Crushin’ On Ms. Meyers
This post isn’t about our favorite soap. It’s actually about another Meyers that we’ve loved for just as long: Nancy Meyers.
We kinda late to the game when it comes to exclaiming that we’re certified members of the Nancy Meyers fan club (she’s already been mentioned by many a blogger, so consider this measly addition to the chatter as an invitation to join the bandwagon if you haven’t already). But where do we start? Oh yeah, so Nancy Meyers is a screenwriter / director / producer who just happens to make movies where well-designed interiors are often one of the main characters. Take this awesomely open example from the 2006 movie The Holiday:
That’s Kate Winslet’s English home in the film, which she swaps with Cameron Diaz’s LA home (pictured below) as part of both ladies’ efforts to take a break from life and… well I guess you don’t need to know the whole plot. But clearly the homes are key elements of the story and Meyers (who grew up around interior design) sure has a knack for creating spaces that will have you drooling.
It was actually a bunch of you who recommended that we watch The Holiday about a year ago. At the time we didn’t pay attention to who directed it. But sure enough, about five minutes into things it was totally clear to us that Nancy Meyers was to blame for the painfully amazing decor (along with her fabulous crew, who deserves just as many kuddos as Nancy herself!). We were dying to live in Cameron’s house. And we finally got around to renting It’s Complicated a few months ago just for the eye candy – and it didn’t disappoint.
That photo doesn’t really even do it justice. But believe us when I say that John and I felt like packing up and moving to Santa Barbara after watching it. If only so we could visit the bakery that Streep’s character runs. I couldn’t find a good pic of it online but trust me, it’s uh. mazing. (we highly recommend renting it just for the scenery).
Speaking of renting, we can’t forget to mention 2003′s Something’s Gotta Give. This one features a stunning Hampton’s beach house that Diane Keaton retreats to to write award-winning plays (and date both Jack Nicholson and Keanu Reeves… we know, odd combo). But seriously, just check out this house:
And we can’t mention It’s Complicated and Something’s Gotta Give without shouting out Beth Rubino, the amazing set director who worked with Nancy Meyers for both flicks.
Oh and a funny buried connection is that the inspiration room that we loosely based our very own kitchen on was actually a Nancy Meyers kitchen from House Beautiful (click here for that suuuper old post, and check out the TV screen in the top right corner of the kitchen, which is playing Something’s Gotta Give as a nod to the designer herself). Talk about six degrees of separation! Some other Meyers movies that you might want to check out: the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap featuring a pre-disaster Lindsay Lohan (although John and I caught it on ABC Family the other day and agreed that the interiors are “meh” compared to the others). You can also break out your VHS player to rewatch 1991′s Father of the Bride (and its 1995 sequel). So a big wet kiss goes out to Nancy and her amazing team on each movie who makes all the stunning scenery possible!
And since we’re chatting about on-screen decor, do you have any movies or TV shows that you’d recommend for good home decor eye candy? We remember loving a modern home in Hancock and of course we adored a few of the scenes in I Love You Man (especially the shop where Rashida Jones works). What about you guys?
Images courtesy of Cote de Texas (who btw has a very extensive write-up on Nancy Meyers if you’re looking to dig deeper), IMDB.com, OutNow, and Architectural Digest. Although they’re ultimately all probably courtesy of Universal Pictures.
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The crazy thing is that when my husband and I talk about our favorite houses from movies, we always put the ones from Father of the Bride, Something’s Gotta Give and The Holiday at the top of the list- and we had NO idea that they were at all connected. This actually helps me narrow my style down even more, which I’ve been trying to do for years!
My husband tells me I stalk your blog and that I’m trying to recreate your house in ours. Love your house and your blog! Thanks so much!
Meg
ooh i loved the holiday, and i must admit more for the houses than the plot! (well let’s not forget the jude law factor)
i would love to live in amélie’s flat, or in the bennets’ house in the bbc version of pride&prejudice. and carrie’s flat. and sit in maggie gyllenhaal’s cookie shop from ‘stranger than fiction’. and spend a holiday in the tuscan house from ‘sleeping beauty’. this list could go on and on…
I love the decor of all of the Modern Family houses on the show! Also, that movie with what’s her face, who wears a bunch of bridesmaid dresses…27 Dresses? I love her apartment.
Movie – PS I Love You – their tiny apt is sooo cute!
Show – CougarTown – love the bright but airy color combos in Courtney Cox’s place (but NOT the pink and green craziness of her neighbor!!!)
I don’t like the show Mad Men that much, but sometimes I hang out while my husband is watching it just to drool over the awesome mid-century interiors!
