Friends facts: Little-known facts about the interiors set of Friends

last updated 15 June 2022

We don't mean to make you feel old, but Friends is 21 years old. Gulp!

Other than the beautiful cast and brilliant one-liners, it's the famous apartment interiors that have stood the test of time.

From the mysterious cupboard in Monica's apartment, to Joey's reclining armchairs and Central Perk's velvet orange sofa, we bet you didn't know these fascinating Friends' facts...

1. The poster behind Monica's TV hid a hole that cameras would film through.

2. The Etch A Sketch that hung on the back of Joey and Chandler's door had a different drawing on for every single episode.

3. The mismatched chairs that surrounded Monica's kitchen table changed throughout the 10 seasons.

4. In the first season Monica lived in flat number 5, however that changed to flat number 20 to reflect the fact she lived on a high floor.

5. The orange sofa in Central Perk was pulled out of the Warner Bros. Studio basement last minute before the first episode was filmed.

6. The refrigerator in Monica's apartment worked and was filled with food to feed the cast and crew after filming. Brilliant!

7. Joey's large white dog was actually Jennifer Aniston's.

Someone gifted it to her as a good luck present on the first day of filming.

8. The photo frame around Monica's peephole was a mirror that broke on the first day of filming - the crew left it up and it became a real feature of the flat.

9. The coffee table in Phoebe's apartment is the same one from Ross' flat.

10. The doors to the bedrooms in Monica's flat were fake - Central Perk actually sat behind the wall.

11. The view from Monica's kitchen window has been changing since day one. Sometimes there is a cityscape, sometimes a plain brick wall and other times a neighbouring balcony and window can be seen.

12. There is a disappearing/re-appearing beam in Monica's appartment. In one episode, Ross' son Ben bangs his head on the beam while Monica is playing with him.

13. Monica had a remarkable 11 categories for towels. They included 'everyday use' and 'fancy'.

Tamara was Ideal Home's Digital Editor before joining the Woman & Home team in 2022. She has spent the last 15 years working with the style teams at Country Homes & Interiors and Ideal Home, both now at Future PLC. It’s with these award wining interiors teams that she's honed her skills and passion for shopping, styling and writing. Tamara is always ahead of the curve when it comes to interiors trends – and is great at seeking out designer dupes on the high street.