Beyond the Bespoke: The Unseen Artistry of Carrie Bradshaw's Gramercy Park Townhouse

When we reunite with Carrie Bradshaw in season three of “And Just Like That…,” she’s traded her iconic West Village walk-up for a sprawling Gramercy Park townhouse, so lavish that she “forgets about the extra rooms.” More than a change of address — 8 Gramercy Park West, to be exact — the move speaks to Carrie’s emotional journey and rekindled romance with longtime love Aidan Shaw. Originally purchased by Carrie to live in with Aidan and his sons, the townhouse had to be brought to life for a season's worth of visual storytelling. Director Michael Patrick King’s vision was a comprehensive, three-story set: four bedrooms, two bathrooms, hallways, and a kitchen on the parlor level with a spiral staircase to the garden, connecting to a downstairs apartment. 

Carrie's new apartment in "And Just Like That...". Photo courtesy of HBO.

Carrie's new apartment in "And Just Like That...". Photo courtesy of HBO.

Then there’s the room that ultimately led Carrie to cut the check: the walk-in closet, built in a similar galley layout to the original. In the fourth bedroom, López-Castillo and his team created a "shoe library" based on research of private collections with wide, shallow shelving. Both spaces house wardrobe pieces straight from the SATC archives — eagle-eyed viewers will catch Carrie’s Alexander McQueen dress from Charlotte’s second wedding, a seafoam tutu dress worn in the Paris-shot season finale, and the infamous Manolo Blahnik Mary Janes (“an urban shoe myth!”) from Vogue’s sample closet. 

The Art of Absence

Sometimes, what's not on screen tells the most compelling story. When Carrie first moves in, the townhouse sits largely empty (“Like a house on a historical walking tour,” Charlotte tells her). It’s a stark contrast to Carrie’s cluttered West Village studio and, according to López-Castillo, a purposeful detail. It’s also a relatable component of furnishing a new space.

As the season progresses and Carrie’s relationship with Aidan crumbles, the townhouse transforms into a visual manifestation of her next chapter. In the final episodes, Carrie is in a creative flow and feeling grounded in the space. She’s writing her first novel — a work of historical fiction set in 1846 — in a furnished office. She’s hosting the girls for post-breakup cocktails in the parlor, lounging on custom powder blue banquettes. She’s sitting peacefully in her backyard after a garden glow-up from her (handsome, bearded) landscaper, Adam. 

López-Castillo considers the unfolding of Carrie's home, from sparse to fully realized, a "very powerful symbolic element” of the series. It’s a testament to Carrie’s journey of self-discovery, showing that she can establish herself outside of a relationship — as evident in her rejection of the mid-century modern dining table Aidan buys her after their split, which she replaces with a round one. 

“It was more inclusive … a circle of friends,” says López-Castillo of the swap. For him, the round table is a striking visual that prioritizes small, “formally informal” gatherings and the shift from a romantic partnership to a close-knit community of women. 

Color, Texture, Mood

The Gramercy Park townhouse is meant to introduce a more self-assured Carrie, and the color palette was a central part of its aesthetic. López-Castillo describes the choice of jewel tones and rich textures — like a royal purple staircase runner and mustard armchairs — as "very deliberate.” His team aimed for a "layered feel" that avoids modern design trends and instead feels tactile and curated over time. 

“We chose not to pursue anything that was very deeply saturated or chromatic,” he says. "The moment someone said 'Barbiecore,' it was out.” Instead, the desired vibe was "fresh, contemporary, feminine with a strong personality.” The result is a mix of cool tones and warm, eye-catching hues that subtly reflect Carrie’s state of mind.

The most notable example of this intentional color scheme is the purple staircase runner. According to López-Castillo, the production team tested many shades and relied on multiple show-and-tell sessions before custom-dyeing the dramatic hue. They had to be mindful of Parker's own visual preferences (orange is “off-limits," says López-Castillo), avoiding certain colors that wouldn't work with her skin tone. This stiletto-sharp attention to detail proves that every color choice on set is a personal one, meticulously crafted to serve the story and the character.

Authenticity in an Art-Directed World

While "AJLT" is known for its aspirational style, the sets also include realistic "imperfections" that are used as storytelling devices. This balance is clear throughout Carrie’s townhouse. “The space itself was designed to look as if the previous owner had been there for several decades,” says López-Castillo. 

Take the small, galley-style kitchen, which features 1940s-inspired cabinetry, a weathered, built-in breakfast table, and a pair of folding chairs purportedly left behind in a broom closet. The set includes tiny details that have special meaning to Parker, like a rotary dial phone and a vintage wax paper dispenser. An attached butler’s pantry was created to be an entertaining area fashioned into a bar; the stained oak surfaces are also home to life-layer touches like a candy dish and a pile of Carrie’s mail.

Other relatable setbacks, such as a malfunctioning alarm system and a river of rodents in the backyard, help ground "AJLT"'s glamorous world in a sense of reality, adding to the authenticity of the characters' stories. The garden, which López-Castillo considers the oldest part of the house, also reflects Carrie's emotional state. It starts out messy, overgrown, and completely infested by rats; the space also serves as a point of connection (and contention) with her downstairs neighbor, Duncan. By the end of the series, the garden is slightly more streamlined but still wild and free — much like Carrie herself.

The Gramercy Park townhouse is a considered part of Carrie Bradshaw’s story, carefully crafted to mirror her journey from a life bound by relationships to one of independence and self-reliance. It was a treat for longtime fans to witness the behind-the-scenes artistry of López-Castillo and his production design team, and watch Carrie's townhouse become a single woman’s sanctuary, rather than a symbol of longing. The result is a home that is not only a character in itself, but a resonating reflection of Carrie's past, present, and future. “Carrie was really beginning to land in a place where she learned she couldn't, and shouldn't, be defining herself in terms of a relationship with a man,” says López-Castillo. "This is her space."