::Silver Screen Surroundings::

Home Alone (1990) House for sale

2011-05-06T17:04:00.001-04:00

For a cool $2.4M you can own a piece of cinematic history! The beautiful 1920's Georgian style house in Winnetka, IL featured in the movie "Home Alone" is on the market. The current owners were in residence when the movie was shot. Rumor has it that it was originally wanted for the movie "Uncle Buck", but the owners had only just moved in and didn't want the disturbance. The 4,200 square ft. house sits on a half-acre lot, which is pretty tight

The famous foyer and stairs.

This is the living room, with the French doors facing the street and the foyer to the back right of the camera position.

Here is the living room in the movie, looking into the "office".

And a the view from the foyer.

And here is the office off of the living room:

This is the view from the living room, across the foyer into the dining room. The family room is through the double doors.

This is the family room which is off of the dining room (through the French doors)

The kitchen has certainly seen an update since the movie days:

The original exposed staircase has been hidden in the renovation. It's behind the stove wall, according to the floor plan.

The breakfast room.

The screen porch sits off of the breakfast room.

Downton Abbey (2011)

2011-02-01T21:00:00.001-05:00

Series Production Designer: Donal Woods

Series Set Decorator: Gina Cromwell

Did you watch Downton Abbey on PBS? If not, you missed a fantastic series filled with lush sets and costumes, romance, drama, the sinking of the Titanic and the beginning of WW1. All in 4 x 1.5hr episodes. You can download it from iTunes or buy the video set.

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Downton Abbey is played by Highclere Castle (see end of post)

The Grand Interior Hall

The image above and below are from Highclere Castle's website.

The grand staircase. You can see the main floor set up for a concert. From Highclere Castle website.

The ladies: Mrs. Crawley (Penelope Wilton), Cora, Countess of Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern) and Violet, the Dowage Countess of Grantham (Dame Maggie Smith). A meeting of some very strong minds in the "observatory" which is set in the main hall.

The Library

The Library is set with many items from the actual castle, including the carpet and some furnishings.

From Highclere Castle's website. The library is often used for wedding dinners.

The Drawing Room

The drawing room is a sumptuous collection of pastel fabrics and textiles, gilded French Louis bergere chairs, English and Italian casegoods.

A view of the gorgeous Aubusson carpet.

The images below are as the room appears today. Note that much of the furniture is the same, but the carpets are different.

The Dining Room

The dining room (from Highclere Castle's website) as it is today. It features an enormous Van Dyke painting.

Matthew and Mrs. Crawley's London house

In the series, distant cousin Mathew Crawley (shown here with his widowed mother) becomes the heir apparent of all of Downton Abbey when the closer cousins go down on the Titanic. The Crawley's are a middle class family living in a Townhouse in Manchester. (middle class by Edwardian standards included household help).

The wallpaper in this dining room is a beautiful William Morris paper, perfect for an early 20th century home.

Highclere Castle

The Highclere Castle, located in Newbury England, has been home to the Carnarvon family since the 17th century. The current castle which was used for Downton Abbey, was designed by Sir Charles Barry in 1842. Barry also designed the Houses of Parliament in Westminster. The Castle is classic Gothic Revival which had its zenith in popularity in the mid-19th century.

Beautiful shots of a wedding that took place at the Castle: copyright Studio Rouge

I'll be doing additional detailed posts over at ::Surroundings::, so check it out!

Here are links to some amazing posts around the web on the fashions, decor and servants quarters of Downton Abbey:
- The Servant's Quarters via Jane Austen's World
- The Costume's of Downton Abbey via Project Rungay

- Highclere Castle official website
- A wedding takes place at the Castle - via Studio Rouge

Images courtesy of: Masterpiece/WGBH/PBS; Jane Austen's World; Project Rungay; Shining as Stars; Highclere Castle;

Home Alone (1990)

2010-11-26T19:37:00.000-05:00

Susan at Between Naps on the Porch has done an fantastic blog post about this classic holiday movie starring a cute little kid and a beautiful big house.

Decorated to hilt in vintage 1980's style, the Home Alone House is a favorite of movie decor watchers. Set decoration was by Eve Cauley and Dan Clancy with production design by John Muto.

Check out Susan's post for some more great pics. Jewel tones and holiday style galore!

"Something's Gotta Give" is still giving inspiration

2010-10-08T13:47:00.000-04:00

Everyone's favorite design movie for set design is still inspiring eight years after its debut. As a matter of fact, I am just about to send several yards of the Lee Jofa fabric used on the dining room chairs over to a client in Australia. That movie has left a large footprint. Earlier this year, we interviewed set decorator Beth Rubino at The Skirted Roundtable, which you can listen to here. Beth shared the process of creating the beautiful Hampton's Beach House set with us - a fascinating discussion.

Hearst Magazines has partnered with Bizzi & Partners, developers of The Setai Fifth Avenue Hotel & Residences, to present the fourth annual "Designer Visions" program. This year's theme is "Cinema Style" and House Beautiful, Town&Country and Veranda, along with their respective interior design partners, have create stylized homes inspired by classic films set in New York City on the 58th floor of the Setai Fifth Avenue Residences.

These include:
.    Phoebe Howard for House Beautiful -- Something's Gotta Give
.    Steven Gambrel for Town&Country -- Six Degrees of Separation
.    Richard Hallberg for Veranda -- Wall Street

Hearst Magazines will host an opening night event for Designer Visions: Cinema Style on October 12. Various events will be held in the spaces through the end of the year.

The residences will be featured in House Beautiful's November issue, Town&Country's December issue, and the January/February issue of Veranda.

Meanwhile, check out this video on House Beautiful's "Something's Gotta Give" room designed by Pheobe Howard.

Subscribe to ::Surroundings::

Sex and the City 2 (2010) - Character & Design: Carrie

2010-05-28T23:48:00.003-04:00

Sex and the City 2 (2010)

Director: Michael Patrick King

Production Design: Jeremy Conway

Set Decoration: Lydia Marks

The much anticipated Sex and the City 2 movie has finally opened with lots of promotion and press as one might expect. I haven't seen it yet (have you?), but I've naturally been very interested in the look and feel of the movie. Based on the movie trailers and still photography that's floating around - we can definitely say that this movie is filled with color and texture. The TV series and first movie were more about the clothes, but this one seems much more about the (dare I say it?) surroundings. As Carrie says in the movie "I've been cheating on fashion with furniture". Music to our ears! Lots of other blogs and sites have been covering the interior design of this new movie, including lots of resources, so I'll post a link to those sites at the bottom. However, I thought it would be interesting to compare the evolution of the interior design from television series through the two movies. Since much of the creative team is the same, it makes for an interesting exercise, I think.

The Series: A Single Gal on her way up

The Movie: Finding Myself Makeover

This following image comes from SATC2, but is clearly Carrie's SATC1 apartment post makeover.

The Movie 2: Living Big

So, can you see it? I believe there is a very strong through line across the years. The first apartment and the last have very strong relations. Of course, the newest pad is more put together and expensive than her first apartment. But the natural, masculine earth tones with shades of blue and hints of feminine accessories, plus the strong mid-century modern flair are pretty consistent. The middle period - maybe we can call it Carrie's "Electric Blue Period" seemed wildly different when we first saw it in SATC1, yet it actually acts as a bridge between #1 and #3.

What do you think - is it still Carrie after all these years?

Credits, resources and other SATC posts:

Elle Decor

La Dolce Vita

Hello Lover - on the apartment and the closet

Architectural Digest

Marks & Frantz

The Rug Company

Cinema Style interview with Lydia Marks

Congratulations to Avatar for winning best Set Decoration

2010-03-07T22:15:00.000-05:00

Production Designers: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg and Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair

I guess we don't know how to pick 'em:

Something's Gotta Give: R. Kenton Nelson Limited Edition Print

2010-02-16T00:53:00.001-05:00

One of the most unique and unattainable aspects of the set decor from the movie Something's Gotta Give has been the art. California painter R. Kenton Nelson's work has become a near staple in several of Nancy Meyer's films and his painting Swim Part #2 has been the subject of much interest.

Mr. Nelson's work has not previously been available in print form up until recently.

At long last, the studio has released a limited edition print. The print is a 16 x 16 in. image with a 2.5 in. border on 100% cotton paper. The process is a high quality digital print, known as Giclee, with archival ink on archival paper. Each print is hand numbered and signed by Kenton Nelson.

This signed limited edition (1 of 65) giclee and iris print is available from Morton Publishing on Ebay for $2,000. As of 2/15/10 there are only 10 left!

If this signed edition is out of your price range but you love his work, check out Morton Court Publishing's Ebay site - you won't be sorry!

2009 Academy Award® Nominees for Art Direction

2010-02-07T11:59:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to this years nominees for the Academy Award® for Art Direction. This award is given to both the Production Designers and the Set Decorator who work hand in hand to create the built-world that's surrounds and helps define the characters in the movie. As we learned from our discussion with set decorator Beth Rubino (Something's Gotta Give & It's Complicated) on The Skirted Roundtable, set decoration is more than just pretty rooms, although we sure do love the pretty rooms!

Avatar

Production Designers: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg

Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair

Previous nominations: Rick Carter was nominated for Forrest Gump; Robert Stromberg was nominated for Master and Commander: The Far Side of the Earth.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Production Designers: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro

Set Decorator: Caroline Smith

This is the first nomination for Dave Warren, Anastasia Masaro and Caroline Smith.

Nine

Production Designer: John Myhre

Set Decorator: Gordon Sim

Previous nominations: John Myhre was nominated for Dreamgirls and Elizabeth. Previous wins: Memoirs of a Geisha and Chicago. Gordon Sim previously won for Chicago.

Sherlock Holmes

Production Designer: Sarah Greenwood

Set Decoration: Katie Spencer

Previous Nominations: Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer were previously nominated for their work in Atonement and 2005's Pride & Prejudice.

The Young Victoria

Production Desinger: Patrice Vermette

Set Decorator: Maggie Gray

Previous nominations: Maggie Gray was previously nominated for 1985's Brazil.

As you can see from the wide variety of nominees, Art Direction is about setting the stage for the story and characters, not just about making pretty rooms or scenes. If the room is to be pretty, it should be gorgeous, but if the scene is gritty, then the viewer should almost feel the dirt.

Well, likely none of us are in "The Academy" and will not be voting for the real winner. But, if you could vote, who would be your pick?

An interview with uber set decorator Beth Rubino!

2010-01-14T14:13:00.000-05:00

If this room speaks to you, then you MUST run over to my radio podcast blog The Skirted Roundtable where I have an excellent podcast interview with set decorator Beth Rubino.

