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THE BUNGALOW HB
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It’s that time again. About every few years a new movie by Nancy Meyers comes out and it soon becomes my “all-time favorite movie EVER!!!” Nancy Meyers at home. In 1980, when I was a young, single, twenty-six year old, I went to see “Private Benjamin” with my best friend. We spent the entire movie elbowing each other, saying “this movie is so us!!!!” Of course we were never in the armed forces, but, we were Jewish American Princesses and we only wished we could find a gorgeous Frenchman to marry, like Goldie Hawn did in “Private Benjamin.” Nancy Meyers wrote Private Benjamin with her then husband Charlie Shyer (above.) Since she is about five years older than me, Nancy’s movies often mirrored my own life and yours too, I’m sure. She either wrote, directed or produced Father of the Bride, Baby Boom, The Parent Trap and more. And then came her juggernauts: Something’s Gotta Give, The Holiday, It’s Complicated and The Intern. The Juggernaut Kitchens Those last four movies together, as a set, are incredibly perfect. One is better than the next one – it’s impossible to pick a favorite out of the four. Whenever one of those films turns up on cable, it hooks me in and I’ll sit and watch it, yet again. Nancy Meyers is the voice of a certain age of woman. But there is more. While her scripts are always wonderful, her movies might be more well known for their sets. Her houses are so well designed and so integral to the movie, it’s obvious that Meyers must be into interior design. Her own house in California was shown in “In Style” and it confirmed that Meyers loves to be surrounded by beauty. In an interview, she said that her mother was an interior designer and growing up she was surrounded by antiques and pretty interiors. It’s that background and basic love of design that makes her movies so attractive to other devotees of interior design. Nancy’s Pacific Palisade’s charming dining room. Blue & white Bennison fabric, shades of things to come? The Hamptons beach house in “Something’s Gotta Give” is still considered one of the prettiest movie houses, ever. Thousands of houses were inspired by that movie set. At that time, it was thought that Nancy could never top that beach house. But, with “The Holiday,” she proved us all wrong: In “The Holiday,” Meyers showed us not one, but two beauties – a cottage in the English countryside and the Wallace Neff house in the middle of LaLa-land. For her next two movies – “It’s Complicated” and “The Intern,” it seemed like Meyers was toning it down a notch. Was she worried her movie houses were the stars and she wanted to change that perception? The house in “It’s Complicated” was pretty enough but it wasn’t The Hamptons beach house. “The Intern’s” sets were in filmed in Brooklyn and with that movie Meyers went in a completely new direction: it was all industrial millennium chic. About interior design, Nancy said "It’s my thing. It’s something I like, though I think it overshadows the work a little bit sometimes." Well, I’m here to say, let it overshadow the work!!! Enter Mark Sikes. And Reese Witherspoon. Add a sprinkling of Nancy Meyers movie making. Expect magic! When uber-designer/blogger Mark Sikes book “Beautiful” came out, the surprise was that Nancy Meyers had written the foreword. She told the story of going shopping with her newly married daughter, Annie, when they were busy furnishing Annie’s new house. They ended up on La Cienega watching a young, handsome man dressing the windows. They noticed he was using some of the same fabrics they had just chosen. That man was design’s superstar Mark Sikes. He walked outside and helped them with their fabric collection and he and Nancy bonded (this“meet-cute” scene needs to be in a movie!) Sikes was hired to redo Nancy’s house and Nancy hired Mark to help on The Intern’s sets. He even had a cameo part, along with One Kings Lane honcho, Susan Feldman. After the movie shoot was over, One Kings Lane sold the props from The Intern’s set. Wait a minute. Back up. Did I just say that Mark Sikes is doing Nancy’s house? Is it in his book? I don’t think so. I’m not sure he is actually through with the project. But, come on – this is a partnership made in heaven. Imagine Mark Sikes watching “Something’s Gotta Give” for the first time – all those blue and white stripes? Mark must have thought he had died and gone to interior design heaven!! I can’t imagine anyone better than Mark to decorate Nancy’s house. Nancy showed these two images on Instagram that seem to imply the decor work might still be ongoing. This past March, Nancy Instagrammed this photo showing what Sikes brought to their meeting. OK. Isn’t this the best idea – having a separate LL Bean bag for each client?!? Monogrammed no less? Why didn’t I ever think of this?!?! Hmmm. Probably because I was too cheap??? lol. Someone left a comment on this Instagram photo reporting that Gil Schafer Architects used the same LL Bean bags for their clients. I feel like such a loser!! Do ALL successful big-time designers use personalized LL Bean