The Simpsons house

The Simpsons house is the residence of the Simpson family in the animated sitcom The Simpsons and in The Simpsons Movie. The house's address is most frequently attributed as 742 Evergreen Terrace. In the series, the house is occupied by Homer and Marge Simpson and their three children: Bart, Lisa, and Maggie.

742 Evergreen Terrace

"Good Night" (1987)

Matt Groening

The Simpsons’ house

Residential house

Springfield, United States

Homer Simpson
Marge Simpson
Bart Simpson
Lisa Simpson
Maggie Simpson
Santa's Little Helper
Snowball II

To the left of the Simpsons' house (as seen from the street) is Ned Flanders' house.^[1]^[2] The house to the right has been occupied by numerous owners in different episodes including Mr. and Mrs. Winfield, Ruth and Laura Powers, Sideshow Bob, and the extended Flanders family.

The street name is in reference to series creator Matt Groening's childhood street in Portland, Oregon. The house's address was inconsistent in earlier seasons, with the address being given various numbers on Evergreen Terrace, and one address on a different street.^[3]

In 1997, a real-life replica of the house was constructed at 712 Red Bark Lane in Henderson, Nevada, and given away as the grand prize in a contest, though the winner chose a cash option instead of the house.^[4]

In-universe[edit]

The house's first chronological appearance is in the flashback episode "Lisa's First Word", when Homer and Marge purchase it. The house was auctioned to Ned Flanders in "No Loan Again, Naturally", and since then leased to the Simpsons.

In The Simpsons Movie, the house and all of the family's possessions are completely destroyed by a sinkhole under Maggie's sandbox, which expands after the Simpsons escape through it and the police fire their service weapons into it. At the end of the film, the townsfolk and the family themselves rebuild the house in exactly the same manner as it was before, restoring the "status quo". The opening sequence and the couch gag of "He Loves to Fly and He D'ohs" shows the house still under construction, along with the whole town rebuilding after the events of the movie.

Design[edit]

The Simpsons house is shown as a light pink or light brown two-story detached house with an attached garage, basement, and loft. A suburban tract house,^[4] the building is at least 50 feet (15 m) wide.^[5] The arched front door leads directly into the foyer where an arch to the left leads to the sitting room, and one to the right leads into the dining room. In some episodes, such as "Opposites A-Frack", there is a half bathroom in the foyer. There is also a small cupboard and stairs to the second floor. The sitting room and the dining room both feature bay windows. At the back of the house is the living room and the kitchen. Towards the house's rear are stairs to the basement, which are replaced by a closet in some episodes. Though rarely seen, there is also a hallway off the kitchen leading to a recreation room.^[6]

The second story of the house features Marge and Homer's bedroom (with an ensuite bathroom), Bart's bedroom, Lisa's bedroom, Maggie's bedroom, and a bathroom. On the landing, there is a hatch that leads to the attic.

The backyard of the house is surrounded by a wooden picket fence and a low box hedge. It features a patio and Bart's treehouse, from which the "Treehouse of Horror" Halloween specials take their name. Occasionally, there is a hammock tied to two trees near the fence that borders Ned Flanders's backyard.

The house floor plan used by writers in the 1990s was shared by former Simpsons writer Josh Weinstein.^[7]

The most commonly used address for the Simpsons' house is 742 Evergreen Terrace, though the episode "New Kid on the Block" places it at 1094 Evergreen Terrace, while the episode "Homer's Triple Bypass" uses the 742 address as Snake's house.

Features and furniture[edit]

The basement always includes a washing machine, a clothes dryer, and, after the episode "Blood Feud", a large Olmec statue of a head which was a present from Mr. Burns given to Bart in that episode. The appearance of other features such as a furnace, ping-pong table, air hockey set, and water softener varies from episode to episode. The basement is often used as a "secret lair", where Homer hides after faking the kidnapping of Mr. Burns's son in "Burns, Baby Burns", brews alcohol to beat prohibition in "Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment", hides his superhero operation as Pie Man in "Simple Simpson", and where Marge hides during a spell of agoraphobia in "Strong Arms of the Ma". Bart hints in one episode that the basement has a problem with radon gas, then lets a homeless man sleep there in "The Day the Violence Died". It is revealed in the episode "Father Knows Worst" that there is a sauna behind the water heater that was covered up by paint and dust, but which Marge accidentally found.

A simple painting of a boat hangs on the wall above the living room couch. Marge says she painted it for Homer in "The Trouble with Trillions". In the episode "Diatribe of a Mad Housewife", the painting has a plaque saying it was based on a scene from Moby Dick. In the Season 27 episode "Barthood", young Lisa is seen drawing the sail boat painting. In the episode "Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass", Homer destroys the painting over the couch and Marge retrieves a replica out of a closet. The painting is also destroyed by Lisa's guinea pig in "The War of Art" but it gets replaced with a replica made by a famous art forger.

In the "Treehouse of Horror IV" episode, a Dogs Playing Poker painting appears above the sofa. In "Treehouse of Horror VI", there is a portal behind the bookcase in the sitting room that leads to the third dimension, a reference to The Twilight Zone episode "Little Girl Lost". However, Treehouse of Horror episodes are not canonical.

Condition[edit]

The house is often shown as dilapidated. For example, the walls are painted with lead paint and the roof leaks. In "All's Fair in Oven War", the kitchen receives an extensive modern remodel, but it reverts to its previous appearance in the following episode. One running gag shows the interior of the walls and floors filled with dangerous or unusual items when the camera pans between floors or rooms. Some of these unusual items include: asbestos, toxic waste, hidden treasure, recording devices, baby dinosaurs, dancing mice and the family cat, Snowball II. However, the lived-in spaces are usually kept neat by Marge. In one episode Moe Szyslak observes that it contains no silverfish.

Many episodes in which Springfield is hit by extreme heat waves indicate that the house lacks air conditioning. In a flashback episode, Homer steals Ned Flanders' air conditioner and puts it in the window. The house is shown to have a gas furnace, as well as a gas stove, water heater, and dryer. In "Days of Wine and D'oh'ses", Homer reroutes the gas line to turn a totem pole into a fire-breathing "god," filling the entire house with gas in the process.