Movie Set Monday- The Holiday Part 2

MOVIE SET MONDAY-THE HOLIDAY PART 2

Hi, friends! I took last week off because I was honestly just too busy enjoying my weekend with family and friends, so here we are, as promised, with round two of The Holiday movie set. Last time we discussed Iris’s charming, English cottage, and I still can’t get over her bathroom. But today we are heading back across the pond to a lovely little town called Los Angeles and to Amanda’s house. I mean, I don’t hate it. 🙂 I love the flowers hanging out on the terrace. And the greenery in the front of the house is quite beautiful. Not to mention that grand entrance you get to make every time you drive through those gates and around that fountain. Inside the front door is a very spacious foyer. Big enough for a crystal chandelier. Other than that feature, my favorite part about this particular room of the house is the color of the doors. I’m not sure if they are just a light wood or painted a similar color, but they are so fresh and airy. I’m usually a fan of black interior doors, but I think it’d be too harsh in this space.  Just off the foyer you move into the living room. Again, more neutral colors and natural elements with the pops of greenery and the mossy mantel decor. Look at that tree trunk table between the chairs. I love an unexpected piece of furniture in a room like that. It might not catch your eye right away, but when you find it, it really stands out. And this one does in a good way! The corbels along the wall are so pretty and a nice architectural detail especially since everything appears to be painted the same color. Looking back through the foyer you see the staircase. I think the tiered wall on the left side is a fun way to keep the foyer open and airy.
The sconces seem to be a reoccurring theme for Nancy Meyers. They are a common lighting option for most of her film sets. I often forget that not all lighting has to be in the ceiling. And if you aren’t wanting to make the commitment of lighting like this, there are plug in options that are perfect for a bedside light. I’m also kind of loving the art. I would absolutely have something like this if I had a “She Shed” or a “Woman Cave” or a “Lady’s Lair” (I’m just trying to find alliterative names for rooms just for girls now.) Anyhow, my dream piece of art is a famous photo of Barbra Streisand. This one:But when I pitched the idea to Paul, he was less than thrilled. Isn’t she gorgeous, though? I just love this photo.

Okay, Babs gets me every time. Back to The Holiday.  Judging from the room beyond this one, I think this is the room you’d enter if you walked straight past the staircase. I can’t get enough of this room. All of the windows streaming in the natural light really is stunning. The posts and beams are such a rich, beautiful color. I love the floor color. It allows for the rest of the lighter furniture and natural colors to pop. Can you imagine this kitchen? It’s a little more industrial than I’d design for myself, but goodness it’s pretty. I think the hardware on the cabinets is really interesting. I’ve never seen anything like it. And the window shades are the perfect compliment to the feel of the room. Also, no runners on the floor and very simple chair and stool covers are all this room needs. I do love the touch of sweetness from the lanterns. It softens it up just a bit. This media room is everything! I would never leave my house if I had this room. I love to watch a good movie, and this looks like the perfect place to do just that. There’s even a popcorn machine in the corner! Yep, I’d never leave. I will say this…it’s too brown. The walls and the floor. We painted our master bedroom in our Louisiana house brown. I liked it because it was dark. But I grew tired of the brown pretty quickly. I think a black would be more my style or a deep navy. The office is maybe my favorite room of Amanda’s house. I love a good home office, but these curtains are my dream curtains. I keep saying I’m getting emerald green velvet curtains for my master bedroom here in the apartment, but the ones I’ve found that I love are going to cost me a pretty penny. And I’m just not ready to bite the bullet yet. But look how they flank that gorgeous patio behind the double doors. There’s not one thing I don’t love about this room. This is the exact table I’ve always envisioned for my own home office, should I ever need one. I don’t want just a desk. I want a whole table with the X-leg design. I think it’s perfection.  Amanda’s bedroom is tied for second of my favorite rooms with the media room. The shag rug would be delightful to put your feet on every morning. Also, who remembers those remote-controlled blackout shades on the windows? That was way cool. Below is a sitting area that’s another common design element in Nancy’s films. This one is very sweet, but doesn’t look as comfortable, which I think is actually perfect for Amanda’s character. If you’ve seen the movie, you know she’s too high strung to sit down to relax. It’s there purely for aesthetics. But it works beautifully.Now I love INTERIOR design but EXTERIOR design is just as important. Especially when you live in a town with weather as beautiful as L.A. This patio/pool set is hotel worthy. The light wood furniture is chic with those deep navy cushions and pillows. And look at that basket of towels rolled up across the pool. That’s pure genius. And what incredible landscaping right? It looks like a private oasis that is secluded and not in the middle of one of the busiest cities on earth.