bags?!?!?! P.S. I recognize that rug in her bag! AND… Then there was this photo that Nancy Instagrammed: Here, she posted a classic white paint choice test. So, I’m going to assume Nancy’s newly decorated house by Mark Sikes is not finished and is not in his book….yet. Maybe the next one? BTW, which white paint sample is your favorite? I vote for the first sample of the bunch. And then there is Mark and Reese Witherspoon, the fresh faced actress from Tennessee. Reese hired Mark to design her new stores – Draper James - in Nashville and Dallas and Lexington – so far. Mark is also designing her large colonial house in Nashville. The Draper James stores are gorgeous due to Mark’s designs, of course. Is there anything this man can’t do!???!! I mean, how darling is this? Glossy navy blue doors with a scalloped blue and white striped awning with a lantern mixed in? Inside Draper James - Reese Witherspoon’s shop, designed by Mark Sikes. Hmmm. Does this remind you of “Something’s Gotta Give?!?” Draper James by Mark Sikes. It’s a triad of blue and white and stripes – Reese and Mark and Nancy. While Mark is busy designing Reese and Nancy’s houses and businesses, Reese and Nancy are busy making a new movie about an interior designer, newly single. “Home Again” Nancy Meyers is the Producer of the film. The director AND writer is her daughter Hallie Meyers-Shyer. Hallie and her mother and partner Nancy “Home Again” stars Reese Witherspoon as a new divorcee and Candace Bergen plays her mother. Three very young men move into Reese’s guest house and hijinks ensue, especially when Reese’s ex husband, Michael Sheen, shows up. Mix in Reese’s two young daughters and a few friends – and it sounds like a great Nancy Meyers movie! Hallie as the cute, little flower girl in “Father of the Bride” along with her older sister Annie. Hallie grew up on her parents movie sets. She had cameos and small parts in many of their films but this is her first big splash and the pressure on her to succeed must be intense. It looks like Nancy was a very involved producer – on the set every day. But who can blame her? She must feel terrible anxiety as a mother, wanting her daughter to be successful in the field that she has soared in. Nancy with Hallie in their kitchen, shown in InStyle Magazine. Hallie is young. Very young to be directing a major motion picture. But, making a movie is a formula and Hallie seems to have it down pat. It must be in her superior genes (how lucky is she to have such a cool mother?) The trailers for “Home Again” look adorable, the movie looks funny and sweet, and beautiful – exactly like a Nancy Meyer movie should be, even if it really isn’t Nancy’s. Let’s face it. I’m rooting for Hallie BIG TIME. And I bet all of Hollywood is too. Nancy is very well liked in a town that finds fault with everyone and I can’t imagine anyone not wanting this movie to be successful. I want this to be the start of a new dynasty like the Barrymores and I’m hoping that one day soon, people will be saying “Nancy who? Oh, you mean Hallie’s mom?” OK. Enough of all that. What about THE house? I have a big scoop about THE house. A BIG scoop! But first…. Why DOES Nancy care so much about the décor of her sets? She said: "If you’ve spent a chunk of your life writing a character and someone puts them in the wrong clothes or in a bed with sheets you know she would never own … it’s like somebody has added dialogue into the scene. Sometimes you pick up more from what you’re seeing than hearing.” Oh, is that it? On the studio lot, Nancy, Reese and Hallie – looking too adorable in their Mark Sikes inspired blue & white stripes and jeans!!! Seriously, which one is the movie star here? Do YOU have your blue and white striped shirt yet? Go: HERE And while Nancy’s movie houses are all so beautiful, what many people don’t realize is that it’s all a façade. The famous movie houses are not all that they seemed. For instance…. The fabulous dining room from Something’s Gotta Give. Those slips were to die for. I had a client who called me from the movie and said – “I want my house to look exactly like this movie I just saw. Especially my dining room.” I asked her what movie she had seen. It was the opening weekend of the film and I had never heard of it.” Movie Magic: Here is what the dining room really looked like – on a sound stage. The circular tract allowed the camera to move effortlessly around the table. While the houses looked so real in the movies, they were just a façade. The Something’s Gotta Give Hampton’s house was located in the Hamptons, but all the interiors were filmed on a sound stage far away from the Hamptons. Nancy has said that she looked at over 50 houses in the Hamptons trying to find one where she could film the interiors, but no one would give them their permission – so she built the house on a sound stage. All the interior sets were filmed on a sound stage, including its courtyard where they built the swimming pool. Meyers said that crew and visitors used to want to hang out at the swimming pool. The Holiday featured not one, but two of the best movie houses ever. The charming and tiny English cottage was actually