Something's Gotta Give has become the #1 most popular movie set of a house and we chatted with her about her "method decorator" style and how she helped make this amazing set into the fourth main charachter in the movie. We also discussed with Beth why the paint colors used in movies cannot be replicated at home "You couldn't live with them" she said.

So please, join us!

It's Complicated (2009)

2009-12-27T13:31:00.005-05:00

It's Complicated (2009)
Directed by:

Nancy Meyers

Production Design by: Jon Hutman

Set Decoration by: Beth Rubino

Have you seen it? I haven't yet but plan to this week. Meanwhile, there's a lot of buzz around the movie and the sets (of course). I thought I'd share some links to various excellent posts and articles around the web.

I first posted about the movie here - with photos I gleaned from the first trailers.

Image via Remodelista

Over at The Remodelista, they have a couple of excellent "Steal this look" posts. On the kitchen (above) and the garden (below).

Image via Remodelista

The New York Times Magazine had an excellent cover story on director Nancy Meyers entitled "Can Anybody Make a Movie for Women?" by Daphne Merkin.

Photo Illustration by Zachary Scott. Prop Stylist: Brandon Klein

From "What Women Want" with Mel Gibson. Photo: Andrew Cooper/Paramount Pictures. "What Women Want" is the most successful movie directed by a woman - ever.

The LA Times has an article on Ms. Meyer's Perfectionism by Amy Kaufman. I wonder how many major newspapers dedicate column inches to male director's perfectionistic tendencies?

photo by Genaro Molina/LA Times

The LA Times also has a travel article on various movie locations. The story is set in Santa Barbara, however, much of the movie was shot in a sound stage in Brooklyn.

The City of Santa Barbara has even created a website showcasing the various locations used in the movie. There is also a link to download the official production notes from the movie, including an interview with Nancy Meyers and details on the production design.

The December issue of Traditional Home magazine had a nice photo spread from the movie, which you can see here. In the production notes from the movie, Nancy Meyers says that the peachy/orange color that dominates the movie set was inspired by the orangey glow she sees in Santa Barbara, particularly roof tiles and setting sun. A subtle way of imbuing a sense of place into a movie set. It also happens to be a very flattering color on Ms. Streep.

My pal Joni at Cote de Texas has done one of her tour de force posts on several Nancy Meyer's movie sets and comparing them to the director's own home. You can read it here.

Read a Liberty Post/Patti Friday Joint here.

California artist Mitchell Johnson emailed me to share that his painting "Meyreuil" has prominent position over the fireplace in the living room.

You can read all my previous posts on the movies of Nancy Meyers - the "Decorator's Director". About a year and a half ago, I posted a poll asking readers which was their favorite Nancy Meyer's movie set. Not surprisingly, "Something's Gotta Give" was the winner, edging out close competitor "The Holiday".

So, on the eve of 2010, which is your favorite Nancy Meyer's film - going back nearly two decades.

The Blind Side (2009)

2009-11-30T00:08:00.001-05:00

The Blind Side (2009)

John Lee Hancock, Director

Michael Corenblith, Production Designer

Susan Benjamin, Set Decorator

I saw the new movie, The Blind Side this weekend and loved it! It's based on the current, real life account of NFL player Michael Oher's rags to riches story. He was bouncing around the Memphis, Tennessee project of Hurt Village, his mother a crack addict with twelve children and no one to really look out for him. A big guy with athletic ability, he'd never spent much time in school and as a result, tested poorly and wasn't thought to be too bright, especially as he was shy and uncommunicative. He got a lucky break when a friend was accepted into a local elite private Christian academy and when he went a long for the ride, the athletic director immediately saw his potential while he was playing a quick game of one on one with his friend on the school's basketball court. The coach convinced the school board to take Michael in and thus began an odyssey that lead him to the Tuohy family's door. This affluent family had two kids enrolled in the school. Eventually, when realizing he was basically homeless, coatless, and foundering in school, Leigh Anne Tuohy invited him to spend the night. Eventually, with the help of a private tutor and a families love and encouragement, Michael flourished, ending his high school career with a decent enough GPA to play college ball, a bucket full of offers from the country's most elite football schools, an a new adoptive family who made it official just before his eighteenth birthday. In college, he made dean's list twice and was a first round draft pick to the NFL, where he currently is still only twenty three years old and plays for the Baltimore Raven's.

On the set decorating front, this movie is a good one as well. Leigh Anne Tuohy (played by Sandra Bullock) is professional interior decorator. Her husband, Scott Tuohy, well played by singer Tim McGraw, had been dirt poor growing up and is now owner of over 80 fast food franchises in the South. Their affluence is highlighted in the movie both to illustrate the enormous difference between the haves and have-nots, as well as to illustrate Leigh Anne's decorating skill and Sean's new money affluence. In some ways, the set looked very "new" and a little too squeaky clean - almost as if that was part of the goal - to illustrate the new money status of the family. And that is not to imply any kind of criticism, just a feeling while looking at the movie.

According to the production notes, the house used as the Tuohy's Memphis home was really in the affluent Buckhead section of Atlanta. Set decorator Susan Benjamin visited the family and studied Leigh Anne's decorating in order to capture it on film. I read in an interview with Leigh Anne that when asked what she thought of the movie, she said she'd have to see it again, as she spent the first viewing paying attention only to how they portrayed her home. And, that she didn't like the window treatments! I actually love the window treatments in the set - better than much of the furniture!

The first night that Michael stays at the Tuoy's, he's put in the formal living room because the spare bedroom is "filled with samples" (typical decorator) and the sectional in the family "falls apart when someone sleeps on it". Note the depth of the doorways - the millwork in this house is spectacular!

The Tuohy family Christmas card photoshoot - which eventually included Michael. I'm struck and a little disappointed by the relatively cheap looking mantle - snowmen and Santa's with fake greenery - eh... I would have liked to see something more imaginative in the home of a professional decorator, or from the work of a professional set decorator!

Younger son SJ (Sean Tuohy, Jr.) is a little firecracker and really bonds with his new BIG brother Michael. I did love the color palette in this movie with it's rich tones of apricots and orange, golds and browns. The architectural detailing in this home is wonderful and was a real standout in the film.

Here is the kitchen looking into the family room - with the two television sets. In the Thanksgiving scene in the movie, Leigh Anne is putting out a big spread for the family and Sean reminds the kids to thank "Mom for picking all the food up at the store". It makes sense that the kitchen isn't much of a "cook's kitchen". Pretty to look at, but not overly functional.

On the other side of the island. Not much in the way of counter space!

This is in the family room, on the left when looking in from the kitchen. I just loved all the fabrics and detailing on the window treatments, which included drapes, silk London shades and striped sheer London shades which varied position in different scenes.

This is the breakfast room off the kitchen and family room, which uses the same warm wall color and drapery fabric as is in the family room. Note the Glennray Tutor print on the left. Tutor is a photorealist painter who attended University of Mississippi - alma mater of the Tuoy's and Michael Oher. The black and bone inlay cabinet under the print is an ethnic and graphic piece that adds a layer of interest to the nearly homogeneous space.

Here's the formal dining room below. The family starts their take-out Thanksgiving dinner all sitting in front of the televisions watching football, but when Leigh Anne notices that Michael has seated himself at the table to eat, she's inspired to the same and makes the family turn off the games and join together in thanks.

And another view of the dining room - where SJ is using condiments to show Michael various football plays.

The master bedroom featured a framed upholstered headboard (although it looks like wall behind them, there was a tall headboard) with windows flanking the bed. I love the large scale floral pattern on the window treatments with the continuation of the coppery orange and brown color scheme. In here, there is also a touch of blue in the bedding.

The table lamps are gorgeous and if anyone knows their source, please let us know! I was thinking Christopher Spitzmiller, but nothing like this appears on his site.

And speaking of blue, here is the newly done up bedroom for Michael. Leigh Anne is advised (by her younger son) that the pro-athletes use futon mattresses to accommodate their length, but she used a more attractive headboard and platform bed with the futon mattress, because the futon frames were "ugly and didn't belong in her home" (or something to that effect) - a truly decorator type comment. Meanwhile, Michael pointed out that this was his first bed. One of the reminders to Leigh Anne just how privileged she was to be able to be concerned with aesthetics. The deep turquoise walls with white trim and dark stained furniture was bold and strong, yet also vibrant and lively.

If anyone has ever seen this makeup mirror, there's a request in the comments section from someone looking for it. Thanks!

For the moment, these are all the best photos I'm able to glean from various sources. There were brief scenes in the two other kids bedrooms - the younger boys room was messy and the teenage girls room was girly and also a bit overstuffed and messy - probably the most realistic lived-in looking rooms in the home.

Have you seen this movie and what did you think?

The Parent Trap English Garden

2009-08-21T23:26:00.006-04:00

I received a request from a reader, Jaime, who was interested in seeing more detail about the English Garden outside the London Townhouse in The Parent Trap (1998). Jaime asked for 'a' photo, well, there was so much to cover in this movie!! Enjoy - and Jaime - please send us a pic if you create this look on your own!!

It's Complicated (2009) First Look!

2009-08-07T16:39:00.008-04:00

It's Complicated (2009)
Directed by: Nancy Meyers
Production Design by: Jon Hutman
Set Decoration by: Beth Rubino

Fans of set decor champs "Something's Gotta Give" and "The Holiday" have been salivating in anticipation of writer/director Nancy Meyers' newest film "It's Complicated" starring Meryl Streep, Steve Martin & Alec Baldwin in a love triangle set in sunny California.

Well, maybe it's just Joni and me, but I doubt it.

Okay - great cast, no question. But, for decor fans, the real dream team is Nancy Meyers, director, Jon Hutman, Production Designer and Beth Rubino, Set Decorator. Their work on SGTG resonates to this day. As a matter of fact, it aired on TBS last night and I had a couple hundred visitors looking for information about the set - the furniture, the art. The same thing happens when "The Holiday" airs.

Universal Pictures has just released the first movie trailer (at bottom). Here are some stills I grabbed from the trailer. The set decor looks to have the signature Nancy Meyers' elements: high end and comfortable furniture, mix of antiques and new, fresh flowers, natural elements, beautiful glassware, and a wardrobe that compliments the setting. The color palette is actually very similar to another Nancy Meyers' movie "The Parent Trap" with the orange/apricots, browns and creams. I didn't pick up any specific art works, but they are sure to be there as well.

So, what do you think? Looks good to me!