Oh, and the tiny balcony. I don’t know where that leads to, but it’s just precious. If I ever came across a place like this on Air B&B I’d have to book it in a heartbeat. How lucky was Iris to have been able to score a vacation home as nice as this one?
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed walking through Amanda’s home with you today. Again, I always hope you get some inspiration for your own decor or design with each of these posts. I know I sure do. I also just hope you have fun looking at some pretty pictures of some genius movie sets from some crazy talented decorators.

Until next time.

*All photos are from Google Images. Some are watermarked with their credit source.

Movie Set Monday- The Holiday

MOVIE SET MONDAY- THE HOLIDAY

Welcome back to Movie Set Monday. Did anyone else get thrown off with the time change? All that daylight made me forget I actually had things I needed to do. And I still didn’t get it all done. The to-do list always seems to grow doesn’t it?

Anyway, today we are taking a trip across the pond to Surrey, England to a darling cottage from The Holiday. Yes, another Nancy Meyer’s film. I can’t help myself. She’s just so dang good. And her movie set, well sets, were no exception for this movie. Just look at the sweet, snow-covered roof, two chimneys, the precious portico, and that robin’s egg blue trim. And don’t forget about the little gate that bears the name of the house, Rosehill Cottage. Why don’t we name our homes here? English traditions are so charming.

Living Room

This space is so quintessentially “cottage” to me. All of the natural wood detail in the beams and around the stairs and windows, the stone walls, the floral patterns, the white slipcover chair, the pops of blue in the ottoman and pillows, the fireplaces, and the neutral color palette all say cottage. And it’s a lovely one at that.  I included the photo below because I love seeing new ideas to decorate. The two frames propped against the wall on top of the mantle is a great alternative to actually hanging them on the wall. (Can you imagine trying to hang something into that stone? No thanks.)

I love the decor as you enter the kitchen. First of all, I love a good interior door, and this one with the window is just too cute. Also, the china cabinet is a beauty. It looks like it was hand-made and has been in Iris’s family forever. It looks old yet perfectly sturdy and substantial. It’s amazing. Her little gallery wall is a nice pop of unexpected bright color that must make her very happy when she walks by. I will be the first to admit that my favorite colors are black and white, but a good dose of bright color is an instant mood booster. And a mini gallery wall in a small space is the perfect opportunity to display one. 

Kitchen

A fireplace in the kitchen? How cute is that? I don’t exactly know how safe it is, but didn’t people used to cook over an open fire before stoves and ovens?

There are so many details for me to mention here, so I’m just going to list the things I love: chandelier, open shelving with all those beautiful blue and white serving pieces, that teeny oven, the blue cabinets (which totally tie in to the trim on the exterior), the trough-like, angled sink, the rug, the dining table in the kitchen (I told y’all in the Stepmom post that I loved that.), and maybe my favorite thing is the little lamp in the windowsill. I have very deep windowsills in my apartment, and it has never occurred to me to put a lamp there. What a cute idea. 

The Bedroom

Holy beautiful ceiling! The wood beams floating across the “ceiling” are pretty spectacular enough, but add the actual ceiling into the mix and the wow factor is elevated to another level. I think a white iron bed like this one is the perfect bed for a cottage. Isn’t it adorable? There’s also a pop of blue in the bedside table. Carrying an accent color throughout your house is an excellent way to create flow in your home.