built in a field just for the movie. All the interiors were built on a separate sound stage. The Los Angeles house was an original Wallace Neff house in L.A. , while the interiors were, again, built on a sound stage. Here the English cottage is being built – it took only two weeks to erect the façade. The “stone” wall around the house was also built for the movie. I wonder if the house still stands today? Photos thanks to: Hooked on Houses HERE. For the movie “It’s Complicated,” the exterior was a charming house in Thousand Oaks but the beautiful flower/vegetable garden was created just for the movie, and all the interiors were built on a sound stage. The entire front façade of the house was recreated on a sound stage in New York. You can see the trees on the right were actually a mural. This seems such a huge expense that only a mega hit like a Nancy Meyers movie could afford. The Intern was filmed in Brooklyn – in a townhouse (!) where people truly lived; the loft office was created on at Brooklyn stage. Which brings us to today’s topic, “Home Again.” I would assume that filming on a sound stage can get very expensive. You have to build a house – that can’t be cheap. Is it less expensive to film the interiors and exteriors at the same location instead of having an actual, real façade and a separate sound stage set for the interiors? While Nancy is a well-seasoned and proven movie-maker, Hallie is new to the game and “Home Again” is her first movie. Would the studio give Hallie as much money to spend on sets as they would if Nancy was also the director/writer and not just the producer? I don’t know the answer. But, I assume budgetary concerns were an issue, as they always are with films. Judging by the trailers, the sets do look like as expensive as a Nancy Meyers movie. They even hired A list stars for the top three roles: Reese Witherspoon, Michael Sheen, and Candace Bergen. In an ironical twist, Reese was originally set to star in “The Intern,” a role that eventually went to Anne Hathaway instead, which freed up Reese to star in “Home Again.” Even the poster says – “first class.” Just recently released, the movie’s poster is all pink and red, shades taken directly from the color palette mood board created for the movie. Reese wears this red dress in an important scene in the movie. I love the poster!!! Reese’s role was originally to be played by Rose Byrne. She is a great comedic actress too, but I think Reese looks perfect for the part. Here is the mood board created for the movie’s color palette. It shows the colors and decorative style for “Home Again.” Notice the blue and white tiles. You will see those again – AND also notice the bedroom. That, too, shows up again, later. Production Design: Ellen Brill Art Direction: Brianna Gorton Set Decoration: Nicole Cates This photo is from the set – the family room where Reese/Alice has an office. Can you guess her profession? Notice the cute curtains and chair. And from the movie, Alice hard at work. Yes, she looks like an interior designer working on her board!!! OMG – now I REALLY can’t wait to see the movie!!!!! A Nancy Meyers moving starring an Interior Designer!!!!! And here, Alice leaves her house holding what appears to be a mood board created for her interior design client. Seriously y’all. I’m about to burst!!! A Nancy Meyers’ movie about an interior designer!!!!! The House The house where Reese/Alice lives is very reminiscent of the “It’s Complicated” house – a one story, Spanish styled, stucco vision. In fact, at first glance you might even think it was the same house... But it’s not. Here is the “It’s Complicated” house where Meryl Streep lived. Nancy altered the façade by adding new landscape to soften if up. Read my story about the actual house in “It’s Complicated” HERE. And here is the house where “Home Again” was filmed. It has the same Spanish Californian look that the “It’s Complicated” house had. Look how pretty this house is. It is actually much prettier than the “It’s Complicated” house. And, this house has a much more important pedigree. It is significant that the interiors for “Home Again” were filmed in the house itself, as opposed to on a sound stage. It will be interesting to see if the feel of the movie will be more realistic because of that – or will it not matter? So far, two trailers for “Home Again” have been released, along with a host of Instagram photos. Here’s another view. Past the gravel driveway is the courtyard with a fountain. Here is the gravel driveway that leads up to the courtyard. The crew is getting set for the day’s filming, so they put down plywood to make it easier to move equipment on the gravel drive (I suppose!) Here’s an aerial view of the house. A gate closes off the driveway to the street, while a stucco wall completely encloses the entire property. Past the gravel driveway is the courtyard and to the right is the sweeping front lawn that leads up to the house with its tall chimney. At the left rear, there is an outdoor fireplace and terrace and along the back is the swimming pool. Now, what every photo doesn’t show is the guest house – which drove me a little crazy trying to