The Women (2008)

2009-05-09T02:30:00.002-04:00

The Women (2008)

Produced and Directed by: Diane English

Production Designer: Jane Musky

Art Director: Mario Ventenilla

Set Decorator: Debbie Cutler

Did you see the movie The Women? It was a remake of the Clare Booth Luce play and 1939 movie of the same name. Unfortunately, what was smart and sassy about that original film - starring Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford - lost much of its bite in this remake starring Meg Ryan and Eva Mendes in the corresponding roles of Mary Haines (the good woman and jilted wife) and Crystal Allen (the husband stealing perfume counter girl). The conceit of all the productions is that there are no men around - not on the street, the restaurants, the stores. But all talk is nothing but men. In the original, the biting satire is based around the philandering husbands, their jilted wives and a whole lot of back stabbing humor. Not very PC by todays standards. Unfortunately, Diane English, in creating an updated version, is all about women supporting other women (except of course for the slutty shop girl) and girl power. All fine and dandy - but it certainly made for a fairly tame movie altogether lacking in sharp humor.

Sad too, because the cast was stellar. In addition to Meg and Eva, the movie also stars Annette Bening, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Debra Messing, Debbie Mazar, Candice Bergan, Carrie Fisher, Cloris Leachman and Bette Midler. Jeez - that's some star power.

Ok, so the movie is fairly middling, but the movie sets are quite nice - limited (must have had a low budget), but quite nice.

Mary Haines (Meg Ryan) plays a society wife who's a cross between Martha Stewart and the traditional suburban charity lady. Her lovely Connecticut home plays host to many fundraisers - for which Mary does the cooking and the floral arrangements. I actually don't love the architecture of the front of the house - a little nuveau mishy-mashy for me, but the rear of the house has a nice old-New England feel to it.

Mary Haines (Meg Ryan) crying on the screen porch over the mess her life is in... Love the wicker furniture and careful-careless look of the mis-matched lamps.

The back patio - while I love the furniture - the layout seems rather odd. The chairs are spread out all over the place, more like this is a public space than a private back yard.

The kitchen is a classic white cabinet cabinet kitchen. What's nice about the set is that it looks like a kitchen that's used. Cloris Leachman plays the housekeeper. I spied the Williams Sonoma hand towels in green and white stripe (I have those!). The counter tops are a mix of dark stone (black or green?) and dark stained woods. I really dislike the brass fittings - so dated looking!

There are several white china pitchers shown as well as the classic Portmeirion Botanic Garden dishes in the cabinet. Nothing says traditional old money like those in a movie set! Ok, that's a bit snide. I'd have rather seen something a little more original, is all. One of the reasons why I wondered about the set budget being limited is that if you notice in the background through the door - the cross hall seems so empty. Doesn't it?

The professional double stove top is nearly lost among the clutter of the kitchen, open shelving and table. I love the free standing sideboard/cupboard on the right. However, I do think that they captured the feeling of a working kitchen - with condiments and spices all readily accessible.

Annette Bening and Debra Messing have a private chat in Meg's guest bathroom. What is up with the cheap little mirror over the sink? This is a huge bathroom - considerably too big for a guest bathroom with nothing but a toilet, sink and tiny little bureau, a chair. It would have been a funnier scene had they squeezed into a normal size powder room. Loving the wallpaper, however.

Here's Meg Ryan's character's living room - classic drapes, fireplace and English arm chair. Nothing too original though. I do like the coffee table - what you can see of it.

This is Mary Haines and her daughter in the master bedroom. This upholstered headboard was made by my upholsterer Walter Heller. (did I mention that the movie was filmed here in Massachusetts?). The headboard is full size, not queen, which seemed a bit small. I love the bedding, however!

Here is Meg's master bathroom. If you notice, the circular window matches the window on the right on the front of the house. I haven't been able to find out where the movie was filmed, but I do feel that this bathroom is the actual bathroom in that house. The millwork is totally gorgeous, the marble counter and smoked glass cabinets really make for a clean, luxe look.

Here are Mary, her mother, played by Candice Bergan and daughter, sunning themselves in the family's Maine beach house. This was actually filmed in the Massachusetts hamlet known as Annisquam on the North Shore. Gina of Willow Decor provided this information:

The beach is private - it is located on Norwood Heights, Gloucester, MA. It is called Lighthouse Beach in Annisquam, which is a small summer island/hamlet in Gloucester. If you stand on Wingaersheek Beach in Gloucester and look across the bay you see the Lighthouse Beach.

Thanks Gina!

A La Perla-esqe boutique is a scene of the initial confrontation between Mary Haines and Crystal Allen - the "spritzer girl" who's stolen her husband. Annette Bening is fanning the flame of confrontation:

Claws out!

Here's the "spa" that Mary Haine's mother (Candice Bergen) has hidden out in for a "freshening" (aka full on face lift). How gorgeous is all that black and white marble!

And finally, before she's kicked to the curb (because you know that was coming), Crystal having a bathe in her new apartment. This is a production still image, which is why there are light tubes along the right side of the bath tub.

And her hard and cold living room - completely the opposite of the Connecticut house.

Here's a You Tube video by the artist Kessler whose art was featured in the Annette Bening character's office:

And for fun, here are some still images from the 1939 movie directed by George Cukor, set decoration by Edwin B. Willis and Jack D. Moore.

Grey Gardens - Two lives, one documentary, a musical and a movie

2009-05-03T12:21:00.010-04:00

Grey Gardens (2009) on HBO
Production Design: Kalina Ivanov
Set Decorator: Norma Jean Sanders

So much has been said about the recent HBO production of Grey Gardens starring Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore that there is really very little I can add to the mix. However, not many have talked about the Tony award winning musical from 2006 of the same name. Starring the amazing Christine Ebersole and Mary Louise Wilson, this production lasted about 300 performances. It's a fine show and the scenic designer did an excellent job of capturing the original house from original glory to hell hole.

Scenic Design: Allen Moyer (Mr. Moyer received a Tony Award nomination for this production)

Early living room scene from the musical Gray Gardens. Note the accurate depiction of the woodwork in the front hall in the left backgound.

Scenes from the HBO Grey Gardens

The actual front foyer in 1985

Front porch of the real Grey Gardens
Scene from HBO movie

Scene from musical

Porch scene from the musical

Bedroom of the real Edith Beales

Bedroom from the HBO movie

Bedroom scene from the musical

And, some musical selections from the show:

Some fantastic resources (and with thanks to):

A Pictorial History of Grey Gardens at Cote de Texas
An interview with Kalina Ivanov at Casa Sugar
A personal connection at *Visual*Vamp*
A Capitivating Tale at La Dolce Vita
Grey Gardens News by Buster the Racoon

The Company Men (2009)

2009-04-21T11:21:00.004-04:00

The Company Men is currently filming on the northshore of Massachusetts. Starring Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner and Tommy Lee Jones, the movie centers around a corporate downsizing. Sounds a little depressing..

The Gloucester Times is reporting that one of the locations is the Marblehead waterfront home of Brian McCarthy, CEO of local landmark Kelly's Roast Beef. This is the home to Tommy Lee Jones' character, who is the boss of the company that downsizes Ben Afflecks character out of his hot shop corporate job and into working construction with his brother, played by Kevin Costner.

The house was staged for a Christmas scene yesterday - including snow in April! (no unprecedented here in New England!)

The Young Victoria (2009)

2009-04-10T11:25:00.005-04:00

The Young Victoria (2009)
Directed by Jean Marc Vallee
Art Direction by Paul Inglis, Chris Lowe, Alexandra Walker
Set Decoration by Maggie Gray

Starring Emily Blunt and Paul Bettany

Plymouth Rock Studios show their colors!

2009-03-30T10:05:00.001-04:00

Find more videos like this on Hollywood East TV

Something's Gotta Give - Get that rug!

2009-03-24T13:22:00.001-04:00

Welcome readers from Hooked on Houses - please click here and here for all my posts on the set of "Something's Gotta Give"!

My friend Jerry at Aspen Carpet Designs has let me know that he's got two of his "Something's Gotta Give"- inspired blue and white stripe flat weave rugs for sale on Ebay! Here's a chance to really get the look of everyone's favorite living room at a great price! Both of these rugs have minor blemishes - hence the great price.

This 9'x12' rug is available here on Ebay.This rug has a 1-1/2" frayed part along the side. See the listing for details.

And this Ocean Blue and White striped 9'x12' rug is available here on Ebay. This has a small very small dark spot along one edge. See the listing for details.

Aspen Carpet Designs has this rug in different colorways and sizes, so, check them out. And tell them I sent you! If you purchase the rug, definately let me know and send a photo of how you use it!

Coco Avant Chanel (2009)

2009-02-25T09:41:00.005-05:00

I was so excited to read about the new movie Coco Avant Chanel (Coco Before Chanel) on Patricia Gray's fantastic blog today. She scooped me on a movie post!

Starring Audrey Tautou, this movie is sure to be a visual feast of for lovers of fashion and interiors!

Images courtesy of Filmofilia.

2009 Academy Awards

2009-02-24T11:29:00.003-05:00

Did you watch the Oscars telecast this year? What did you think? I thought it was a huge improvement over previous years. But then, in my mind, Hugh Jackman can do no wrong!

Meanwhile, the David Rockwell sets were pretty spectacular! I'd done a post about him here on ::Surroundings:: and my friends at Design Biz RX have some more interesting information about the sets here.

And the 2009 Academy Award for Art Direction goes to:

2009-02-22T21:24:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to Production Designer Donald Graham Burt and Set Decorator Victor J. Zolfo for winning the 2009 Academy Award for Achievement in Art Direction!

This is the first Oscar nomination and win for both Mr. Burt and Mr. Zolfo.

Benjamin Button House for Sale

2009-02-21T19:11:00.004-05:00

The New Orleans Garden district house that played the role of nursing home in the Oscar nominated Curious Case of Benjamin Button has gone on the market. For a cool $2.85M, this gem of a mansion at 2707 Coliseum can be yours. Click here for the real estate listing.

There is an interesting story on Preservation Nation about the selection of this house for the movie set. The production found this house was owned by a ninety year old lady. Her family agreed to lease the house - actually two houses, a 1840 Louisiana cottage and a 1908 Colonial Revival - to the production, which worked carefully to upgrade the electrical systems and structural supports to accommodate the needs of production, yet maintain the architectural integrity of this beautiful old home. "It was about getting down to the bones of the house," says set decorator Victor Zolfo, "to the essence of old New Orleans." Click here for the entire restoration story.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has been nominated for an Academy Award in Best Art Direction: Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt, Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo

Click here to view all the nominated movies. Our voting shows a tie between Benjamin Button and The Duchess.

We'll see what happens tonight!

Inside scoop with Set Decorator Rosemary Brandenburg

2009-02-20T11:12:00.006-05:00

Set decorator Rosemary Brandenburg was profiled on Good Morning America this week as part of their Countdown to the Oscars. Rosemary has quite a fantastic resume - including The Flintstones, Amistad, The Transformers and the fantastic sets for What Women Want, which I've profiled here.

