I Remodeled My Kitchen to Look Like ‘Only Murders in the Building’: What Happened

There are two types of TV show devotees—those who binge-watch the newest season before raving about it to all their friends and those who take their dedication up a notch.

It’s safe to say Reston, Virginia, residents Leslie and Phil are part of the latter camp when it comes to the hit show Only Murders in the Building. In fact, they based the entire redesign of their kitchen on the series.

THE INSPO: Charles-Haden Savage’s on-screen apartment in Only Murders in the Building, featuring bright green cabinet finishes and a multihued floor.

Their architect, TJ Monahan of the Kensington, Maryland–based firm Designed Happy, had never seen the show (“I didn’t even subscribe to Hulu!” he says with a laugh). Despite this initial lack of context, Monahan was eager to realize his clients’ vision of transforming their home into one inspired by Charles-Haden Savage’s (played by Steve Martin) color-happy New York abode. They were especially attracted to Savage’s kitchen, which features eye-catching green cabinets and multicolored geometric flooring. “White kitchens are fine for other people, just not for us,” the homeowners informed Monahan.

When the pair moved into the building about a decade ago, they weren’t necessarily focused on embracing the latest kitchen trends. The open-concept space featured pale yellow walls, wood paneling, and generic light fixtures, in addition to your typical culinary small appliances—like toasters and mixers—left out on the countertops. In this new chapter, however, as empty nesters with three grandchildren, they were looking to take a page from Charles-Haden Savage’s aesthetics and elevate their kitchen to stylish new heights.

BEFORE: The owners’ kitchen prior to the renovation had light-colored wood flooring and exposed kitchen appliances.

Achieving the bold floor was the couple’s first priority. “We literally found the same floor [by Mirth Studio], made in South Carolina,” Monahan says. Once the kitchen’s stomping grounds were spruced up to Steve Martin–approved levels, it was time to think about the cabinets.

“Steve Martin’s apartment has yellow paint [outlining] the cabinets, and they wanted more of a streamlined, clean look. So we did this pretty cool thing that I’ve never done before. The space between their cabinet doors is 1725336155 brushed and wrapped in metal,” says Monahan, who worked alongside luxury remodeling firm BOWA on the project.

AFTER: The kitchen received sleek emerald green cabinetry, top-of-the-line appliances, and bright floor tiles—all inspired by Only Murders in the Building.

There were points throughout the renovation (which also included a revamp of the living room, complete with a bold marble fireplace surround) when the couple questioned their design choices. To that Monahan had a simple answer, which is also his design company’s unofficial modus operandi: “I was like, ‘Listen, I’m never going to wash a dish in your kitchen. So let’s make sure that this is what you want it to be.”

The floor in the remodeled kitchen is from South Carolina–based Mirth Studio—exactly the kind seen in Only Murders.

Safe to say, the new kitchen is precisely what the clients wanted. Today, the husband and wife walk around beaming at the sleek Sub-Zero fridge, space-saving pull-out shelves, and brass hardware. There’s also a framed print of a poultry feed bag—a reference to a grain company Phil’s family owned in Oklahoma and a much more personal touch than Charles-Haden Savage’s Ed Ruscha print. The kitchen is certainly put to good use, especially when the pair’s grandkids come to visit or when they’re hosting guests (Leslie and Phil are social chairs in the building, often organizing events like clambakes).

As for Monahan? He’s since watched every episode of Only Murders in the Building and is now a fan too.

Stacia Datskovska, Assistant Digital Editor at ELLE DECOR, covers design, decor, and architecture—with an eye towards trends and culture at large. She has previously written for USA Today, the Boston Globe, Teen Vogue, Apartment Therapy, and more.