The Nominations Are In! Best Movie Houses
Have you seen the films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar? No? Me neither. Like, not a single one. For about the fifth year in a row. But I love the Oscars anyway and, rest assured, I will be tuning in Sunday night to watch the Best and Worst Dressed strut their stuff down the red carpet.
I don’t know about you, but whenever I watch a movie, I am totally distracted by the set. If a scene is shot in a great living room, I’m too busy swooning over the fabulous fireplace mantle to register any plot points. It’s probably not normal, I admit. My main takeaway from watching “Fatal Attraction”?: Wow, she lived in a great loft! Just kidding. Sort of.
Which brings me to the topic of this post: fabulous movie houses! Thinking back on all the movies I’ve seen over the years, a handful come to mind featuring houses that were AH-mazing (thanks to Julia at Hooked on Houses for many of the images below!) And the nominees are:
- “Something’s Gotta Give”
- “It’s Complicated”
- “The Kids Are All Right”
- “The Blind Side”
- “This is 40”.
Let’s look at some dreamy pictures, and discuss.
“SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE”
If you didn’t already have a Southhampton beach house at the top of your must-have list, watching this movie will change all of that. Sure, Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton gave their usual reliable performances, but that isn’t what interested me. I imagined myself sneaking off to that fabulous kitchen to join in on their pancake party, leaning into that Enormous kitchen island! With Gorgeous soapstone countertops! Or maybe I’d tuck into the sumptuous writing nook in Diane Keaton’s (I have no clue what her character’s name was) bedroom to read her latest screenplay. Those built-ins! Those windows! Yes, please, and thank you.
“IT’S COMPLICATED”
Written by Nancy Meyers (who also wrote “Something’s Gotta Give”), “It’s Complicated” again features fabulous actors (Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, and Steve Martin), about whom I could not have cared less because zomg that house! I didn’t realize I needed to live in a Spanish hacienda-style house until I saw this gem. I, too, need wide verandas, and open shelving in my marble-covered kitchen. (Green sippy cups and Goldfish bags be damned). Can I venture out to my garden to snip sprigs of thyme for my home baked bread? Yes. I. can.
“THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT”
Great actors. Plot line I sort of followed. You know the drill by now. Part hippy, part yuppie, this house wasn’t GRAND, but it was impeccably done. It was the sort of house you could SORTA see yourself living in in reality, with a casual elegance that meant that of course no real people actually lived there. Who wouldn’t want to sip wine with Annette, Julianne, and Mark on the deck of dreams? I would!
“THE BLIND SIDE”
Ah, Southern Splendor. I confess I did pay attention to the plot of this movie because, wow, what an inspiring story. And of course, THAT HOUSE! If only I could be rescued by Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw and be read “Ferdinand” every night. But, I digress. That staircase! Swoon! Those built-ins and fabulous kitchen/family room! No wonder Michael Oher insisted on turkey dinner at the table. Get a load of that room! Ya’ll come back!
“THIS IS 40”
I think this movie had something to do with: turning 40 stinks and aren’t Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd adorable (they are). Again, here we go with the gleaming all white kitchen, built-ins, gorgeous hardwood floors and – a pool house! (in a cool way, not a cheesy 70’s way). Somehow this house is unbelievable even though two young teens occupy it with their parents, who are too busy trying to go clubbing and heading to Vegas to notice (or was that “Knocked Up”? Anyway, hilarious hijinks ensue). Now I understand why Katherine Heigl stayed in the pool house of this Brentwood home in “Knocked Up” – can I get a room too?
AND THE WINNER IS: White and off-white kitchen cabinets, subway tile backsplash, soapstone and marble countertops, kitchen open to family room, walls of windows, chunky moldings, beautiful fireplace mantles, gleaming hardwood floors, and stunning coffered ceilings. What’s not to love? They’re all winners in my book!
What are some of your favorite movie houses? Add a Comment and let me know!