Thanks to Marianne at Haven and Home for pointing out this great interview!

UPDATE Architectural Digest Academy Awards Green Room

2009-02-19T15:15:00.001-05:00

A new photo of the Green Room has been released. They have also advised me that all items will be donated after the ceremony. Hopefully, we'll find out where they go!

Stephen Shadley has been selected to create the signature Architectural Digest Greenroom at the 81st Annual Academy Awards. This is the seventh consecutive year that Architectural Digest will produce the exclusive backstage lounge for Oscar® presenters and honorees.

Inspired by Hollywood film sets of the period, Shadley has chosen a "Seventies Modern" design for the AD Greenroom. Of his approach and its connection to the biggest movie event of the year, Stephen says, “I grew up in L.A. and was always fascinated with motion picture set design, especially modern themes. Recently, furnishings from the seventies have become collectible and many classics reissued. It's a simple and sleek approach to living without a lot of extra stuff.”

The focal point of this year’s Architectural Digest Greenroom will be a scenic backdrop showing a panoramic view of Los Angeles from the Hollywood hills. Shadley has a personal link to this dramatic photo; it is from the same studio where he started his career at 20th Century Fox as a scenic artist painting backdrops for the movies. The AD Greenroom will feature furnishings by Baker, including a customized 11-foot sofa with black lacquer arms, a Lucite-and-alabaster chandelier and garden seats; an 1100 pound bar constructed from one-of-a-kind Concetto Surface Art "Forza" by CaesarStone; and an updated take on the shag rug by Karastan.

In addition to starting in the movies, Stephen also boasts a celebrity clientele including several homes for Diane Keaton:

Hollywood East heads West

2009-02-17T09:27:00.003-05:00

Plymouth Rock Studios has been producing a series of videos, creatively titled, "The Series", about their growth and development. For those of your who don't know, we are abuzz here on Massachusetts' south coast about the new full scale production studio that is being developed in Plymouth. Not only will it bring much needed commerce to the area and perhaps some star sightings, but the plan for the studios is to build them with LEED certification. The current location plan is for the old Waverly Oaks golf course - so they are really going Green on the Green!

Meanwhile, here's a little video about their trip to the Producers Guild of America awards ceremony recently held in Hollywood West.

Find more videos like this on Hollywood East TV

Friday the 13th (2009)

2009-02-14T14:39:00.005-05:00

Friday the 13th (2009)
Production Design: Jeremy Conway
Art Direction: John Frick
Set Decorator: Randy Huke

I'm not at all into horror movies, but I wanted to do a quick post on the newly released Friday the 13th movie. Dallas interior designer Annilee B. Ramirez (who's a blogger as well!) just posted about her involvement with the decorating of this movie. Set Decorator Randy Huke wanted an authentic high end Arts and Crafts look for the set and hired Annilee to do research and shopping. Read more of Annilee's post here.

Annilee was one of the finalists in my Blogging Top Design Swarovski Crystal design contest. Here was her fantastic entry:

Coming Soon: The Walker (2007)

2009-01-28T08:58:00.006-05:00

Have you ever head of The Walker? I received an email tip from Ken about this movie which starred Lily Tomlin, Woody Harrelson, Kirsten Scott Thomas and the fabulously ageless Lauren Bacall - and a pretty fabulous sitting room!

I'll be putting this on my Netflix queu and thanks for the tip Kent!

Silver Screen-apalooza!

2009-01-11T00:55:00.003-05:00

So, it's snowing (again!) here in New England and not much to do but watch TV. It's a crazy night for movies with great sets tonight! I thought I'd do a quick recap of the various movies I've clicked through. Of course, I haven't watched any movie completely through... But then, I've seen all of them at least once.

Practical Magic (1998)

Production Design by: Robin Standefer
Set Decoration by: Claire Jenora Bowin

Images courtesy of Amas Veritas

Stepmom (1998)

Production Design by: Stuart Wurtzel
Art Direction by: Ray Kluga
Set Decoration by: George DeTitta, Jr.

Moulin Rouge (2001)
Production Design by: Catherine Martin
Art Direction by: Anne Beauchamp, Ian Gracie
Set Decoration by: Brigitte Broch

Dinner at Eight (1933)
Art Direction by Hobe Erwin, Fredric Hope

Click here to see the rest of Silver Screen-apalooza!

Quite a Saturday night on TV, no?

So, the question is, which movie would you like to see more of? (Vote for up to 3)

poll by twiigs.com

The Holiday: Jude Law's House

2009-01-05T19:56:00.002-05:00

Julia at Hooked On Houses has put together a little post with images from Jude Law's charachter's house from the movie The Holiday. Since I've done my long posts on Cameron Diaz's and Kate Winslet's houses, I've received several emails looking for Jude's house as well. So, we can thank Julia for taking care of it!

Auntie Mame (1958)

2008-11-01T03:18:00.001-04:00

Auntie Mame (1958)
Director: Morton DaCosta
Production Designer: Malcolm C. Bert
Set Decorator: George James Hopkins

"Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!"

One of my favorite movies of all time is "Auntie Mame". Rosalind Russell was a force of nature as the eccentric and bohemian Mame Dennis of Beekman Place New York City circa 1928. A bon vivant of the first order, Mame changed her apartment decor nearly as often as her clothes and both were nothing short of spectacular.

As the move opened, Mame is surprised by the sudden appearence of her recently deceased brother's son - whom she has inherited. We meet Patrick Dennis and his nanny Norah Muldoon as she is delivering him to his new home. Mame and her brother were clearly polar opposites (and not close since Patrick had never met his Aunt) and Norah is suitably skeptical of the over the top decor.

Mame is holding one of her (presumably) nightly soireé's with her glittering collection of friends. The duplext apartment at Beekman Place is architecturally a very traditional apartment. The movie starts in 1928 during Prohibition (well, not for Mame) and just prior to the stockmarket crash. Mame's apartment is filled with Asian inspried ebonized furniture. Aside from Mame's bright orange caftan, the rest of the costumes and decor is quite neutral in palette.

Mame's bedroom is a softer, more feminine version of the main level. The furniture is mostly white, with Asian influences, the walls a soft peach. The bed side tables are to die for!

Mame has no place for her tired nephew to sleep, to she puts him into her day bed, then, as a sign of her true maternal nature - she covers him in her own clothes - including an enormous fur coat.

And, onto the next decor change - the apartment is now a soothing, and very modern, palette of blues and purples. Isn't this light fixture just amazing? And note that the banister has changed from traditional turned ballustrade to this softly flowing sculptural metal work.

Click to continue reading...

Get That Look! Mini Edition: Mad Men

2008-10-20T10:02:00.006-04:00

Mad Men (2008)
Production Designer: Dan Bishop
Set Decorator: Amy Wells

Do you watch Mad Men on AMC? I am totally obsessed by this show! If you were watching last night, our protagonist Don Draper was hiding from his New York life out in California. What started as a business trip devolved into a weekend in Palm Springs with a bunch of nomadic strangers and ended back on the water at the lovely bungalow home of the mysterious blond woman who claimed he wasn't who he said he was last season (he wasn't). Her identity was cleared up last night and I won't spoil it if you haven't seen the show.

But, if you did see the show, you will no doubt have noticed the lovely curtains that were so prominent in her living room. I had used this same fabric in a sunroom project I did a few years ago. I use the fabric on the cushions and I think it works well in both applications!

Unfortunately, I just found out that the fabric, which I got through Kravet, has been discontinued. If anyone knows if it's available through another source, please let us know!

Something's Gotta Give floor plan

2008-10-06T00:56:00.006-04:00

Something's Gotta Give fan Patricia sent over a drawing she did of everyone's favorite movie house.

She wrote:

I am a HUGE fan of the movie Somethings Gotta Give and I love all the work you have done on your Surroundings website in regards to the house. I know a lot of people (including me) have wanted floorplans for the place. While I am not an architect or designer I have put together what I feel to be a pretty good replica of the house. As I said I am not an architect so the floor plans are certainly not to scale, but I figured it might be a starting point for a lot of people who want that look. Anyway I thought I would email it to you and maybe you could post it on your site. All I did was the first floor since the second story wasn't featured at all in the movie. I did take some artistic license such as adding an office on the first floor-simply because that is how I would like it if the house was mine! Anyway I hope you can use it!

Great job Patricia and thanks for sharing!

Amazing Movie inspired art by Fifi Flowers

2008-10-04T14:05:00.008-04:00

Fellow blogger Fifi Flowers has been putting out some amazing paintings based on movies recently. I bow down to her artistic skill and witty style.

From Marie Antoinette:

From 13 Going on 30:

From You've Got Mail:

From Down With Love:

From the ever stylish Breakfast at Tiffany's:

And finally, just today, Fifi has a post traveling to the world of Mamma Mia.

All original art courtesy of Fifi Flowers and used by permission.
All original movie stills courtesy of their copyright holders.

A favorite location

2008-10-03T20:32:00.001-04:00

Fans of A&E's Pride and Prejudice will remember this scene - the moment Miss Elizabeth Bennett first sees Pemberley, the home of her enemy/love interest Mr. Darcy. Of course, fans will also know that Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, England, played the role of Pemberley. I saw on Di Overton's Designers Block blog that Chatsworth is currently playing host to several enormous sculptures currently on auction at Sotheby's in a show called Private View.

Click here to read more...

The Lake House (2006)

2008-08-11T00:03:00.009-04:00

The Lake House (2006)

Director: Alejandro Agresti
Production Designer: Nathan Crowley
Set Decorator: Meg Everist

According to Wikipedia, the house was built for the production on Maple Lake outside Chicago. Google maps has an image of the location, which includes the production vehicles on the approach roads. Here is a link to a very interesting article about Chicago architecture and in particular the building and subsequent dismantling of the house. According to the article "A year later, about the time of the film’s release, the Lake House’s exceptional engineering got it named a finalist in the small-project category of awards handed out last month by the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois."

While the movie is a little hard to follow and requires a big suspension of disbelief, it does have a sweet romance between Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, a shaggy dog, and excellent visuals. The movie contains many shots of classic Chicago architecture and interiors and is worth viewing for that reason alone. And really, Keanu Reeves is a man who looks great in a pair of jeans and can really carry off the turtleneck sweater look. Yum!

This house is really about the exteriors, as there are actually few interiors shots worth posting. I love the tree growing up the middle of the space. Although, I notice in the shot below that it still has its' leaves, while the trees outside the windows are bare...

A shot of the basic kitchen and a piece of the bedroom in the left background.