I barely noticed the houses the first few times watching The Holiday, all I could stare at was Jude!
I love the sets of the movie Knocked Up, especially the pool house that Katherine Heigl stays in. I also really liked her apartment on 27 dresses.
Sounds silly but was wacthing the Diseny channel the other day with my son, cute show called “Good Luck Charlie”, amazing home the characters live in lots of things kid friendly and DIYED looking.
I love love Ina Garten’s kitchen on the Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network. I’m holding onto the hope that some day my kitchen will look like that! I’m not sure if the one they shoot with is her actual kitchen…but it looks very similar. Here’s a link: http://www.housebeautiful.com/kitchens/barefoot-contessa-kitchen-of-the-year
It bugged the crap out of me that one of the big-ish plot points in ‘It’s Complicated’ revolved around Meryl Streep’s character wanting to re-do the kitchen; they all kept saying “you’re/she’s/I’m finally getting your/her/my dream kitchen!” And the whole time I’m staring at the screen going, “What dream kitchen?! Are you freaking kidding me?! You HAVE a DREAM KITCHEN!!!” It drove me nuts! Anyone else?
We hear you on that, Val. Though part of us was also excited to see what her “improved” kitchen would look like since we’re assuming it would have to be even better than the one shown. They should do a sequel to It’s Complicated just so we can all see how her renovations turned out. Ha!
-John
You mentioned Cote De Texas as a source for some of the Nancy Meyers info…The author of that blog does a podcast series with some other design bloggers called The Skirted Roundtable (skirtedroundtable.blogspot.com). They did an interview with Beth Rubino, the set director of some of the mentioned movies. Within the podcast, they discuss some of the “jurisdictions” of the aesthetics of movies…pretty interesting!
Cool post! I always take notice of the home decor of my fave flicks! A few cool ones I loved were the super cute craftsman/bungalow in You, Me and Dupree- love the whole house in and out as well as their blue bedroom. Also liked Katherine Heigl’s apt in 27 Dresses shown here: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/look/look-the-apartment-in-27-dresses-055336
I just kept wondering how her character could afford a place with a huge closet like that in NYC!?!? LOL Thanks!!!
I love Cameron’s house in The Holiday, Reese Witherspoon’s apartment in Just Like Heaven, and Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock’s house on the water in the The Lake House.
The movies that have really cool homes in them are also Because I said so. The movie is o-kaaay, but the apartments in them are AwEsOmE!! Also, this may sound weird but in the movie Alvin and the Chipmunks (the first one) “Dave’s” apartment is really cool. Check them out for sure.
Not sure if this has already been said, but the bakery from It’s Complicated does not exist. I lived in Santa Barbara for 6 years and I think the movie bakery is probably inspired from Xanadu in Montecito and/or D’Angelo. Sad, right? That movie bakery looks A-MAZING.
Shelly- you need to plan a SB getaway if you ever get the chance. It’s such an amazing beach side town. We love our place in Sacramento but nothing beats Santa Barbara.
come visit SB anytime – we’d love to have you! and i haven’t seen the film but i know of a few great bakeries about town i could be persuaded to visit ;)
when i win the lottery i’ll just have to hire you guys to come out and fix my condo!
I completely covet the Arts and Crafts House that the family lives in on Joan of Arcadia. So beautiful!
Have to also include Cindy Carr who did set decorating for The Holiday. We actually rented their house they had in Oregon for the summer and they had props from GI Jane and Regarding Henry as furniture. Also kept me busy all summer was the extensive collection of films they have for academy award review.
That’s so cool! Must have been gorgeous!
xo,
s
A fun movie/tv house site is Hooked on Houses, which I’m sure you’re aware of, but thought I’d mention it!
She does Movie Monday and features a big screen home!
You have a thousand comments already so you struck a nerve. I love Meg Ryan’s cozy apartment in Youve got mail and, of course, Tom Hanks houseboat in Sleepless in Seattle. Both very warm and inviting and livable.
Just noticed the ad on your site for Elvis Cirque du Soleil. Check out my blog posting entitled “Graceland Chic” if you are an Elvis fan. http://www.onlinefabricstore.net/blog/what-do-elvis-and-home-decorating-have-in-common/
Sex and the City 2. Carrie and Big’s new apartment is fabulous, esp the living room. The movie left quite a bit to be desired, but the apartments and hotels are worth a gander.
What a great post!! I really loved every one of those movies and have drooled over the houses(especially in Holiday). How great to know that they all designed by the same two women and are connected.
I really loved the house in the movie “Miss Potter”. The parlor is really wonderful! Thanks for the article. I loved reading about it and seeing the “stills” of rooms that I loved.
