#221 Baker Street

[Boton]

Well, the wallpaper is a great thing.  In fact, I've heard that sales of wallpaper in Britain have gone up since the series.  I wouldn't mind having a bit of wallpaper...

 

It is my everlasting frustration that the black-and-white wallpaper from Sherlock is now recognizable as being used on the show.  I would use that in my house in a heartbeat, except then everyone would think I'm a giant Sherlockian nerd.  (To paraphrase Sherlock, I'd rather keep them guessing.)

[sittything]

 

Well, the wallpaper is a great thing.  In fact, I've heard that sales of wallpaper in Britain have gone up since the series.  I wouldn't mind having a bit of wallpaper...

 

It is my everlasting frustration that the black-and-white wallpaper from Sherlock is now recognizable as being used on the show.  I would use that in my house in a heartbeat, except then everyone would think I'm a giant Sherlockian nerd.  (To paraphrase Sherlock, I'd rather keep them guessing.)

 

 

Are you not?  ;)

[Carol the Dabbler]

Well, the wallpaper is a great thing. In fact, I've heard that sales of wallpaper in Britain have gone up since the series. I wouldn't mind having a bit of wallpaper...

 

Yes, I like the black-and-white wallpaper (and also the bamboo-leaf-pattern wallpaper in the stairwell) -- but I thought the bright-red wallpaper in the pilot was a bit much.  OK, I'm looking for a good screencap of it, and it may not be as bright as I thought, though it's hard to tell in that dim lighting.  Everything's red, though -- the walls, the curtains, even the accent pieces....

 

 

It is my everlasting frustration that the black-and-white wallpaper from Sherlock is now recognizable as being used on the show. I would use that in my house in a heartbeat, except then everyone would think I'm a giant Sherlockian nerd. (To paraphrase Sherlock, I'd rather keep them guessing.)

But is it recognizable to anyone other than giant Sherlock nerds?  I've been wearing my wallpaper pendant just about every time we go out, and the only two people who've mentioned it at all are fellow Sherlock fans.  I'm not sure that even they actually recognized it -- all they said was it's pretty, and then I pointed out that it's the 221B wallpaper.

 

[T.o.b.y]

You're right, Carol, that red wallpaper in the pilot is... weird. I only watched the pilot once, and did not focus on set or props, so I hardly noticed, but now that I look at that screenshot... What were they thinking? That ugly picture on the wall, too. And those red lamps and shiny curtains! Gosh, the place looks like some kind of a... a... That plus how Sherlock is draped over the sofa. Oh dear. I shudder to think what kind of fan fiction would have been prompted by the series if they had continued in the style of the pilot. Or maybe there wouldn't have been much left to imagine. Who knows. I'm just glad they redid the whole thing. 

[Carol the Dabbler]

Gosh, the place looks like some kind of a... a...

 

My thoughts exactly! 

[Tunguska]

I doubt John had his own bathroom at Baker St, because in The Reichenbach Fall, we saw him walk around the living room in his bathrobe, having obviously just taken a shower, and it stands to reason that if he showered upstairs, he'd probably have come down fully dressed.

Is that semi-transparant door in Sherlock'a bedroom supposed to be a door to his bathroom? Because that would be kind of awkward, showering there and going to the toilet where your flatmate can see you...

[SherlockedCAMPer]

Yes the semi-transparent door from Sherlock's bedroom leads to the bath. Agreed on the awkward.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Never thought of that, but definitely awkward.  Maybe John hangs a towel over it when he's in there.

 

[sfmpco]

Maybe Sherlock stays out of that area of the flat when John is bathing.

[J.P.]

It is my everlasting frustration that the black-and-white wallpaper from Sherlock is now recognizable as being used on the show.  I would use that in my house in a heartbeat, except then everyone would think I'm a giant Sherlockian nerd.  (To paraphrase Sherlock, I'd rather keep them guessing.)

Are you sure the pattern (which is not really black-and-white btw) is recognizable by non-insiders? 

 

As for the 221B interior: as much as it looks homely and cosy and realistic with a clear victorian touch, I personally couldn't live in this room, not to mention work there. Having different patterns on each wall, all of them actually not suitable for small and crammed rooms would make me mad. I am only slightly synesthetic, but especially the Navarre wallpaper - The Wallpaper - is literally making noise in my head, like some machinery doing clickety-clickety-click all the time. Sherlock's bedroom is much better.

 

What I found very interesting though is the fact that although the living room looks like a well used second hand store mix, the pieces that people were able to recognize turn out to be luxurious designer stuff. 