Keanu alone in the front of the fire, the single glass of wine...so not right! Love all the woods used here - a big contrast to the steel and glass structure. Of course, in typical movie magic fashion - it's not clear where that fireplace is in the house. It must have been right in the middle of the house, and in the nighttime shot two images up, it looks like there is a fireplace in the left side on the image. And, there are scenes in the movie up in the attic crawl space - which doesn't exist in the actual house.

The hospital cafeteria is a sea of Saarinen inspired tables and Bertoia wire chairs.
Saarinen Tulip table from Knoll

Bertoia white wire chair at Design Within Reach

Near the end of the movie, Kate Forester (Sandra Bullock), is living with her boyfriend in this lovely apartment in a new construction building in Chicago. I love the look of the sheer, patterned drapes and warm colors throughout. Like the lake house itelf, this city apartment is filled with large windows with filmy window coverings. The overall decor style is a mix of modern and traditional.

Cubic coffee table at Design Within Reach

These bed pillows are available at Klein Reid, via Shelteriffic.

And finally - a water color illustration of "The Lake House"

Mamma Mia (2008)

2008-07-31T23:00:00.002-04:00

Mamma Mia (2008)
Directed by: Phyllida Lloyd
Production design: MariaDjurkovic
Set decoration: Barbara Herman-Skelding

I played a little hookie today and went to see Mamma Mia. What a fun movie! I know it hasn't received the best of reviews - but I grinned through the whole thing. (well, except when the delicious Pierce Brosnan opened his mouth in song). It was fun and kicky - and I totally wish I were Meryl Streep. I guess I've reach a certain age when I wish I were Meryl more than the adorable 20 year old Amanda Seyfried who plays the daughter.

Most of the filming was done on the Greek islands of Skopelos and Skiathos while parts of the film were produced at the Pinewood Studios in England. Some of the exterior shots seems a bit stagey- but really, they were so much fun and so beautiful it made you want to book a flight right over there.

The sets are filled with beautiful colors and textures. I think every shade of blue from pale to teal is used liberally through out. The textiles used in the movie are a real feast for the design buff. There's a great set of scenes (that I cannot find images of) of tons of Josef Frank sheets hanging drying on a line and Meryl Streep's character is wishing there were a bed making machine. In a subsequent dream sequence, Meryl's character is dreaming of being rich on a yacht and the chaises on the boat are all covered in the same Josef Frank textiles. It's a treat for the eye. (see images below).

Christine Baranski, Meryl Streep and Julie Walter

Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard and Piece Brosnan - who's the dad?

How amazing is the tile work on this bar? Colin Firth isn't bad either!

Amanda Seyfried as Sophie.

Preparing for the wedding.

I just want to have this pile of beautiful quilts and pillows!

Meryl Streep, director Phyllida Lloyd, Julie Walter

The wedding was set on a chapel very high up on a hill at sunset. Very romantic! The golds of sunset permeated the little church.

At the wedding reception with Julia Walters and Stellan Skarsgard. How pretty are all these colors together?

Production sketches from the official Mamma Mia movie site

Fabrics by Josef Frank at Svensk Tenn AB in Sweden

Excellent Blog Award!

2008-07-28T20:13:00.002-04:00

I am thrilled that my bloggie friend Vic - aka Ms. Place - has tagged ::Silver Screen Surroundings:: as a recipient of an excellent blog award! Since the blog is so new, it's a big boost pour moi! Ms. Place writes three blogs - Jane Austen Today, and Jane Austen's World which cover the many significant historical and cultural aspects of Jane Austen, as well as Dishin' Dat which is a mixture of pop culture, reality television critiques and the occasional treatise on women's issues in our culture today. Smarty smart smart is Ms. Place!

Her criteria for her picks was: "... the blog must be well-written and researched; offer topics of historical, literary, cultural, or cinematic interest; and look visually luscious."

So, thanks to Ms. Place for including me with some amazing bloggers. I'll be working on my own list of Excellent blogs and will post them soon. So, stay tuned!

Marie Antoinette (2006) - A treasure trove of photos!

2008-07-24T19:00:00.000-04:00

I found this spectacular series of photos from Sophia Coppola's visual stunner Marie Antoinette. I've blogged before on the movie - but I wanted to add in these amazingly beautiful images de eye-candy.

Marie Antoinette (2003)
Director: Sophia Coppola
Production designer: K.K. Barrett
Set decorator: Véronique Melery

This movie had a lot of critics - but I think it was a stunning visual feast for the eyes. Especially for those of us who love French decor and have been lucky enough to have walked the halls of Versailles.

All above images courtesy of Columbia Pictures ©2006.

And here are some images from the Vogue shoot. Photographs by Annie Liebowitz. Courtesy of Style.com

American Art on the Silver Screen

2008-07-23T23:32:00.005-04:00

The Musée d'art américain - Giverny, France - has launched what looks like a fascinating exhibition on the use of American Art in our cinema.

GIVERNY, France (AFP) — Mr Bean wrecking a Whistler or Julia Roberts expounding on a Pollock: in much the way James Bond films help cocktail connoisseurs improve their drinks skills, Hollywood in the past half century has provided key insights into US art.

So says a rare exhibition on film and art opening this week outside Paris in Giverny, the leafy sprawling home of Impressionist giant Claude Monet.

"For Europeans, cinema is the quintessential US art form," said Sophie Levy, chief curator of the Musee d'Art Americain at Giverny, whose aim is to promote the discovery of US art.

"But we were surprised to see how many Hollywood films actually featured US artworks, specially those made in the last 20 years."

And from the museum's website:

Through a selection of film clips, this installation invites visitors to discover how American art has been represented on the Silver Screen, especially in popular fiction movies. Indeed, since the early 1980s, Americans have become increasingly aware of the importance of historical American art, and it was around this same time that works of American art began to appear regularly in certain Hollywood movies.

Throughout the history of cinema, painting and sculpture have been represented in and structured into films in a variety of way. These appearances are never haphazard and often induce a curious tension for the viewer by evoking multiple associations. Carefully chosen paintings placed in the foreground or background of a movie scene can infer desire, wealth, status, or patriotism. Depending on the particular use of a painting within the framework of the movie, a director can evoke, through this clin d’oeil, an entire society or particular moment in history. Historical portraits of early American presidents which appear in numerous popular fiction movies set in the White House point to a national history while huge paintings by American Abstract Expressionists or Minimalists that often appear on the walls of New York offices in films set in the 1980s tend to signify the power of money.

From among the films chosen, consider Dressed to Kill (1980, Brian de Palma) where the main female character contemplates modern art at a museum, especially West Interior by Alex Katx from 1979 (Philadelphia Museum of Art) The Age of Innocence (1993, Martin Scorsese) that shows Samuel Morse Gallery of the Louvre, 1831, a painting that belongs to the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Other films in the exhibition:

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Frank Capra, 1939); The Picture of Dorian Gray (Albert Lewin, 1945); North by Northwest (Alfred Hitchcock, 1959,); Shadows (John Cassavetes, 1959); The Young Girls of Rochefort (Jacques Demy, 1967); Minnie and Moskowitz (John Cassavetes, 1971); Rocky Horror Picture Show (Jim Sharman, 1975); Manhattan (Woody Allen, 1979); Dressed to Kill (Brian de Palma, 1980); Baby Boom (Charles Shyer, 1987); L.A. Story (Mick Jackson, 1991); The Age of Innocence (Martin Scorsese, 1993); Clear and Present Danger (Phillip Noyce, 1994); Basquiat (Julian Schnabel, 1996); Ransom (Ron Howard, 1996); Bean (Mel Smith, 1997); The Contender (Rod Lurie, 2000); Pollock (Ed Harris, 2000); Mona Lisa Smile (Mike Newell, 2003)

And yes, you Nancy Meyers fans, Baby Boom is one of the movie mentioned above!

The show lasts through October 31st. Anyone traveling in that direction between now and then? I almost got to Giverny a couple years ago when I was in Paris, but the date the day trip was planned for was changed and I couldn't go after all!

Directors' Cut: Nancy Meyers - The Parent Trap (1998)

2008-07-21T00:39:00.003-04:00

The Parent Trap, 1998
Director: Nancy Myers
Screenplay: Nancy Myers
Production designer: Dean Tavoularis
Set decorator: Gary Fettis

In our tour of Nancy Meyers' movies, we come to The Parent Trap, a remake of the early '60s version starring Brian Keith, Maureen O'Hara and Hayley Mills as the twins. This version stars Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson as the parents who could actually separate their twins, and "introduced" an 11 year old Lindsey Lohan as the twins - one from Napa and the other from London. (As an aside, LiLo did a great job in this film and it's all the more sad to watch the movie, knowing where her life and career have gone.)

The twins meet at summer camp and hatch a plan to get Mommy, a London-based wedding gown designer and Daddy, a vineyard owner in Napa, CA back together. Of course, this is a Disney movie - so we know that there will be little angst over the whole "let's keep out twins apart so we never have to see each other again" scenario; and we know how it will end. Nancy Meyers has a deft hand at romantic comedy and, of course, a keen eye for detail and an ability to bring on a production team that can create masterpieces of sets and locations.

The twins, as we know, switch identities and American twin heads off to London with a newly acquired British accent - good enough to fool her Mom, Grandpa and butler. Yes - they have a butler. This is, make no mistake about it, a movie about wealthy people. Goodie - makes the set design so much bigger and lavish!

How beautiful is this London town house! The garden is just so British, the house is elegant, but not enormous.

The foyer is bathed in a lovely shade of deep apricot - which Nancy Meyers comments on the DVD is reminiscent of Lindsey's red hair. The walls are covered in artwork - mismatched frames almost haphazardly placed - as if to say "I bought it because I like it, get the hammer!" The pieces themselves tend to be modern and abstract - which is in stark contrast to the traditional architecture of the house. There's also a lot of sculptural pieces, knick knacks. All to say - real, contemporary people live here, it's not just a show house or stuffy old British museum. Typical of Nancy Meyers movies, there is a lot of strong mill work and other architectural elements that show high quality, and flowers, lots of flowers.

The dining room - while very formal, complete with cut glass crystal, is also fairly cluttered with touches of chinoiserie, pillar candles and silver bowls. You can see in this image the continuity of the floral arrangement to Lindsey's hair.

Up in Mom's bedroom - we have a little welcome home afternoon tea. I just love this little window seat - so cozy! The walls are covered in a pink watered silk, the bed and side tables have an ornate Italianate feel. The feeling is overwhelmingly feminine. Mom is, after all, a single woman who is free to decorate her boudoir in as opulently girly a manner as she chooses.