I haven’t been able to go through all of the comments yet, but wanted to let you know that HookedOnHouses.net has good pictures of Meryl Streep’s bakery in It’s Complicated. =)
http://hookedonhouses.net/2010/07/11/meryl-streeps-house-bakery-in-its-complicated/
Love Nancy Meyers’ stuff. Love it.
Thanks for all the Hooked On Houses recommendations everyone! We love that blog!
xo,
s
This is such a great topic. For as long as I can remember, my dad has said he wants a study like the one Henry Higgins has in My Fair Lady. He loves the old world, dark wood style. Personally, I like the apartment in No Reservations, the kitchen and solarium in Practical Magic, and the seven dwarfs cottage in Snow White (childish, I know). It is great knowing the people who work so hard to make sure every visual aspect of a set is appealing are truly appreciated.
Only went through one page of comments, so I’m sure these were already mentioned but my dream house is Kate Hudson and Matt Dillon’s in “You, Me, & Dupree.” I own that stupid movie just so I can drool over their Frank Lloyd Wright-esque home!
Oh, and my future vacation home (hehehe) will closely resemble the one in What Lies Beneath… without the creepy ghost!
A little bit fantasy, but I love the hobbits’ shire homes in the Lord of the Rings movies! Also, some of the rooms in Harry Potter movies were really awesome.
Oh, good point, the house in What Lies Beneath was great!
Great topic–the amazing houses often make movies so much more worthwhile.
I love her work. TBS just played Father of the Bride I and II this past weekend. I LOVE those movies!!
Great post. Love her movies and the sets are awesome. I was wondering if you guys thought about writing a post about copyrights and giving credits etc, as you use pics from movies, websites, pictures off the web and create your own art. I think that would be awesome. Have a good one!
I looooved It’s Complicated because I loved being in her house! And the bakery was gorgeous. You are spot on when you say the interior is character itself. Love, love, love.
Agree with one of the above posters about Big and Carrie’s new apartment – esp. the living room. That sofa! Also remember loving Mel Gibson’s character’s apartment in “What Women Want.” Ahh…if only I had the budget to do what I dream!
I have a few favorites from movies I remember from my childhood, so this may date me little! I have always loved the California home in the original “The Parent Trap”. All of the stone, open veranda, the neat kitchen, the huge bathroom, the girls’ bedroom, and a great pool surrounded by beautiful rolling hills.
My other favorite home from a childhood movie is the first “Home Alone” movie. Of course, it gets pretty much destoyed by Kevin in the end but has always struck me as a great family home!
Last, but not least, I love to watch episodes of “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour” and “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” on Hulu before I go to bed at night. The houses in each episode are all so varied in their different styles, and although they are in black and white, it is fun to see just how much interior decorating has changed in 50+ years.
I could go on and on about houses featured in some of my favorite childhood tv shows (The Cosby Show, Who’s the Boss, Growing Pains, etc…) but I digress.
Thanks for such a great post topic!
Hilary Swank’s apartment in “PS I Love You” is awesome :)
I love the Dragonfly Inn and Lorelai’s remodeled house from Gilmore girls. Both are a neat combination of textures, colors, patterns as well as class and kitsch.
One show that is currently on tv with great interiors is Modern Family. Check it out (and it’s really funny too!).
I loved the cozy feeling in “The Family Stone” house, which ironically also stars Diane Keaton. The set is remarkably real and lived in. Also the chocolaterie that Juliet Binoche sets up in “Chocolat” is incredibly beautiful. I love the tile floor, turquoise walls, and dark wood. That look would be awesome in a master bathroom.
http://hookedonhouses.net/2009/05/10/movie-monday-the-french-village-of-chocolat/
Loved this post, must say I TOTALLY agree with the interiors mentioned – they really do stand out for me.
Since then I literally stumbled across ‘My Super Ex-Girlfriend’ whilst flicking through the channels and had a late night up that evening as a result, because I couldn’t tear myself away from the interiors!!! It was just sublime…
Okay – totally love movie houses –
I rewound scenes in The Holiday to see more of that cutest cottage – I especially loved those stairs!
Also – Practical Magic – gorgeous – so comfortable and homey….
You, Me, and Dupree – love that craftsman style… living room, dining room, kitchen… love.
And last, weirdly enough, Ghost Town with Ricky Gervais – he plays a dentist who sees dead people, I think. I don’t really remember the plot that well, but the living room of a couple he visits (I think) is to die for – so chic, so well traveled, but so unassuming.
There’s a newish show called Parenthood that has some great homes/sets in it.
I love the homes on Parenthood and Modern Family. Not only are the homes beautiful but the story lines for both these shows are great also!