find it. But I finally found it!! There! The same view, just larger. The guest house is right off the street, on the front lawn facing the main house where the tall white chimney is. The view from the back of the estate, which is over an acre. Each garden is separated from the others which make them all very private. In this view, you again can’t see the guest house. The master bedroom is where the tall white chimney is. The guest house is across the front lawn and faces the house where the master bedroom is. To the right of this photo, where the white umbrella is, is the kitchen/family room terrace with its own outside fireplace. And in the middle of this photo is the large living room terrace that shares the space with the guest room. Here is the same view from the back that shows the guest house, which is right next to the street. It shares the front lawn with the master bedroom. Why is the guest house so important? Because, the entire premise of the movie revolves around the guest house. In “Home Again,” Reese aka Alice turns 40 and has just moved to L.A., newly divorced with 2 daughters. She meets three young filmmakers who end up living in her guest house while they work on their movie. So, Nancy and Hallie had to find a house to film in which also had a guest house. That detail must have made the search all that much harder, but it looks like they chose a great house! This aerial view shows the gravel driveway with the white stucco wall with a wood gate that separates the front driveway from the yard. And again, the guest house is cut off in the photograph. But it is at the very right of this photo, on the front lawn. OK. NOW. Does the house look familiar to you at all? The house was on the market a few years ago and by sheer luck, we have the real estate photos. Here is the view from the gravel driveway leading up to the courtyard and house. You can see that on the right, the white stucco wall is now covered by ivy. Real Estate: photos of the house before it became the set of “Home Again” “HOME AGAIN:” Notice the pretty lantern high in the tree and the fruit on the trees!! Isn’t this charming?!?! The movie was filmed in winter, but this California and it is always blooming. During filming, the courtyard fountain was dressed up with lily pads and flowering plants and everyone posed around for Instagram. From the movie’s trailer – Reese takes a call out in the courtyard. From the trailer, it looks like a lot of the action takes place outside the house – by the fireplace terrace, the courtyard, and the pool. Inside, a lot of action takes place in the kitchen and dining room. In the courtyard, during filming: the producer Nancy Meyers with the director/writer, her daughter Hallie Meyers-Shyer. The cutest! Notice the winter coats. REAL ESTATE: The walkway from the driveway to the main house. Reese with Nancy and Hallie and two of the younger men who star in the movie. The two little girls play Alice’s daughters. The gentleman on the right is the cinematographer – the highly respected Dean Cundey. Dean was nominated for an Oscar for “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” and he won two Baftas for Roger Rabbit AND “Apollo 13.” Dean also has worked with Nancy before - on The Holiday, The Parent Trap, and What Women Want!! So, what’s my scoop? Does the house look familiar to any of you? Remember this décor book? “Elements of Style” by Diane Doreen Saeks – the book showcased the work of Michael S. Smith, the decorator of the Obamas. Sigh. This book was written some years ago, in 2005, and it featured a house owned by Cindy Crawford and her husband Rande Gerber, which Michael had decorated. That house is the same one in “Home Again.” Additionally, Elle Décor did a story on the house. Cindy Crawford, one of the original owners of the house in “Home Again” standing in the front courtyard, surrounded by mounds of lavender!! I wonder what happened to all the lavender? But Cindy isn’t the only celebrity to have lived here. Right after Cindy and Rande moved out, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner moved in. Shown here in 2005 – around the time they moved in. The couple later moved into the famous Cliff May ranch house that Brian Grazer once owned. Look how happy and in love the now divorced couple once were. The house where “Home Again” was filmed is only 3,850 sq. ft. It’s original to Brentwood – built in 1929. It has 5 bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms and 14 rooms in total. In 1936, the house was renovated. Also, Cindy Crawford added on a new kitchen and the fireplace/terrace outside the kitchen. After filming was completed 3 building permits were issued for the house: 1. Convert garage to habitable and build a carport. (I wonder where?) 2. Add: 1,152 sf of new living quarters and deck (Again, I wonder WHERE?) 