Often the location a movie is shot becomes one of the characters in the film... Sometimes it's the only interesting thing about the movie.
10. Case in point, Twilight, the Cullen house. Whatever your thoughts on this, uhem, movie, the house was beautiful. It is a real home called The Hoke House, it is 4300 sq.ft and was designed by Jeff Kovel of Skylab Architecture. A different layout for a home, with the combination of the natural wood and windows everywhere this would be an amazing home to spend some time in looking out at the forest.
9. The Notebook, Noah's fixer upper. Also a real home in South Carolina that was distressed for the look of the movie. It's beautiful and grand, yet charming and homey. I think every woman who watched the movie day dreamed of having a balcony like that to paint on while in the nude...among other things.
8. The Great Gatsby, 2013, The Castle. Really every home in this movie was done beautifully from the little cottage to the grand mansion, but I chose to focus the behemoth because the interior design was breathtaking. It is not a real home but was inspired by many grand locations around the world. My favourite is the bedroom, though it could feel weird sleeping in such an open, high ceiling space, visually it is stunning.
7. Home Alone, another real home located in Winnetka, IL. It was built in 1921 and sold for $1.585 mil in 2012. I think a lot of the appeal of this home is the nostalgia, it's beautiful red brick, it's heavily patterned wall paper, that blue tile kitchen counter. Though most of us would redecorate it today it was a fun location for the silliness of the movie. Google it if you want to see how it is currently remodelled.
6. Iron Man, Tony Starks house. Not a real house, and though you and I may have conspiracy ideas about what technology exists out there (or you may not), I doubt anyone is quite living with it in their home to the extent it's depicted in this movie. Still this is a modern, beautiful design with breathtaking views and some pretty badass gadgets.
5. Keanu Reeves house in The Lake House, aka the glass house. This house was built specifically for the movie. 2000 sq.ft of mostly steel and glass, constructed on the ground and then they dug out under it and let the lake flood in for the look they wanted. It was hard to find pics of the interior, but as you can see, you can pretty much see through the whole thing in every shot. Definitely a house you would want in a private location with an investment in blinds. This house was extremely unique and gorgeous in it's own way. It's almost a crime that they tore it down after shooting was finished.
4. The Holiday, Kate Winslet's english home. I love this house. Built just for the movie and done in two weeks. Though it is meant to give the impression of a modest life in the county in a possibly 300 year old home, a real home of it's equal would cost well over $1,000,000 pounds. Reality aside, the sets were absolutely charming with just a touch of fairytale magic that made me want to escape to such a place, and pretty much do the same thing Cameron Diaz. Drink wine, dance around the living room and buy a bunch of books I won't read.
3. Practical Magic, the witches house. Another one built just for the movie unfortunately. Meant to look like a 1850's victorian home it was built in 8 months and destroyed after the movie. Everything in the creation of this home was taken into account from the beautiful garden, the attached solarium/greenhouse, the huge gorgeous parlour, the beautifully unique closed in kitchen, and an attic that is every kids dream.
2. Pride and Prejudice 2005, the Bennet's home. Finally another real brick and mortar home, built in 1662. Insert "they don't make em like they used to" comment here. It is located in Groombridge Place, Kent. Maybe it is because I love this movie so much but this home really is where the heart is. All of the separate rooms has a different feel to it and seems to fit in with the family's interaction with each other. My favourite of course it the ladies parlour where they lounge, fret over men, play with ribbons, and try to not let their mother get on their nerves.
1. Drum roll please.....Beetlejuice, the Maitland's/Deetz's house. First of all this movie is a classic and I love it. This Burton envisioned home, that goes through a transformation for each family living in i,t is a unique piece of the movie. The county, shabby sheik of the Maitland's and then the dark, ultra-modern(for the time), somewhat misguided design of the Deetz's is a feast for the eyes with all the details involved. No matter which look you prefer the layout of the home has that traditional design to it that can be made into...well sky's the limit as far as Tim Burton is concerned. Oh yes, not a real home, they built the shell for the movie and shot the sets in California. No matter, it's a great house that captures our imagination.