[Arcadia]

 

It is my everlasting frustration that the black-and-white wallpaper from Sherlock is now recognizable as being used on the show.  I would use that in my house in a heartbeat, except then everyone would think I'm a giant Sherlockian nerd.  (To paraphrase Sherlock, I'd rather keep them guessing.)

Are you sure the pattern (which is not really black-and-white btw) is recognizable by non-insiders? 

 

As for the 221B interior: as much as it looks homely and cosy and realistic with a clear victorian touch, I personally couldn't live in this room, not to mention work there. Having different patterns on each wall, all of them actually not suitable for small and crammed rooms would make me mad. I am only slightly synesthetic, but especially the Navarre wallpaper - The Wallpaper - is literally making noise in my head, like some machinery doing clickety-clickety-click all the time. Sherlock's bedroom is much better.

 

Same here! I love the look of that room for the show, but in real life I think it would give me a migraine.

What I found very interesting though is the fact that although the living room looks like a well used second hand store mix, the pieces that people were able to recognize turn out to be luxurious designer stuff.

Wow, really. I have to admit it all looks like cast off junk to me, I was actually surprised Sherlock didn't have something a little more ... posh. But I guess he does, I just don't know what posh looks like!

[SherlockedCAMPer]

Sherlock's chair by the fireplace looks more high end. But agree most stuff looks cast off/2nd hand

[J.P.]

Wow, really. I have to admit it all looks like cast off junk to me, I was actually surprised Sherlock didn't have something a little more ... posh. But I guess he does, I just don't know what posh looks like!

 

Okay, the term luxury is probably a little be too much for all the things, and I have no feeling for how the prices are in the relation to normal goods, but alone the black chair being an old Corbusier classic, the Mirror for over 400£ and the Navarre wallpaper for over 100£ a roll...

Sherlockology has the whole list here, all possible props on Pinterest, a whole article about wallpapers.

 

Someone even made a book list which is an interesting lecture itself.

 

BTW, has any of you ever recognized anything you possess in the show? I did. It was one of the books in Van Coons flat (TBB) and I almost shouted aloud. I had the german translation of Simon Singh's Fermat's last Theorem, I don't know if I still have it...  I also owned Karnov's History of Vietnam, and still have the Selfish Gene. Oh gosh, the things that make us happy... 

[SherlockedCAMPer]

Outside of my own copy of a Bible (I own more than 1) I haven't noticed anything the same.

[besleybean]

Selfish Gene for me, too!

[J.P.]

You know what my problem is with the 221B? 
Where do Mrs Hudson actually live?

As you see in this picture Speedy takes most of the space on the front, and a local like that needs kitchen and storage space - so where is room for a decent flat? 

 

As for the book list - there are 3 or 4 of them about flying. I wonder why?

[sfmpco]

You know what my problem is with the 221B? 

Where do Mrs Hudson actually live?

Bildschirmfoto 2015-01-25 um 23.48.55.png

As you see in this picture Speedy takes most of the space on the front, and a local like that needs kitchen and storage space - so where is room for a decent flat? 

 

As for the book list - there are 3 or 4 of them about flying. I wonder why?

 

I always assumed she was on the ground level.  Then let's not forget there is a 221C which is the sub-level flat she never rents out because of the damp.  

[Caya]

Behind Speedy's, I think, because you have to walk past the stairs to get to her door, and her view is out back (the bins). Probably a really tiny flat.

[sfmpco]

If I get really ambitious, I might create a miniature dollhouse version of 221B...

[Caya]

That's a great idea! Or make a Sims house .

[sfmpco]

What I SHOULD do is get REALLY ambitious and  do a gingerbread house of 221B.

[Caya]

That would of course be the tastiest solution ;).

[J.P.]

If all floors have the same shape, the flat would be the size of the bath and bedroom of Sherlock's.

 

221C I omitted - it's empty.

[sfmpco]

If all floors have the same shape, the flat would be the size of the bath and bedroom of Sherlock's.

 

221C I omitted - it's empty.

 

I don't think any of us have quite figured out the conundrum of John's bedroom placement and what else is supposed to be up there.  It's all just fluffy speculation!

[Carol the Dabbler]

My impression from "Study in Pink" is that John's bedroom is one flight up simply because 221B proper has only one bedroom -- Mrs. Hudson isn't renting out the next floor at that point (perhaps hasn't fully renovated it yet?), so she offers him one room up there.