One of the images that I thought was most touching in the movie was this one where American twin is exploring her mother's dresser top - filled with all the womanish treasures - perfumes and powders, silver dresser set, crystal lamps and of course jewelry - that she has not seen much of - growing up without a mother. There is no dialogue expressing these feelings of longing, just the camera following her fingers as she touches all these exotic treasures.

The last London location is Mom's bridal shop (dresses courtesy of Vera Wang). Again, a feminine world that American twin has had little access to.
Six thousand miles away, we follow the introduction of British twin to her father and his lavish California vineyard, located in Napa. The Staglin Family Vineyard - a real vineyard - was the setting for this beautiful location
This house is spectacular!
Of course, California living is all about the outdoors and the veranda has a lovely simplicity and openness that just feels so cool - like a gentle breeze is always wafting through.

Unlike the relative petite size of the London townhouse, the Napa house is oversize and so is everything in it. That fireplace is massive! The scale of the living room requires oversize furniture and accessories, the furniture is weighty with heavy fabrics and the look is masculine and comfortable. There is nothing fussy here and jeans are definitely welcome.

Again, we have some interesting artwork in the house. The massive, dark, piece at the far end of the living room is a real showstopper.

The bedroom of American Twin is pretty without necessarily being overly feminine. Again, we have the peach colors so prevalent in the London house - very flattering to Miss Lohan.

I loved that this bathroom has such an old-fashioned, and very real, look to it. The peach and black tiles (often torn out by new homeowners) really shine in the space. All the tiny bottles of shampoos and lotions speak to a girl looking to find her inner woman.

I think this movie has been overlooked as a kids/tween flick - but the sets and locations are decidedly adult and worth the viewing for the production values alone.

All images courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures, ©1998.

Next up in my tour of Nancy Meyers films is "What Women Want", starring Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt.

Directors' Cut: Nancy Meyers - Father of the Bride, Part 2 (1995)

2008-07-17T22:30:00.005-04:00

Father of the Bride 2, 1995
Director: Charles Schyer
Screenplay and producer: Nancy Myers
Production designer: Linda DeScenna
Set decorator: Ric McElvin

Ahh, more Father of the Bride, part deux. Same house, different Production designer and Set decorator. Obviously, they pretty much had to copy the work done in Part 1 - after all, the sequel took place only a couple of years later (4 in real years), so eagle eye decor afficianados would notice if it were otherwise.

The Portmeirion canisters and dishware in the cabinet are new and are a much prettier accent than was used in Part 1. But... does anyone need that many canisters? A little overkill, no question.

Some of the accent pieces remain - such as this wire fruit basket, sitting right where it was before!

I just love the antique clock in this room. A little foreshadowing of a certain future movie with an important clock in the living room? Hmm...

We didn't see a lot of this angle of the room in Part 1.

This is an image of the master bedroom. I love the mismatched side tales and tall iron bed. I'm pretty sure that I have the same artwork hanging over my bed!

Hey! I just notice the bathroom! I guess that's where they did put the geese in Part 1. (see my Pt. 1 post where I wondered where that bathroom was).

An image s of the kids apartment living room. Modern yet still traditional - very Pottery Barn, which would be much like one would expect from a young, yet affluent, couple.

And what's this??? Is that a Kenton Nelson painting over the mantle? The painter of choice in Nancy Meyers films - mostly noticed in Something's Gotta Give - did he made his first appearance here? It sure looks like it to me, but I haven't found any images online to verify it yet.

And, of course, most notable in this movie was the fantasy baby nursery!

Built as an addition off the house, the nursery was the work of "Frohnck" (aka the hysterical Martin Short). From wedding planner to nursery designer - he did it all. I love the old-fashioned rocking horse by the window and warm cozy chairs by the fire place. Hmmm - I would love to see a floor plan of this house - where would that fireplace chimney be???

Over all, this movie set has proven to be a timeless design that they could make today. The babies would be 13 by now... FOTB3 - the crazy mixed up teen years?

Coming up... The Parent Trap (speaking of crazy mixed up kids - yes, I'm talking about you LiLo!)

All images ©1995, Touchstone Pictures.

Director's Cut: Nancy Meyers - Father of the Bride 1 (1991)

2008-07-15T00:01:00.001-04:00

Father of the Bride, 1991
Director: Charles Schyer
Screenplay and producer: Nancy Myers
Production designer: Sandy Veneziano
Set decorator: Cynthia McCormac

Father of the Bride - which premiered seventeen years ago - is notable for this lovely and very traditional colonial style home, located in Pasadena. Catherine of Design Editor just emailed me a photo that she took recently of the house. The image below is from the movie, but, the current house looks exactly the same! This was the perfect house setting to emphasize that the "Banks" family was well off but not ostentatious. There was a strong sense of family and, for all the Steve Martin silliness, a maturity level that was comfortable and sincere. This is a dream house in which one could imagine growing old, sending the kids off and then welcoming home the grand kids. It's the all-American dream house fantasy come to life.

One thing I noticed while watching this movie is that it's very hard to get screen grabs with clear images of the set decor. The camera man didn't work with me!! But, FOTB2 has more images. I'll be doing a post shortly on that movie.

Of the whole house, it's no surprise that the kitchen is the most dated looking room in the house. There's a lot of counter clutter - knick knacks, jars, floral arrangements. There's a lot going on! Note the back splash tile behind the image with Diane Keaton. This is typical of the 80's and early 90's decorative "More is more" style. The set decorating was very realistic - it certainly looked like a family lived there.

The dining room is a lovely formal room that isn't off-putting. The French country style table and chairs seem substantial and comfortable. The fireplace is placed on an angle which brings an asymmetry that lessons the formal feel. Interesting to note that unless that fireplace was a gas log type, there is no way the fireplace could have been there in the real house - no chimney! Certainly, there isn't a chimney on the left front corner of that house - or any house of that style. But, movie magic (or gas log magic) does wonders! The informal formality of the room is accentuated by the fact that the fireplace surround is a medium toned natural wood - not a glossy white or deeply stained mahagony. Aside from the lace sheers - which seem very 80's - most of the room could easily translate right into 2008.

How close and cozy are these sofas! Generally, we want 18" from the coffee table to the seating for leg room and room for people to pass across. Obviously, for a close shot of four people in conversation, there was a need to push everything so close. But, I actually really like it. Sofa's set too far apart for cozy conversation drive me nuts! The interior sets really do a nice job of looking like they could be inside the Pasadena house (the DR fireplace notwithstanding). The quality of the millwork - from the door moldings, the trim around the front windows and the wainscoting in the front hall really show an attention to detail and quality. Also note the lavish use of flowers - a Nancy Meyers trademark. The artwork in this movie is a bit bland and nondescript. There are lots of smaller framed prints that can't be identified easily. The artwork is certainly not of the visual and artistic interest we see in later movies.

A nice, traditional cross-hall on the "second floor" level. More lace curtains - actually, there are used in all the windows.

This is pretty much the only bathroom image in the movie. Very sweet and pretty - but it's a little unclear where this bathroom would be if this were a real house. Would there be a full bath on the first floor ? But, would they have traipsed the frozen geese through the house to an upstairs bathroom?

This cozy, feminine bedding look appears in several of Nancy Meyers movies - wrought iron bed, floral, comfy bedding and lots of pillows. I'm pretty sure that I have the same Ralph Lauren sheets on my bed right now! And mine are not 17 years old - really! I'm also pretty sure that we'll see this pattern again in FOTB2 in another bedroom.

As a juxtaposition to the elegant and traditional Banks home is the trés California mansion of the future in-law McKenzie family. No question, this is a beautiful and impressive space - but really, it's no where near as warm and inviting as the more traditional Banks house. It expressed visually that the McKenzies were very wealthy and agressive about showing that fact off (just note the three doberman's in the movie). Steve Martin's "every dad" charachter is completely ill at ease in this space. And, it's not the space that turns heads and makes this move memorable.

Stay tuned for my next post on Father of the Bride, Pt. 2. More images of the house interiors - with subtle updates that look entirely realistic. Interestingly, there was a different production designer and set decorator on Part 2.

All images ©1991, Touchstone Pictures.

Filmography: Nancy Meyers - The Decorator's Director

2008-07-13T14:00:00.002-04:00

Nancy Meyers has been making movies with her (now ex-) husband Charles Shyer for over 25 years. They shared an Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay for Private Benjamin in 1981, among other awards. Starting her career as a Hollywood development executive, Nancy Meyers is a writer, producer and director. According to IMDB, she is the highest grossing female director in history.

Devotees of movie set interiors will know Ms. Meyers by her movie sets - such as everyone's favorite Something's Gotta Give - even if they don't know her by name. While the production designers and set decorators flesh out the details and bring the stories to life in visual way, the director is still calling the shots. And, I think that it's clear that Nancy Meyers has a strong voice in this area.

As I read blogs and comments across the internet, many of the most popular queries for movie sets include Nancy Meyers films - from Father of the Bride to Something's Gotta Give to The Holiday. These movies span over 15 years of movie making and the movie sets are timeless. Ultimately, these movies are all about family and home and it's clear that there is much thought given to making the movie sets as "homey" as possible. In addition to these three movies, there is What Women Want and The Parent Trap. Both of these movies have fantastic sets an are totally worth watching - even if you're not a fan of Mel Gibson or Disney family fare.

Looking at all these movies together, I realized was that there is a strong relationship, decoratively, among several of the movies - including artwork - R. Kenton Nelson appears in several movies - the use of flowers, classic millwork, etc. Clearly, her vision is deeply embedded into the fabric (pun intended) of the movies and regardless of who the production designers and set decorators were on the individual films, it's there across them all.

If home tells the story of who we are, then these movie sets are characters as much as Diane Keaton or Lindsey Lohan (who, btw, was really, really good in The Parent Trap).

I've pulled together this list of Nancy Meyers movies - starting with Private Benjamin - including some of the most memorable sets. Plus, I have a series of posts with much more detailed information on each movie coming. I don't have copies of the older movies yet, but plan on getting them asap and if I think the sets are worth showcasing, then I'll do so!

Private Benjamin, 1981
Click here for a video clip from Private Benjamin

Irreconcilable Differences, 1984
Click here for a video clip of Irreconcilable Differences

Baby Boom, 1987

Click here for a video trailer of Baby Boom.

Father of the Bride, 1991

I Love Trouble, 1994

Father of the Bride, 1995

The Parent Trap, 1998

What Women Want, 2000

Something's Gotta Give, 2003

The Holiday, 2007

Just for fun:

Copyright to all images is to their respective studios. Full credit is given in individual movie posts and no permission is granted for their use.

