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.
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.)
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 
Fun fact about me- I used to be a pretty big Lakers fan. Not sure why. I’ve never been to L.A., never saw one of their games anywhere else, but I just really liked them when I was in junior high and high school. I remember staying up really late once to watch one of the championship games. Anyway…now that I’ve thoroughly lost cool points with most of you…He won for Best Animated Short Film called Dear Basketball. I thought it was pretty cool. Also, his wife looks incredible. She’s beautiful, and that dress is her color.
I think maybe this is the best she’s ever looked on the red carpet. It was truly her night. Everything is perfection. 
Already I can find something to love: the window. Every home in this series has incredible windows. I think a window in front of a sink is the perfect placement. If you must wash dishes by hand, you have to have a window to look out. The other thing I love about this space (well, one of them) is the marble top island. It’s bright and is the perfect compliment to all of the other wood shelving and the neutral colored countertop. 
The architectural detail of the ceiling is so pretty. It’s a planked ceiling and the beams give it just a little something extra. Other fun details are the skirting to the left of the dishwasher and the cabinets under the sink. The whole feel of the kitchen is a little French provincial and cottage. Yet it has a few modern elements, and everything works so well together.
There’s just so much I love about it. It’s not too big yet not small at all. The dark tile is really nice. That range…holy smokes! Open shelving. Covered bar stools. Sweet little rolling cart to the left of the island. The pendant lights. The hanging pots and pans. That window. The arched opening. Open to the dining table. It’s just so cute!
Jane (Meryl’s character) is a divorced mother of three who is getting ready to do a major home renovation. Steve Martin is her contractor who is actually going to build her a new kitchen. Um…why? Below is a more pulled back photo of the kitchen and dining area. I think both spaces perfectly compliment each other. The flow is perfect. 
Into the living room we find more beams, a great fireplace, and I spy French doors. This room is very warm and inviting. I know the orange chair and accents have a lot to do with that, but the wood tones also add to the warmth of the space.
The armoire is so beautiful, and isn’t it so perfect that they all settled in for a movie in this room? It’s so nice and shows just how cozy and liveable a space like this could be. I know movie sets are perfectly styled, but isn’t it so refreshing to see the characters just vegging out in the room? I’m sort of loving all of the white furniture too. Grown kids and no pets! 🙂 It’ll be a very long time before I’ll be able to have beautiful white furniture. 
This hallway makes me so happy. There’re a few more archways and more of the same tile that mimics the kitchen. The window in the hallway just soaks it with sun. I bet it’s would be a lovely route to the kitchen in the morning sunlight. The light fixture is very pretty and simple and works perfectly in that spot.
First of all, I really like the shape of this bed. It’s interesting yet classic. And I know I went on and on about the desk in the bedroom of 
The table on the other side of the bed is so gorgeous. I love that it’s a round table, but that pedestal is so curvy and special. And that little bench at the foot of the bed is beautiful. It’s raw and natural and ties in perfectly with the wood accent on the bed and with the round bedside table. 
The Master Bathroom is so great. The two-toned cabinets are really special. That mirror is perfection. The dark tub is very inviting. The bathroom door is even pretty. And that diamond patterned floor is so good. 
Alec Baldwin plays Jane’s ex-husband, and judging by this picture, you can tell that the title of the film, It’s Complicated, is quite fitting. 
Don’t you just love a good tiled bathroom wall? I used to be against it because I grew up with one for a while and didn’t love it. But now, I kind of do. 
One of the great things about this movie set is the outdoor space. This garden is everything you could wish for. I have a black thumb and will never be able to have such a garden. I once killed a cactus, so I don’t have much confidence. 
Look at this patio. The ivy growing up the side of the house is so whimsical. Wouldn’t you love to sit and have coffee in that chair in the mornings? Or drink wine with your friends out there on a cool, fall evening? Putting a table out there for a meal would be perfect too. I just love a good outdoor space. 
Jane has a store also. She went to school in Paris and became a pastry chef, and she has this delightful shop. Isn’t it gorgeous? The white pendants, the exposed brick, the transoms, the coffee bar, the island of fresh produce and pastries, I could go on. It’s so open and airy and looks exactly like a shop I’d like to visit quite often for a chocolate croissant and a delicious cup of coffee. 
The tables are so sleek, and don’t those two look adorable together?
I hope you see this movie if you haven’t already. As always, check your local library first. Free, one night rentals, y’all! You’ll laugh, maybe cry, cringe, smile a lot, and just enjoy a really great movie by a really great filmmaker. You’ll also get so many great decorating ideas. I am always inspired by some aspect of the design and decor of this set every time I watch.