romance. Its influence is hard to deny: every time you step into a home decor store, you can’t miss the influx of florals, pastels, ruffles, lace, and gilded detail on shelves. The maximalist aesthetic “Bridgerton” goes for doesn’t even feel gaudy. Instead, Regencycore feels polished and dreamy.   

This gorgeous aesthetic can make your apartment the go-to spot for Valentine’s Day plans. Rather than painting a room or installing elaborate molding, renters can create the look through bedding, curtains, mirrors, and accent pieces that will make their apartments the talk of the Ton. 

Quick renter friendly ideas 

• Use floral bedding, curtains, or throw pillows.  

• Battery-powered sconces can help keep your dramatic accents renter-friendly. 

• Add gold or brass picture frames.  

• Hang an ornate mirror with renter-safe hardware if the wall can support it.  

• Try peel-and-stick molding or removable wallpaper panels.  

• Bring in lace, ruffles, scalloped edges, bows, or faux flowers through small accents. 

• Use pastel blue, blush, cream, lavender, and gold in textiles and accessories instead of permanent finishes.  

Wednesday decor: moody gothic | dark academia

“Wednesday” helped make gothic decor feel current again. The look is dark, moody, and a little theatrical, with black accents, antique details, dramatic lighting, and a healthy dose of dark academia. 

For an apartment, the key is to avoid turning the space into a Halloween set. Instead, focus on atmosphere. A black-framed mirror, velvet throw pillows, dark floral art, and a few sculptural accessories can create a gothic mood without overwhelming the room. 

Quick renter-friendly ideas 

• Swap in black, charcoal, or deep purple bedding.  

• Use removable dark floral wallpaper on one accent wall, such as behind a bed, or inside a bookcase.  

• Add velvet pillows or curtains.  

• Hang antique-style mirrors or black picture frames.  

• Use flameless taper candles for drama.  

• Style shelves with vintage books, sculptural objects, and moody artwork. 

House of the Dragon decor: dramatic fantasycore

“House of the Dragon” is coming back this June with the hype to make this new season memorable. However, HBO’s flagship fantasy series is trickier to translate into everyday apartment decor, but the strongest angle is embracing Fantasycore with color. The show’s world is built around loyalty, lineage, and power, which makes “house loyalty” palettes a smart way to bring the aesthetic home. 

Renters do not need to recreate a castle or throne room. Instead, they can borrow the drama: Targaryen-inspired black and red, Hightower green and antique gold, Velaryon sea blue and silver, or Dragonstone-inspired gray, bronze, and stone textures. A few rich colors, heavy textures, and candlelit details can create the mood without making the apartment feel like it's trying to be a Medieval Times. 

Quick renter-friendly ideas 

• Pick a house-inspired color palette and use it through pillows, throws, art, and rugs. 

• Are you Team Black? Try black and red accents for a Targaryen-inspired look. Use deep green and antique gold for a Team Green-inspired space.  

• Hang a tapestry-style wall hanging instead of changing the walls.  

• Use iron-look curtain rods, candleholders, or lamps.  

• Add faux stone through trays, bookends, planters, or peel-and-stick wallpaper. 

• Keep dragon motifs subtle with one framed print, bookend, or sculptural object. 

Interview with the Vampire | The Vampire Lestat decor: vamp romantic

“Interview with the Vampire” is coming back on June 7 with season three, titled after the enigmatic vampire Lestat. Luckily, vamp romantic apartment decor  is one of the hottest design trends right now. The look blends gothic drama with romance, glamor, and old-world details.   

This aesthetic is darker than “Bridgerton” but more romantic than standard gothic decor. Think velvet, burgundy, black, plum, antique gold, brocade, ornate mirrors, moody portraits, candlelight, and dramatic flowers. For renters, this style works beautifully because it is mostly about layering.  

Quick renter-friendly ideas 

• Bring in velvet through curtains, pillows, or a throw blanket.  

• Use burgundy, black, plum, antique gold, and deep brown.  

• Add ornate frames, vintage portraits, or moody art prints.  

• Use peel-and-stick dark floral wallpaper behind a bed, desk, or bar cart.  

• Add brass candlesticks or flameless taper candles.  

• Choose glass, lace, brocade, fringe, or dark wood accents.  

• Style a small, dramatic corner with books, flowers, a lamp, and a mirror. 

Love Island decor: tropical dopamine

“Love Island” brings a totally different kind of design influence: bright, playful, tropical, and social. The villa look is colorful, bold, and made for lounging, flirting, and hanging out. 

This aesthetic connects easily to dopamine decor because it is cheerful, energetic, and not afraid of color. For renters, it is also easy to recreate without major changes. The look can come through pillows, outdoor-inspired furniture, plants, and the right lighting to make your apartment the new bombshell to enter the villa. 

Quick renter-friendly ideas 

• Add tropical colors through pillows, throws, bedding, or outdoor cushions.  

• Use rattan, bamboo, or cane accents.  

• Try removable palm-print wallpaper or decals.  

• Bring in faux or real plants.  

• Add string lights, neon signs, or colorful lamps. 

• Use cabana stripes, coral, turquoise, lime, yellow, and hot pink. 

• Create a mini villa vibe with a tray, fun drinkware, plants, and a playful lamp. 

Emily in Paris decor: Playful Parisian glam

Want an apartment space that makes you go ooh la la? “Emily in Paris” offers a more polished, fashion-forward version of apartment inspiration. The look is playful, feminine, and glamorous, with touches of Parisian style: gold mirrors, bistro details, fashion books, flowers, art prints, and statement lighting. 

This is a good aesthetic for small apartments because it does not require a lot of furniture. A few styling choices can make the space feel more intentional, even if the apartment itself is simple. 

Quick renter-friendly ideas 

• Add a gold mirror or vintage-style picture frames.  

• Use perfume trays, flowers, magazines, and candles as decor.  

• Bring in bistro-inspired pieces like café curtains, striped pillows, or a small round table.  

• Use pink, red, cream, black, and gold accents.  

• Hang Paris, fashion, or vintage advertising-inspired prints with damage-free strips. 

• Add a statement lamp for a tiny-apartment-but-make-it-glam effect. 

• While it won’t make or break the look, consider peel-and-stick black and white tiles for a nice touch.  

Euphoria decor: Neon expressive bedroom

Regardless of how you felt about the recent series finale, one thing is for certain: “Euphoria” has a distinctive look that will keep the show relevant for years to come. The show helped popularize a more expressive, atmospheric bedroom style. The look is less about traditional furniture and more about mood: colored lighting, reflective surfaces, layered textiles, posters, metallic accents, and dreamy visuals. 

This is one of the easiest streaming-inspired aesthetics for renters because lighting does most of the work. A room can feel completely different with LED strips, color-changing bulbs, sheer curtains, and reflective decor. 

Quick renter-friendly ideas 

• Use LED strip lights or color-changing bulbs.  

• Add sheer curtains, reflective accents, or iridescent decor.  

• Use bold bedding or a statement throw blanket.  

• Add a disco ball, acrylic tray, metallic lamp, or wavy mirror.  

• Try purple, blue, pink, silver, and black accents.  

• Use lighting to create the mood instead of making permanent changes. 

Set the scene for your next binge-watch on Apartments.com

Before you can style your space like your favorite show, you need the right place to set the scene. Maybe that means a living room made for cozy binge-watching, a bedroom ready for moody lighting, or a balcony that can handle your tropical villa era. 

Whatever your TV-show inspired decor style looks like, Apartments.com can help you find an apartment with the space, layout, and features to bring it to life. Find your perfect apartment on Apartments.com, then cue up your next binge-watch and start decorating like the main character.