ABC’s Modern Family has given us three lovable families to follow and laugh with over the past 11 seasons. And while the Pritchetts may be the nuclear family, they have given us the Dunphys, the Delgado-Pritchetts, and the Tucker-Pritchetts. The Dunphys may be beloved thanks to Phil’s antics and we all adore Gloria and Jay’s crazy relationship but it’s Mitchell and Cameron who stand out above the rest.
Mitchell and Cameron are dads to their daughter Lily and live on the first floor of a duplex (renting out the top half). As two men with a real eye for fashion and flair, their home is sophisticated and matches their own taste (even though their chosen decor is constantly made fun of by their friend Pepper). Now that Lily is a teenager, her childhood bedroom has transformed into a room for a young woman but Cam and Mitchell’s home hasn’t changed much besides renovating their kitchen (thanks to that pesky blender fire). Nevertheless, let’s take a look at small details we may have missed about Mitch and Cam’s home while watching Modern Family.
THERE’S NO TV IN THE LIVING ROOM
When you stop and think about it, the only person who casually watches TV is Jay. The Dunphys have a TV but no one is lounging in front of it unless the family is watching a movie. For the Tucker-Pritchetts, a TV is never to be seen.
When Cameron, Mitchell, or Lily are hanging out in the house, they’re typically reading, doing homework, coloring, or conversing. They’re either super against electronics in the house that aren’t phones or speakers or a TV doesn’t match their home’s aesthetic.
THEIR DINING ROOM WAS MISSING A TABLE IN THE BEGINNING
In the introductory episode of Modern Family, we see Mitch and Cam sitting in front of their dining room as they talk about their relationship and family life. While the dining room still has that art piece of the hand and the small table below it, there is no dining room table in the scene on the left.
It’s quite possible the show was still waiting on what to do with the space but as we can see on the right side, a warm table and four chairs were added for company.
THE REAL ADDRESS IS DOWN THE ROAD FROM FOX STUDIOS
Although Modern Family is produced by ABC, the real house’s address is just a stone’s throw away from Fox Studios. In the world of Modern Family, Mitch and Cam actually live down the road from the Dunphys.
Living so close to each other allows Mitch and Claire to help one another out (along with Cameron and Phil to get together when their sibling-spouses are driving them crazy). In actuality, the space shown on the screen is done on a set, it’s not what the house pictured actually looks like.
THE COLOR OF THEIR GARB MAY INDICATE LILY’S VIEW ON HER DADS
There have been multiple episodes of Cameron getting upset at being the “woman” of the family. As a stay-at-home-dad, a self-described “trophy husband,” and the more emotional one in the relationship, many assume Cameron is the mother to Lily (even though he’s her dad and has never inquired about transitioning). He has gotten upset when Mitchell calls him “she” or when people congratulate him on Mother’s Day.
With their portraits painted above Lily as she slept, Mitchell can be seen as strong and independent in his blue (masculine) robe. Meanwhile, Cameron looks shy and timid wrapped in his pink (feminine) toga. Was this by coincidence to play into the joke or to describe their personalities?
THE MAGICAL PAGE IN CAMERON’S SCRAPBOOK
Once Mitchell and Cameron’s new kitchen is rebuilt, we can see Cameron going through a scrapbook at the kitchen table. As he speaks to Mitchell, we can see a rather eye-catching page in the scrapbook.
When you zoom in, we see the word “Poof!” right above a picture of a man doing magic: Phil Dunphy.
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THEIR WHITEBOARD
When you notice the small changes that take place int he Dunphy and Delgado-Pritchett households, it makes you wonder why it took Cameron and Mitchell so long to renovate their own home. Their style changes as much as the other families in the LA area, so why not?
With their new kitchen finally completed, if you take a look at their whiteboard in the kitchen you’ll notice a headshot of a man. Well, that man picture if Eric Stonestreet’s (Cameron) high school graduation picture. It’s gold and we need more of these around the house.
REAL BABY PICTURES OF LILI CAN BE FOUND AROUND THE HOUSE
If you take a closer look at the Dunphy residence, you’ll see pictures of the entire family along the wall of their stairwell. From Haley to Alex to Luke, their faces are all over that house.
The Tucker-Pritchetts are a little different. With a bigger eye for art and fine pieces, we don’t see too many personal photos of the family around their home. However, if you look closely this picture of Lily (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons) floats around the house. In this scene, the picture can be found on a breakfast tray. In later episodes, it’s on the bookshelf in the living room.
THE WINDOW MYSTERIOUSLY SHIFTED
As aforementioned, Mitchell and Cameron’s decor doesn’t change too much. Their paint colors stay the same and so does their artwork. However, in a flub created by production, we can see a small shift in their living room window.
In the scene on the left, the window is very close to the corner of where the two walls meet. In the scene on the right, the window has shifted closer to the fireplace and there’s now a shelf in between the wall and the window!
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THEIR HOT TUB?
Who can forget when Mitchell and Cameron realized there was a stranger taking a dip in their hot tub. Both were flabbergasted that a stranger would have the gull to do such a thing. But on the flip side, both men were also transfixed on the beautiful stranger before them.
Actor James Marsden played a squatter named Barry to lied about being a neighbor. Due to how attractive Barry was, Cam and Mitch allowed him to relax in their hot tub. However, where on earth did their hot tub go after this episode? Cameron and Mitchell scream “hot tub people,” so why aren’t they taking advantage of that more?
AND LILY’S PRINCESS CASTLE?
Another aspect of Mitchell and Cameron’s backyard is Lily’s princess castle. Mitchell built the entire castle because he wanted to prove to Cameron and Jay that he could be just as manly and useful when it comes to taking care of his daughter.
As we later find out, Mitchell had a horrible time putting this castle together and even got stuck inside. But considering how much Lily loved princesses and fairytales, where did this castle go after the fact?