My Movie Room: Something's Gotta Give

2008-07-10T22:54:00.003-04:00

Joni over at Cote de Texas has put together a very impressive post filled with images from SGTG and it's many inspirations and imitators. She's culled images from all over for this tour de force de movie decor.
I wonder if production designer Jon Hutman and Set Decorator Beth Rubino ever thought of the wave of deco-adoration they would cause!

Visit Joni's post here.

Click here to see all my SGTG posts over at my ::Surroundings:: blog. I'm currently working on getting them all over here in one place as well! Also, stay tuned for some exciting things to come!

My Movie Room: A future Spielberg?

2008-07-09T21:33:00.007-04:00

I put out a call recently for people who have taken their decorating inspiration from movies or television to submit their photos. One of the responses I received was from Susan, whose young son is a big move fan already. Sounds to me like he's a budding Steven Spielberg!

The idea for movie room for my five year old son was all his. He loves watching and "making" movies and [I] realized this would be more timeless than a specific movie, e.g. Cars or Robots that he'd soon out grow. He loves all movies and everything associated with movies, e.g., the Oscars, etc. He's even written (dictated) a few scripts and won a county wide contest filming and narrating his own movie. The room started with a clapper board from Bombay Kids. I was then able to find the wallpaper on line, match the burgundy paint, and sponge paint a buttered popcorn color on the upper half of the walls to lighten it up. The DVD covers are all 5*7 (dollar store frames) and came from a local store and/or his collection. The small posters are 11*14 and are handed out at the local movie theater. The large Shrek 2 poster was a gift a friend purchased at JCPenney. The "Now Showing" and "Coming Soon" posters as well as the film reels and film came from E-bay. My favorite poster is a promotional box from Wal-Mart promoting a summer DVD special, we have photographs placed where the numbers for the price would slide in. The shadow box contains ticket stubs from nearly every movie he's seen.

How fun is this room! And Susan - and her son - have done a great job creating a space that honors his interests, but will grow up with him.

Bravo!

Have you decorated a room or even a whole house inspired by a movie set? Care to share it? Email me at linda.m.merrill (at) gmail.com

Meet the Set Designer: Kyle Schuneman

2008-06-30T08:00:00.003-04:00

Designer Kyle Schuneman was kind enough to write in and send photos of the set he designed for HGTV's Emmy Award nominated show Creative Juice, which airs on its' DIY Channel. The show, which I admit I've never seen, "takes a fresh look at old crafty ideas".

The set is certainly very lively and invigorating. Built on a soundstage, it clearly evokes the theme of the show - a fun update of a traditional form.

Kyle appears to be a kind of wunderkind - as he's only 22 and already regularly appears on television. Click here for more on Kyle and his work. And thanks Kyle for sharing!

Tutorial: Screen grabs when you need them!

2008-06-23T23:44:00.007-04:00

Screen grab from DVD of "Something's Gotta Give"
Production Design Jon Hutman; Set Decorating Beth Rubino. c. 2003 Columbia Pictures.

(By the way, if you click the above image, you'll get a larger version and can see the amazing detail. Just look through the windows, past the umbrellas to the beach fence beyond!)

Since I started doing posts on movie set decorating, it's become obvious that many, many people take their personal decorating inspirations from the big and small screen. I receive a lot of emails asking me if I have images of particular items in the various movies I've profiled - from the tile floor or staircase in The Holiday to the artwork in Something's Gotta Give to the stucco walls in Under the Tuscan Sun. The truth is, I mostly rent the movies I've profiled and don't have access to images once I've done my posts. But, I am happy to share how you can capture an image that you're looking for.

The first place I search is the good old internet. I check out what other bloggers have come up with, the Set Decorators Society and Google images. I also pull "screen grabs" from the movie DVD. There are several technologies available to do this. First, let me say that I have a Mac, so I am most familiar with Mac software, but I will include PC information as well.

SnapzPro for Macintosh. Take still images or copy whole scenes from movies playing on your computer's DVD player. Due to copyright issues, many movies are protected and can actually put up walls against taking a screen grab. I've found that if I reduce the DVD window so that my background is visable behind the movie window. Stop the DVD player at your image of choice and click on the desktop so that the DVD player is not selected, but the image still appears on your screen. You can then take a snapshot of the screen. This usually works.

SnagIt and Camtasia for Windows.

Here is a whole page of Google results for "Screen Capture".

Of course, if you have a DVR, grabbing screen shots from the television is pretty easy as well. Well, I think it is - I don't actually have a DVR!

I've also recently found that there is a download add-on for the Firefox browser called Screengrab that let's you create an image from a webpage, or a selected portion of a page. I find this very handy!

A note about copyright - all images from dvd's or websites are copyrighted material. The Fair Use clause (or whatever it's called) allows for personal use of images. If you use an image for public use (such as I do on my blogs) then do your best to attribute the source, the copyright holder and the photographer if there is one. It's only fair to those whose work we admire!

Thanks Washington Post!

2008-06-08T23:03:00.003-04:00

A big thanks to Terri Sapienza of the Washington Post for including me in her Blog Watch column roundup of Sex and the City blogger coverage.

I'm honored to be included with Jessica Contadore's The Love List; Erin's Elements of Style; and Casa Sugar. Thanks Terri!!

Here are a few more fun SATC links that are not to be missed: Casa Sugar's Get the Look; Maison21's Sex and Maison21 - a cameo appearance of sorts; Visual Vamp has several posts; I'm Not Really A Diva did some undercover photography from the new SATC book at a book store and has several detail photos of Carrie's apartment; and Bandelle Blog's Double Take . For more, click here for Google's blog search on SATC.

Whew! That's a whole lotta Sex!

Sex and the City hits the big screen

2008-06-01T00:17:00.005-04:00

I just got back from seeing Sex and the City and I have to say that I loved it! The July Traditional Home magazine has an article and photographs about the movie set, although the actual movie sets are far more extensive than they showed in the magazine. As fans already know, the movie takes place about four years after the series ended. At the beginning of the movie, Carrie is still living in her Upper East Side apartment and the decor is very much as we last saw it - including the Aiden chair in the corner. Charlotte's Park Avenue Pre-War six is still elegantly appointed in creams and golds, but is richer and more layered, and, of course, has a lovely child's bedroom. Miranda and Steve are still living in Brooklyn and their home is warm, comfortable and a little messy. Samantha, on the other hand, has moved to Malibu and is living with Smith in a fabulous beach house. Eventually, more photos will be available, but for the moment, here is what we have.

Images from Sex and the City television show courtesy of HBO

Carrie's comfortable, flea market/mid-century modern apartment undergoes a radical makeover after her 'Big' breakup mid-movie. I couldn't help but think that the new look - with its blue walls and mirrored, harder edged surfaces - reflected her cold, broken heart. While still chic and elegant - of course - it was not warm.

Image courtesy of Lydia Marks, set decorator, via Traditional Home

Image from the Chicago Tribune. Click here for the Trib's Screen Grabs article.

Below - two images of Miranda and Charlotte at home, from Traditional Home.

Carrie and Vogue "editor" Enid Frick (Candice Bergen) in Enid's Dorothy Draper inspired office.

Mr. Big (aka John James Preston) has a new apartment since we last saw him - as he was still living in Napa at the end of the series. His new place - which is of course amazing - is very contemporary and sleek. However, I also think it shows much more warmth and depth of feeling than the television series NY apartment. There are more colors (well, with the notable exception of the post 'stick-figure-with-no-soul' red wall) and layers, objet d'art. We are being told, subtly, that this is, despite his actions, a new man.

Above images courtesy of IMDB

As I said before, there are many more beautiful interiors in the movie and as they become available, I'll be sure to share them!

Meanwhile - did you see it and what did you think of the movie?

Sex and the City Movie:
Production Design: Jeremy Conway
Set decorator: Lydia Marks

Visit the official SATC website here.

Get that look: Pride & Prejudice: Decorating Pemberley

2008-05-14T23:20:00.004-04:00

And so, we've come to Pemberley in our little tour of the houses of Pride and Prejudice. According to Jane Austen's World, Mr. Darcy has an annual income of £10,000 per year, or approximately £339K pounds (around $650K USD). A single man with only one sister, Mr. Darcy has few pulls on his income. (Unlike Mr. Bennett who has only £2,000 to support his family of seven.) Mr. Darcy is at the top of the pecking order and his family seat is appropriately grand.

In the movie, we see only a small portion of the home. Given the quality of the furnishings required, this isn't a big surprise.

"To think, of all this I might have been Mistress." ~ Elizabeth Bennett

The formal rooms at Pemberley are filled with gilded furnishings, marble, brocades and damasks. The color palette used - creams and golds - support the idea that this was one of the most luxurious homes in England.

Here are a few items from 1st Dibs that might have made the cut at Pemberley. I've included some French, Italian and Chinese pieces as well, as I would imagine that the interiors of these homes would be more likely to have furnishings from around the world.

Black lacquer and gilded torcheres at Drum & Co.

Cut glass 8-light chandelier a Florian Papp Antiques

Rosewood consoles at at Royal Antiques

Bronze & Gilt Candelabra ca. 1810 at Florian Papp Antiques

Rosewood and Giltwood center hall table ca. 1810 at Guy Regal Ltd.

Louis XV Ormolu console tables, ca. 1760 at Christopher Hodsoll

French giltwood console with marble top at Urban Chateau

Late 18th/early 19th Century Louis XIV style console and mirror, made in Italy, at Gary Morell

French Empire Candelabra in gilt bronze, ca 1805 at William Word Fine Antiques

Jinger Jar, China ca. 1800 at Heather & Company

So, who's house would you want to live in?

Click here to read my post on the Bennet House.
Click here to read my post on Netherfield Park.
Click here to read my next post on Pemberley.

Pride and Prejudice is currently airing on PBS, Sundays at 9:00PM.

This post originally and comments originally appeared on ::Surroundings::

Get That Look: Pride & Prejudice: Decorating the Bennett's house

2008-05-14T23:07:00.005-04:00

I've been thoroughly enjoying the PBS/Masterpiece series of Jane Austen's classic novels, especially Pride & Prejudice. Even though I own the DVD set, I'm still watching it on television. Since I own the dvd, I figured it would be fun to pull out some images of the different styles of decorating to be found in these Regency England interiors. There are three distinct levels of society profiled in Pride and Prejudice.

The first we see is the Bennet's family home. As those who know the story are aware, the Bennets are a family of seven - Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, a gentleman and his silly wife. They have five daughters, all of whom are in want of wealthy husbands due to the fact that Mr. Bennet's property will be "entailed" away from his family after his death - leaving them quite poor and without their home. Hence the need for the daughters to all marry as well as possible.

