Rachel Karen Green needs no introduction. Almost everyone knows of the ‘Friends’ character, as she quickly made her mark as a ’90s style icon and fashionista. Although the show premiered almost 30 years ago, its impact on pop culture and fashion is still incredibly prominent. Rachel, in particular, was the ‘it girl’ of the 90s, with her effortless layered bob haircut being the inspiration for many. She is the epitome of 90s minimalism, but with her fair share of extravaganza and statement pieces. She’s often described as having that girl-next-door look, with fashionable but straightforward day-to-day outfits.
The Good Place is another popular sitcom, this one from the 2010s, that made a lasting impression with viewers as it blended complex philosophical and psychological themes with quirky characters and effortless humour. The show is centred around an unlikely group of people who have died and end up in ‘heaven’, only to find out they were each in their hells. For architects, this show is an amusing watch as each personal hell or heaven is designed by an Architect. It prompts us to read people well and employ creative thinking to see how we would create heaven/hell.
This piece will focus on designing Rachel Green’s home in her heaven. It’s an amalgamation of everything she loves, would want, and every one of her wildest fantasies fulfilled — because in the Good Place, everything is possible.
The client’s job is a fashion buyer. Rachel is style-conscious, loves luxury with comfort, and is trendy. The design objective is to create the perfect house for her in heaven.
We see a lot of Rachel’s style throughout the series, and it’s essential to understand her fashion sense to translate it into her design taste. Her style can be classified as preppy, American, and elegant, featuring lots of fitted slip dresses, stylish but straightforward pieces, semi-formal work wear, with a girl-next-door vibe.
Rachel grew up in a very American family. Still, as we see in later seasons, she’s drawn to Paris and European culture — her job in Paris, her fling with Paolo, her love for London. Therefore, Rachel’s house would be in an overall French-American style, featuring lots of symmetry, tall windows, wraparound balconies, and shutters. She’s very minimalist but classy, although she does have her flair sometimes, which is why a large French Colonial-style house would suit her perfectly.
Since she’s a huge fashionista, there would be ornate mirrors so she can admire herself and her outfits. She would like lots of light from large floor-to-ceiling windows, preferably from low-iron glass (to maximise clarity) and UV-filtering coating (to protect fabrics/fashion pieces), but privacy too, so that those windows won’t be facing any populated areas.
To build on her love for fashion, her closet and bath area would be massive. She would have the most curated and tasteful wardrobe full of designer pieces from all around the world. The closet would be the primary space in her hierarchy of rooms — think Barbie’s closet from Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse. She would have a Clueless-inspired outfit picker, similar to what Cher has in the movie. She would automatically look good in what she wears, though, because it’s the Good Place, and because she’s Rachel Green!
To add that bit of flair, Rachel would have Pinterest in real life. She would have an archive-like collection of fashion magazines of every kind with every copy ever published. She’d be able to take out the articles of clothing she wants from there and wear them instantly, or put them up on her ‘boards’.
Rachel’s effortless chic vibe would be seen in her interior. It would resemble Lily van der Woodsen’s NYC Apartment, however, not as elevated. She would have art on the wall and statement pieces, but her home wouldn’t be as mature. She would have lots of home decor from Pottery Barn and Ralph Lauren Home. She would have decorative ornaments and lots of pictures on her wall of the group and of her dog Lapooh. She’d have long hallways so she can feel like she’s walking down the red carpet and dim ambience lighting during the night to give the place a comfy vibe.
Reflecting her sailing past, the interior would have a casual, boaty and coastal vibe to it. She would have hints of blue and white soft furnishings and lots of stripes, braided patterned throws and a few rope-made accessories. Her home would feature the American Flag multiple times.
Rachel, like most of us, hates chores. Her house would function exactly as she would like. Rachel would never have to do anything remotely waitress-related ever again – no dishes, no coffee, no cooking, everything would be done for her at the push of a button, like Barbie‘s kitchen. She would have few problems with keeping clean and doing laundry, since she’d rather spend her time outdoors reading her fashion magazines.
Rachel would also need spaces to entertain — after all, she thrives on being surrounded by friends, conversation, and a little bit of gossip. An open-plan kitchen and dining area would flow into a chic living space perfect for hosting wine nights or impromptu brunches. Outside, a sun-drenched terrace and poolside lounge would channel her love for coastal leisure, offering the perfect backdrop for showing off her latest outfits while sipping cocktails with guests.
As a finishing touch, she would have the hairless cat that she wanted, except this time it would be a sweet, cuddly cat instead of the mean, aggressive one she had before.
Rachel’s home in her heaven blends her love of effortless luxury with design that flatters her life at every angle. This house is as photogenic, dramatic, and timeless as Rachel Green herself. Her heaven in the Good Place would be a true reflection of her innermost self and desires.
