Monica's 'Friends' apartment gets a green makeover

A biophilic version of Monica Geller's apartment from "Friends"
HouseFresh

MANILA, Philippines — "So no one told you life was gonna be this way..."

If you impulsively clapped your hands, it only speaks to just how iconic the "Friends" theme song is, nearly 20 years after the sitcom ended.

As iconic is Monica Geller's apartment where the titular gang hang out most, spawning some of the show's most memorable moments — Joey doing lunges in Chandler's clothes and Monica and Chandler's romantic proposals, just to name a few.

Individuals at HouseFresh, composed of indoor air quality experts, decided to give Monica's apartment a biophilic spin, loosely inspired by Phoebe's comment in Season 10 that Monica and Chandler had bought a house because of its natural features.

But beyond that, HouseFresh decided to make a biophilic — meant to connect an occupant closer to the natural environment — version of Monica's apartment because such a design speaks of timelessness, a concept the show itself is known for.

HouseFresh referred to patterns indicated by interior design experts at Terrapin Bright Green in creating a biophilic Monica’s apartment, breaking it down room-by-room where the final product can be seen in an interactive walkthrough.

Kitchen and lounge

The gang spent most of their time in the living room or at the dining table, so taking into account Monica's cooking expertise and stress levels, the kitchen was spruced up with features that will aid in her cooking as well as calm her down.

White marble countertops are contrasted against dark wood-paneled cabinets, while a herb garden is placed above the sink for meditation and culinary inspiration.

For the living room, HouseFresh envisioned it as a sort of refuge for Monica and her friends, placing egg-shaped and rattan cocoon chairs to be an escape from tension paired with tree stump tabletops.

Facing the terrace outside, which hardly needed any changes but more plants, is a makeshift swing and a wooden desk for whenever Ross or Joey come over to visit.

Bedrooms

The first bedroom, Monica's, is replete with use of rattan — a feature that Filipino designer Kenneth Cobonpue popularized — as it promises a material connection with nature. Rattan comes as a bed, footboard, bench, and chair.

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Wood makes up a big chunk of Monica's biophilic bedroom -- from the mirror frame, cupboard, closet, and containers to the tree stump that serves as a nightstand.

The second bedroom, mostly used by Rachel when she forcefully moved in, has darker tones akin to water or earth and utilizes random vegetation through a hanging plant canopy.

HouseFresh also decided to have circular marble side tables that best mirror Rachel's personality, but still have the wooden furniture to remind that this is still a part of Monica's apartment.

Bathroom

HouseFresh turned the bathroom into a nature paradise with naturally-shaped tiles, a stone basin for a sink, and a pebble shaped tub, adorned with botanical motifs and seashells as one relaxes like Chandler (and Monica) did.

The company also decided to utilize an LED bar light for the bathroom so that it can create warm light pools, and the use of Lightglass makes up for the lack of windows and natural light.

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