My blogging friend Ms. Place, Jane Austen expert par excellence, has done a post on the income levels of the various characters' and putting their income in today's dollars. Check it out here on Jane Austen's World. Mr. Bennets' annual income (for his family of seven) was £2,000, which is £67.9k in todays currency ($132k US). In his time, this was a comfortable income and it affords the family a nice, if not luxurious, lifestyle that includes a large house and small staff. Their country home is filled with quality furnishings and accessories that are beautiful, but standard and practical. One notices in the set decor that there is a prevalence of slipcovers and tablecloths, which may indicate the need to hide the well worn nature of their furnishings.

Just for fun, I did a little window shopping at 1st Dibs and pulled out the following English Regency antiques that one might have found in a home such as the Bennet's.

Queen Anne style side chairs at Adams & Comer

Mahogany dining table at Florian Papp

Side tables at English Country Antiques

18thC/19C Secretary at Parc Monceau Antiques

King George III mahogany chair back settee at Carnegie Hill Antiques

Queen Ann card table at Carnegie Hill Antiques

Silver tea service at Belvedere Antiques

Scroll window seat at Timothy Corrigan Antiques

Inlaid mahagony Pembroke table ca. 1810 at William Word Fine Antiques

Satinwood Writing Slope at Drum & Company

According to Jane Austen Today, upon Mr. Bennet's death, Mrs. Bennet's entire "marriage portion" would have been £5,000 which would have had to support her and her daughters for the rest of their lives, or until the daughters married. Clearly, this would have devastated their lives.

On the next level of wealth, we have the Bingley's - a brother, sister, and a married sister and her husband. A young single man, Mr. Bingley's annual income was £4,000 a year, or double that of Mr. Bennet. This made Mr. Bingley a very eligible bachelor, whom Mrs. Bennet sets her sites on when he leases the local mansion, Netherfield Park.

Click here to read my post on the Bennet House.
Click here to read my post on Netherfield Park.
Click here to read my next post on Pemberley.

Pride and Prejudice is currently airing on PBS, Sundays at 9:00PM.

This post and comments originally appeared on ::Surroundings::

Get That Look: Pride & Prejudice: Decorating Netherfield Park

2008-05-13T00:01:00.004-04:00

As I wrote in my last post on the decor of the Bennett's house, Netherfield Park was the large mansion which has been leased to young Mr. Bingley and his sisters. With an annual income of £4,000 per year (according to the wonderful Jane Austen's World), Mr. Bingley is quite the catch. Most certainly to Mrs. Bennet who must get her daughters married to wealthy men in order to maintain their fairly modest current standard of living.

Mr. Bingley's total fortune in todays dollars is about £3.3Million, or about $6 Million USD. Not bad! Nethersfield is a large, although not palatial, mansion filled with beautiful furnishings, befitting their high status in society. Although, it's still a country estate, so the furnishings are still a bit less refined than one would find in the city. One sees stained and ebonized furnishing of a higher quality and refinement than we saw at the Bennet's. Crystal chandeliers, opulent window treatments and wall coverings and liberal use of silver fittings abound.

Here are some items from 1st Dibs that we might have seen in a some such as this. Larger pieces with more refined woods with marquetry inlay - made by truly artistic cabinet makers would have been the norm.

Book cabinet at Gary Morell

Overmantle mirror ca. 1810 at Florian Papp Antiques

Mahogany sideboard at Royal Antiques

Bronze and gilt candelabra at Florian Papp

Regency style console at Parc Monceau Antiques

One can see why Mr. Bingley was such a sought after bachelor.

At the top end of the wealth scale in Pride and Prejudice is Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley's friend and travel companion. With £10,000 a year (per Jane Austen's World), Mr. Darcy is in a class by himself, and so is his house, Pemberley.

Click here to read my post on the Bennet House.
Click here to read my post on Netherfield Park.
Click here to read my next post on Pemberley.

This post originally appeared on ::Surroundings::

On Location: Sleepless In Seattle house for sale

2008-05-02T01:01:00.002-04:00

For a cool $2.5Million you too can be Sleepless in Seattle!

Click here to see the real estate listing.

Pulling Back the Drapes: Celebrating Set Decorators

2008-05-01T00:28:00.003-04:00

As part of the production design team, the set decorator is primarily responsible for giving a level of physical reality to the environments chosen by a film’s director and production designer.

Whether it’s a character’s bedroom, office or secret hideaway, the space has to convey something about that character’s personality, past experience or present emotional state in just a few seconds of screen time. The set decorator makes those decisions, large and small, about furniture, fabrics, color, personal items and the plethora of objects that give the audience a window into the character’s mind or heart.

“Pulling Back the Drapes” is an exhibit currently showing at the Gallery of the Academy of Motion Pictures and highlights the creative work of the following artists:

Larry Dias, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – For Indiana Jones to agree to one last caper, the adventure had to be fantastic. His home library and desk on view say a lot about Indy’s past and his interests.

K.C. Fox, Forgetting Sarah Marshall – Among the many settings in this contemporary romantic comedy is an elaborate Hawaiian hotel suite, which is re-created in the Academy Gallery.

Lauri Gaffin, Iron Man – The Marvel comic book character comes to life in some stunning environments, including a re-created cave set.

Anne Kuljian, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor – This installation features oversized pieces inspired by local Chinese art techniques and artifacts - all to “great” effect.

Jan Pascale, The Spiderwick Chronicles – Based on a successful series of novels for young readers, this production required unusual, and some might say haunted, environments, including a mysterious attic, re-created in a gallery alcove.

Leslie Rollins, Get Smart – A reproduction of the Chief’s office contains references to the original television series from a generation ago.

Susan Bode Tyson, Baby Mama – The main character’s bedroom is a focal point in this modern-day domestic comedy, in which a successful but childless executive hires a woman to give birth for her.

Click here for more information.

On Location: The Surrogates

2008-04-30T00:11:00.003-04:00

I spent a lovely evening last night at hot Boston eatery The Beehive in the South End. The restaurant has a bohemian charm that looks like it grew organically, although in fact, part of the restaurant was once a boiler room. This fun and funky space will be seen on the big screen in the 2009 movie The Surrogates starring Bruce Willis.

The Beehive is definitely ready for its closeup!

Marie Antoinette at the Met

2008-04-23T00:07:00.002-04:00

This isn't really a movie decor post, but it fits with my decor post on Marie Antoinette, so I figured, ok.

This month's Architectural Digest has a fascinating piece about the Metropolitan Museum of Art's newly renovated Wrightsman Galleries. The piece focuses on their recreation of an embroidered fabric - embroidery by Marie Antoinette herself - that once graced a suite of furniture by Jean-Baptiste-Claude Sené for use by the Queen at the Chateau de Saint-Cloud, a 17th century palace that Louis XVI purchased for Marie in 1784. The Chateau was burned, but amazingly, some of the furniture still exists, as does a sample of the original embroidery.

The Met owns a berger chair, a daybed and a fire screen. They contracted with Chelsea Textiles in London to recreate the original floral embroidered pattern as upholstery fabric.

One of their big decisions was whether to use a white ground fabric or an "aged" color to match better with the 200+ year old patina of the furniture. Ultimately, they decided to go with a fresh white, which will naturally age over time.

These scans don't do the AD images justice, so head on over to the newstand if you want to see them in fine detail!

Photography for Architectural Digest by Billy Cunningham.

CLICK HERE TO READ ALL POSTS ON MARIE ANTOINETTE.

What is you favorite Nancy Meyers movie set?
	Father of the Bride 1 (1991)
	Father of the Bride 2 (includes nursery) (1995)
	The Parent Trap (1998)
	What Women Want (2000)
	Something's Gotta Give (2003)
	The Holiday(2007)
	It's Complicated (2009)

pollcode.com free polls

Which movie should win the Academy Award for Best Achievement in Art Direction?
	Avatar
	The Imaginarius of Doctor Parnassus
	Nine
	Sherlock Holmes
	The Young Victoria

pollcode.com free polls

Which Nancy Meyers movie set is your favorite?
	Father of the Bride 1
	Father of the Bride 2 (includes nursery)
	The Parent Trap
	What Women Want
	Something's Gotta Give
	The Holiday
	None of the above

pollcode.com free polls

::Silver Screen Surroundings::

Home Alone (1990) House for sale

Downton Abbey (2011)

Home Alone (1990)

"Something's Gotta Give" is still giving inspiration

Sex and the City 2 (2010) - Character & Design: Carrie

Congratulations to Avatar for winning best Set Decoration

Something's Gotta Give: R. Kenton Nelson Limited Edition Print

2009 Academy Award® Nominees for Art Direction

An interview with uber set decorator Beth Rubino!

It's Complicated (2009)

The Blind Side (2009)

The Parent Trap English Garden

It's Complicated (2009) First Look!

The Women (2008)

Grey Gardens - Two lives, one documentary, a musical and a movie

The Company Men (2009)

The Young Victoria (2009)

Plymouth Rock Studios show their colors!

Something's Gotta Give - Get that rug!

Coco Avant Chanel (2009)

2009 Academy Awards

And the 2009 Academy Award for Art Direction goes to:

Benjamin Button House for Sale

Inside scoop with Set Decorator Rosemary Brandenburg

** UPDATE** Architectural Digest Academy Awards Green Room

Hollywood East heads West

Friday the 13th (2009)

Coming Soon: The Walker (2007)

Silver Screen-apalooza!

The Holiday: Jude Law's House

Auntie Mame (1958)

Get That Look! Mini Edition: Mad Men

Something's Gotta Give floor plan

Amazing Movie inspired art by Fifi Flowers

A favorite location

The Lake House (2006)

Mamma Mia (2008)

Excellent Blog Award!

Marie Antoinette (2006) - A treasure trove of photos!

American Art on the Silver Screen

Directors' Cut: Nancy Meyers - The Parent Trap (1998)

Directors' Cut: Nancy Meyers - Father of the Bride, Part 2 (1995)

Director's Cut: Nancy Meyers - Father of the Bride 1 (1991)

Filmography: Nancy Meyers - The Decorator's Director

My Movie Room: Something's Gotta Give

My Movie Room: A future Spielberg?

Meet the Set Designer: Kyle Schuneman

Tutorial: Screen grabs when you need them!

Thanks Washington Post!

Sex and the City hits the big screen

Get that look: Pride & Prejudice: Decorating Pemberley

Get That Look: Pride & Prejudice: Decorating the Bennett's house

Get That Look: Pride & Prejudice: Decorating Netherfield Park

On Location: Sleepless In Seattle house for sale

Pulling Back the Drapes: Celebrating Set Decorators

On Location: The Surrogates

Marie Antoinette at the Met

UPDATE Architectural Digest Academy Awards Green Room