Top 10 Things You Didn't Notice in Ted & Marshall's Apartment on HIMYM
#10: Random Bowl of Billiard Balls
It’s not unusual to find a decorative bowl on someone’s coffee table. It’s also not unusual for that bowl to be filled with something like fruit, for example. However, for some inexplicable reason, in the pilot episode, Ted and Marshall opted to fill their bowl with... billiard balls. Had they just been collecting them? Did they take them from the bar, perhaps? Maybe they once owned a table and the balls are all that’s left? We didn’t have long to ponder these questions as this random decorative feature disappeared by the following episode. The trio of small coffee tables on which it’s placed is also changed as well.
#9: Ted’s Break-Up Painting
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For nine seasons we watched Ted fall head-over-heels in love... and get his heart broken. Eagle-eyed viewers with a penchant for interior design may have noticed that he has a particular way of moving on from heartache. When Ted and Robin break up, he decides that his apartment could use a fresh coat of paint. He also decides to redecorate after Stella leaves him at the altar. Eventually, though, he learns that no amount of D.I.Y is enough to heal his broken heart. Ultimately, he chooses to leave the apartment, and those memories, behind altogether.
#8: The Origins of Teddy Westside
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“Subway Wars” Ted often campaigned for his friends to call him “Teddy Westside”, with very little success. But have you ever wondered why he was so adamant about this particular nickname? As we learn from the season six episode, “Subway Wars”, Ted’s apartment is located somewhere around 75th and Amsterdam on the Upper West Side. Clearly, Ted’s home means so much to him that he wants to incorporate it into his nickname. The show is loosely based on creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas’ real lives. And this address is based on their first “awesomely crappy” apartment, after they moved to New York.
#7: Chinese Checkers Board Art
This one isn’t totally exclusive to Ted and Marshall’s apartment. For some yet-to-be-discovered reason, there’s a picture of a Chinese checkers board hanging in the gang’s respective apartments throughout the series. At Robin’s place, you’ll notice it in the kitchen, while at Ted and Marshall’s it’s hanging outside their bathroom. Maybe it’s some inside joke that we’re not in on, or a puzzle that we’re meant to solve. To this day, it’s not entirely clear what it’s meant to symbolize — if anything. If anyone watching has any idea, please share it with the group in the comments.
#6: New York Central System Poster
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Speaking of interesting choices of artwork, there’s a poster of the New York Central Railroad System hanging up near the piano. We know that the gang is rather proud of living in New York City, but we imagine that there are probably better ways to showcase that pride. Also, none of the apartment’s inhabitants ever expressed a particularly keen interest in the railroad system. If anything, Ted seems more partial to buses, while Marshall would probably say that he could outrun a train anyway. The only feasible reason we can imagine for this choice of poster is to signify that they’re proud New Yorkers.
#5: Mystery Table Behind the Sofa
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No, we’re not talking about the one by the fire escape. We’re sure that you’ve noticed that one on plenty of occasions. The one we’re talking about is located directly behind the sofa, and is only visible from a very specific camera angle. This means that it’s often hidden by the seating arrangement in their living area, and it doesn’t seem as if anyone uses it for anything across the show’s nine seasons. It’s even accompanied by a chair that’s also just out of view. Since the table is barely, if ever, in use, by Ted’s own rulings it should go into the Bermuda triangle outside their apartment.
#4: The Kitchen Gets Redecorated
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As in real life, it’s not uncommon for homes to get updated and redecorated as the inhabitants’ tastes change and mature. A prime example of this in Ted and Marshall’s apartment is the change of decor in their kitchen. Above the sink, you’ll always spot a lamp, a sign, and a doll. However, the details of these items change throughout the series. Perhaps one of the most notable changes is when an actual doll is replaced by a picture of one. If you want to see for yourself, be sure to pause an episode any time the characters are in the kitchen, and take a closer look.
#3: Reappearing Furnishings
After Robin moves out, Ted realizes that he needs a fresh start. He decides to give the apartment to Lily and Marshall, who are unhappily living in Long Island. When they enter the apartment, it’s completely empty, with nothing left behind. Yet after they settle back in, certain items seem to resurface… even the little British phone booth that we’re fairly sure was given to Ted by a former girlfriend. So we have to wonder, did Ted decide that it was a bit extreme to clear out the place? Or have his friends slowly been collecting his household possessions to furnish their apartment?
#2: The Changed Couch
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When the gang isn’t hanging out in their favorite booth at MacLaren’s, they’re usually in the apartment upstairs. The couch in the middle of their living area has been the setting for plenty of significant moments. However, if you cast your mind back to early season one, you’ll notice that it’s not the same red couch that’s instantly recognizable to fans today. Instead, they own a brown leather couch that’s roughly the same size, and has identical features on its arms. It seems that all that has changed is the color and material. Maybe the room just needed a touch of red to really make it pop.
#1: It’s Always Sandwich Time
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There’s a certain activity that Ted, Marshall, and Lily particularly enjoyed partaking in during their college days. But they’re still not opposed to returning to their old hobby as adults, either. This is best reflected through the clocks in their apartment. Anytime you see one in the background, it always seems to be set to 4:20... and we all know what that means. It’s clearly a cleverly placed easter egg by the set designers. However, we prefer to believe that the trio deliberately set their clocks this way, so that no matter what, it’s always time to eat a sandwich.