I love the idea of a fireplace in the bedroom. It seems romantic and in cold London it would provide the perfect amount of warmth on those snowy, winter nights.  The wardrobe is built in! I have seen this movie 5,000 times, and I always thought it was free standing. Turns out it’s just an interestingly shaped closet. I love that detail! Of course I love the sitting area even if it’s just one chair and a small corner of the chest of drawers. I am still seeing the benefits of having an area like this in my own master bedroom and will have it one day. You can see some of my other favorite master bedroom sitting areas here, here, and here.

The Bathroom

The bathroom is maybe the most charming room in the cottage besides that ceiling in the bedroom. The stone walls throughout are absolutely delightful, and the wooden windowsill is the cutest thing to me. It’s all in the details. But the other wood detail on the slanted wall is the real showstopper.

Everything in this room is stunning, actually. I’m crazy about the floor. The painted and well-worn black diamond pattern is such a great detail. Painting or stenciling the floor is something I’ve seen done over and over, and I never get tired of it.

Now, I’m not 100% sure where the sink is, but I do love this dresser in the bathroom. I’m going to assume the sink is out of shot. And we’ve continued with the blue on the walls in this room. It’s just so good, right?

Well, I hope you enjoyed seeing Iris’s charming English cottage. I hope you’ll come back next week to see inside Amanda’s Los Angeles home. Here’s a little sneak peek. 

Yep, pretty incredible, right? So come on back next Monday to see the rest of the set of The Holiday. And have a great week, y’all!

*All photos were found from Google Images. 

 

 

Favorite Christmas Movies

FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIES

There’s something about this time of year that makes me just want to watch ALL the movies. Yes, there’s quite a few Hallmark Christmas movies, but I do manage to fit in some of my all time favorites. Here’s my list.

The Family Stone

No surprise here if you’ve read my blog for a while or if you follow me on Instagram. This is my all-time favorite movie. Not just my favorite Christmas movie. It’s just so perfectly disfunctional and awkward, yet it’s endearing and full of love. And can we talk about that house? It’s perfection. Serious goals.

Elf

Another one I’ve shared before. Elf is an absolute delight to watch. Will Ferrell is genius in this movie, and I laugh out loud at him every time I watch it. I can quote it and often do in my head when something happens that reminds me of it. At school this year, someone came to tell on someone else because they had been called a Cotton-headed ninny muggins. Bahahaha! It took all I had in me not to laugh and tell them to go get in the child’s face and say, “You sit on a throne of lies.” 🙂 🙂 🙂

White Christmas

What a classic. I am so happy it’s on Netflix this year! Thank you, Netflix. I discovered this movie not too many years ago and couldn’t believe it had taken me so long to see it. I can’t get enough of it now. I just love to watch it, and the ending make my heart so happy. It’s definitely one I’ll be watching year after year. I love the music and the dancing. Bing Crosby is magical to watch and to listen to. He’s one of the greats. Paul told me this year that he’s never watched this movie. I think it’s time to change that!

The Holiday

Okay, I just went back to an old post about my favorite movies, and this one is on it too. I clearly have a thing for Christmas movies. I watched this one on Amazon just the other day. In college I watched it on a loop. The writing, the music, the acting, the setting (those houses-always the houses in a Nancy Meyers film…swoon). And Jack Black has his best role ever as Miles. I just love that scene where he asks her out for New Years and he gives the tiniest fist pump to himself. And don’t you just get chills when they open the doors for Arthur (the older gentleman), and all those people are cheering for him. I cry every time. Watch this one please!

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Just pure silliness. But in the best possible way. Straight out of the gate it’s nonsense, but it’s the funniest nonsense. It’s no wonder it’s a cult classic that will be enjoyed for years to come.

Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Jim Carrey was amazing in this one. I used to not care for it, but once I sat down and actually watched it, I realized it’s quite wonderful. And any Gossip Girl fans out there? Cindy Lou Who is Jenny! I remember having this soundtrack as a kid and loving it. I might need to buy this one.

A few others that I like to watch are Love Actually, Four Christmases, Deck the Halls, and Home Alone (1 and 2).

What are your favorite Christmas movies to watch every year?

Merry Christmas,

Elizabeth