Bennett works on a new piece at his 1960s-era residence which he decorated with period furnishings.In an East Chattanooga suburb, there is a half-brick rancher edged with clean, square shrubs. The front door is painted periwinkle gray. A wood paneled Chevy station wagon sits parked under the built-in carport. Its license plate reads “Mayberry.”
Inside the home lives Mark Bennett. On any given day, he might be found wearing a cashmere sweater over crisp shirtsleeves. He sports wooden horn-rimmed frames. His living room is arranged with red patent leather and orange crushed-velvet chairs. A cuckoo clock hangs on the wall. Shag carpet spans the area. Atop his coffee table, there is a cigarette dispenser stocked with Benson & Hedges.
Visitors might believe they have been transported to 1956, the very year this house was built. The year Bennett was born. But it is 2016, and he has spent his life making this home just so.
Bennett is an artist and self-proclaimed addict of classic TV. He is best known for his fantasy blueprints which depict famous television homes, from The Andy Griffith Show to Mr. Ed.
Most sitcoms are filmed on stages in studio lots. The homes are constructed with three walls and a roof. Bennett says his renderings simply give the audience that fourth wall. But his attention to detail is extraordinary. For example, Bennett drew a floor plan of Lucy and Ricky Ricardo’s New York apartment as featured in I Love Lucy. It includes all the rooms and furniture to scale – and the type of flower kept in the vase (roses), the size of the couple’s black-and-white television (20 inches), and their phone number (619-7499.)