Where can I rent a home studio set in Chelsea?

If you're scouting a location in Manhattan that looks and feels like a real home — without the headache of permits, neighbors, or trying to light a cramped fifth-floor walk-up — Chelsea has one of the most flexible options in the city: Studio D, the Home Studio Set at MCM Creative Studios, located at 253 West 28th Street.

It's a purpose-built sound stage designed to read on camera as a warm, lived-in residential space, which makes it a strong fit for narrative film, commercials, branded content, lifestyle photography, and podcasts that want a homey backdrop instead of a sterile studio look.

What is a "home studio set," exactly?

A home studio set is a controlled sound stage dressed and built to look like a residential interior — typically a living room or similar domestic space. The advantage over shooting in an actual apartment or house is that you get the look of a home with the infrastructure of a professional stage: high ceilings, a lighting grid, soundproofing, climate control, and room to maneuver crew and gear.

That means no waiting for the upstairs neighbor's dog to stop barking, no extension cords snaking down a hallway to find enough amps, and no apologizing to a homeowner when grip tape pulls up a corner of their hardwood.

Why Studio D works for production

MCM's Studio D is set up specifically so you can walk in and start shooting a "home" scene without bringing your own world with you. According to MCM, the space is "a versatile space easily adaptable to resemble a warm and inviting home setting," ideal for film, commercials, and photography.

A few things that matter on a real shoot day:

• Soundproof and climate-controlled — important when you're recording dialogue or running hot lights for hours

• Lighting grid with 60-amp power — enough headroom for proper key/fill/practical setups without blowing breakers

• High-speed Wi-Fi suitable for live streaming, which matters if you're doing a hybrid event, client video village, or remote director feed

• On-site stage manager so there's someone from the facility responsible for the space while you're working

• Camera, grip, and lighting packages available so you don't have to truck gear in from a separate rental house

• Tables, chairs, and production expendables included — the small stuff that always slows a load-in

What you get beyond the stage itself:

One of the practical reasons to shoot at a facility like this in Chelsea, versus a pure four-wall stage, is the support space around the set. MCM's Home Studio comes with access to a client guest lounge, prep kitchen, an optional private talent green room, and a crafty/catering/coffee bar. For a commercial shoot with agency clients on set, or a narrative piece with talent who needs a quiet place to run lines, that ecosystem matters more than the square footage.

Who it's for:

Productions that tend to fit this kind of stage:

• Commercials that need a home setting — insurance, CPG, pharma, financial services, anything that wants to feel like it's taking place in someone's living room

• Branded content and corporate video where you want a relaxed, conversational tone

• Podcasts and vodcasts that want a more designed-looking set than the typical foam-paneled booth (MCM has hosted shows like Team Human with Douglas Rushkoff in their spaces)

• Narrative shorts and indie films needing an interior location for a controlled number of shoot days

• Lifestyle and editorial photography that wants warmth and texture in the frame

• Livestreams and hybrid events where the home aesthetic plays better than a corporate backdrop

Why Chelsea?

The location is a real part of the value. 253 West 28th Street sits in the middle of Manhattan's production corridor — close to Penn Station for crew and talent coming in by train, walkable to the rest of Chelsea and the Garment District, and centrally located for any cast or client coming from elsewhere in the city. For a one-day shoot, the difference between "a stage in Chelsea" and "a stage in an outer borough you've never been to" usually shows up in your call times and your budget.

How to book

Studio D is one of several stages at MCM's Chelsea facility (the others include a white cyc stage, a green screen stage, and a kitchen set), so if your project has multiple looks, you can potentially keep everything in one building. Booking and inquiries go through MCM's site at mcmcreativestudios.com/homestudioset, or you can reach their inquiries coordinator directly.

If you're trying to decide between renting a real apartment as a location and booking a stage like this one, the math usually comes down to crew size, lighting needs, and how much sound control your project requires. For anything beyond a small crew with available light, a purpose-built home set tends to pay for itself in the time you save not fighting the space.