Out of PTO? These Shows Are Armchair Travel At Its Finest

ByStoryAI

Aug 16, 2025

Out of PTO? These Shows Are Armchair Travel At Its Finest

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Out of PTO? These Shows Are Armchair Travel At Its Finest

The Gilded Age was inarguably the most opulent thing on television this summer. The Sex and the City franchise has been our ticket into some of New York’s swankiest settings. Sirens has all the makings of a perfect single season binge: mystery, murder(?), a snobby island backdrop, and a gorgeous cliffside estate. The Summer I Turned Pretty is for the summertime sentimentalists, who enjoy low-stakes drama and never tire of the love triangle trope. The Bear might not immediately come to mind as a great decor show, but as soon as we’re outside of the plot lines, it serves up some of my favorite high-stakes, kitchen-less TV plot lines of all time. And Just Like That… was also the series finale, and no matter where you stand on the reboot, it’s a hard to bid Carrie Bradshaw a final farewell in the third season of And Just like That… The series finale of Sirens is rolling out now.

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The early days of August tend to remind us of all the summer relaxation we’ve yet to cash in on—the PTO Fridays still left to be claimed, the stack of beach reads waiting to be thumbed through, and the buzzy shows that must be binged (in crisp air conditioning) before we’re too far behind to discuss them over Rosé.

Luckily, the last item on that list is the easiest to tick off—especially when TV is as good as it’s been this summer. And while we’ve been spoiled with a steady stream of applause-worthy performances and costumes, the sets and interiors are what really make the shows of the season feel like escapes. Whether your summer holiday preferences take you to 19th-century Newport mansions, or on someone else’s dysfunctional family vacation, there’s a guilty pleasure you should be indulging in if you’re not already. In many cases, you have time to catch up before the finale. Below, see our picks for the best shows of the season for design lovers.

HBO

1. The Gilded Age

HBO’s The Gilded Age was inarguably the most opulent thing on television this summer. The show returned for its third season, delivering on all the extravagant (and impressively historically accurate) settings made standard by its earlier installments. The series allows glimpses not only into the fictionalized lives of the wealthiest families in America during the 1880s, but also into many of the actual estates, mansions, and summer “cottages” they occupied, which served as filming locations. The stakes have never been higher for the central, new money Russell family than they were in season 3, and their settings make it obvious why they’ll do just about anything to maintain their status in high society.

Craig Blankenhorn // Max

2. And Just Like That…

The end of the current season of And Just Like That… was also the series finale, and no matter where you stand on the reboot, it’s a hard to bid Carrie Bradshaw a final farewell. Since 1998, the Sex and the City franchise has been our ticket into some of New York’s swankiest settings, and our key to the nostalgic apartments and townhouses that now feel like the homes of close friends. In the third season of AJLT, Carrie trades in her beloved walkup for a brownstone that intentionally overwhelms her with its design, production designer Miguel Lopez-Castillo tells Elle Decor.

Courtesy Netflix

3. Sirens

Sirens has all the makings of a perfect single season binge: mystery, murder(?), a snobby island backdrop, and a gorgeous cliffside estate. With Julianne Moore, Megan Fahy, and Millie Alcock forming a female lead power-trio, you’ll be surprised by how often the interiors and sweeping scenery steals your attention from the central action. Production designer John Paino walked us through every step of creating this luxe, WASP-y world, which feels equal parts familiar and eerie, serene and on-edge. It’s a series you’ll burn through in a weekend, and immediately watch again for the decor details.

ERIKA DOSS // Amazon Prime

4. The Summer I Turned Pretty

This one is for the summertime sentimentalists, who enjoy low-stakes drama and never tire of the love triangle trope. Yes, it’s meant for teenagers, but I’m watching every Wednesday, and I have a sneaky feeling you are too. The highly anticipated third and final chapter of The Summer I Turned Pretty is rolling out episodes now, and fans are all too happy to return to the central beach house, which now feels like all of our family friends’ nostalgic summer home. If you have a soft spot for New England summers, this show will scratch the itch no matter where you’re watching from—although you may be surprised by the actual filming locations.

Max

5. Hacks

In season 4 of HBO’s acclaimed series, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) finally levels up to hosting late-night television, and continues to find (or force) her way into all the right rooms off the air. The show continues to deliver on its eternal promise of parties and vicious pleasantries at stunning Los Angeles estates; we were locked in from the first episode, thanks in particular to that Greek-inspired villa fit for Hollywood Royalty.

6. The Bear

The Bear might not immediately come to mind as a great decor show, but as soon as we’re outside of that high-stakes, spotless kitchen, it serves up some of my favorite interiors on television. From plot lines surrounding Michelin star restaurants to the challenges of curating a customer experience in a new space, restaurant interior design is often addressed in the script. Without spoilers, season 4 is a must-watch for fans of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture—and for everyone else, it’s safe to say that table setting has never been so exciting.

Patrick Harbron

7. Only Murders in the Building

When the end of summer rolls around, it’s very important to have something to look forward to. Luckily, Hulu’s Only Murders is returning for season 5—and Selena Gomez, Steve Martin, and Martin Short will not be straying from the Arconia. We’ve already dished out the details on the fascinating history of the Belnord, the Upper West Side apartment building where the endearing amateur detective trio lives and meddles. Now, catch up with everything we know about the upcoming season ahead of the premiere here.

Source: Elledecor.com | View original article

Source: https://www.elledecor.com/life-culture/fun-at-home/a65577930/interior-design-shows-to-watch/