3. General remodeling. I’d love to see the finish project!! On the one acre property, the house is surrounded by groves of olive trees, many of which were planted under Cindy’s direction. Perhaps the new 1,152 new sq. footage will be added onto the front lawn? THE KITCHEN/FAMILY ROOM GARDEN: 2002: The prettiest aspect of the house is all of its private gardens. Here is the outside fireplace with terrace as it looked in Elle Décor when Cindy Crawford lived there. This is what Cindy and Rande built. REAL ESTATE: And here it is when it was sold a few years ago. HOME AGAIN: How the house was found, before it was decorated for the movie. HOME AGAIN: The décor for the movie is starting to come together. Outdoor table and chairs, umbrella, pillows and votives were added. HOME AGAIN: A dinner party on the terrace off the family room. Notice the blue and white vases with red and pink roses – just as was presented on the color palette-mood board. Shades of the Something’s Gotta Give infamous dinner! This looks like a great scene!! HOME AGAIN: Reese/Alice at her dinner party. HOME AGAIN: Filming at night on the kitchen terrace. And turning night into day. Or vice – versa?!! HOME AGAIN: The three young filmmakers are living in Alice’s guest house. They obviously grow very close to the two little girls. Reese as Alice Kinney Michael Sheen plays her husband Pico Alexander – next to Sheen – plays Reese’s handsome love interest, in his 20s. Hey – it’s good enough for the President of France!!! Pico is going to be the breakout star of the movie. He is GORGEOUS!!! THE SWIMMING POOL GARDEN: Real Estate Photos. The living room overlooks the swimming pool and there is another stone terrace off the living room and guest bedroom. I hate to say this but the neighbor’s roof looks so unattractive next to Cindy’s beautiful Spanish tiles. Thankfully there is the tall stucco fence that separates the properties, along with lots of lush landscaping. 2002: Elle Magazine, Cindy Crawford’s swimming pool. The scalloped umbrella is darling! The colors in this styling for the magazine are the exact same ones used in the film – reds, pinks, and blues. Real Estate Photos. A view of the living room window and the swimming pool. Real Estate photos of the pool. “HOME AGAIN” A view of the pool set for the movie. Notice the large olive jars in the background and the lantern. At least the swing set is gone…I think! HOME AGAIN. From inside the living room, showing the pink daybed – looking out the window to the swimming pool. The pink repeats the color palette-mood board for the design of the film. THE LIVING ROOM/GUEST BEDROOM TERRACE: Real Estate: Photos from the living room/guest bedroom terrace overlooking the swimming pool. Real Estate: Photo from the living room/guest bedroom – overlooking the terrace. THE FRONT LAWN GARDEN: And we are now back to the front of the house – with the master bedroom terrace looking over the front lawn. Steps lead from the terrace down to the lawn. You can barely see the blue from the spa at the left of the terrace. I do wonder if this bedroom was added on to the house at some later date – its stone roof looks a little newer. And of course you can’t see the guest house in this photo. But it’s at the end of the front lawn. BEFORE: From Elle Décor & Elements of Style: Cindy Crawford’s master bedroom leading down to the front lawn. The hidden spa is off to the left of the terrace. Beautiful. In an interview, Cindy said she loved driving up to the house, closing the gates and feeling like she was in a European countryside. Eventually, she and her family moved completely to Malibu. HOME AGAIN: Yoga classes on the front lawn, off the terrace. Large rattan chairs were used to decorate the terrace. REAL ESTATE PHOTOS: Here is the guest house with its arches and terrace. It leads to the front lawn and faces the master bedroom. The swing set is between the guest house and the master bedroom for some odd reason. It’s probably been removed now. I hope!! HOME AGAIN: Night-time outdoor movies shown by the guest house. The bright blankets pick up the mood board color palette’s orange and pink and blues. HOME AGAIN: Nancy relaxes on the outside “set.” HOME AGAIN. Uh-oh. Who’s waiting at home on the gravel courtyard? The ex-husband!! Ready to go inside the house? THE ENTRY: 2002: Cindy Crawford. The front door with the peep-door and beautiful Spanish tile floor. That lantern is still in the house today. Notice the air grate. So beautiful! What a pretty entry. HOME AGAIN. The front entry with the same paneled door. Decorative baskets hang on the wall instead of an antique mirror like Cindy had. THE LIVING ROOM: 2002: Cindy Crawford decorated by Michael S. Smith. The sofas are covered in Bennison. The large window overlooks the pool, the doors on the right open to the terrace. The family room is to the left, on the other side of the fireplace. I love the way Smith decorated the house, but this is my least favorite room of the lot for some reason. I’ve never cared that much for what he did here, but the other rooms are wonderful. Maybe it’s those leather chairs I don’t care for? The cover of the Elle Décor from 2002. Do you remember this story? The living room looks prettier in this photo. 2002: Cindy Crawford. Tramp art mirror over the fireplace. Here the family posed in their living room. Cindy actually gave birth to both her children at home, right here in this very house!!! Presley is absolutely gorgeous and her daughter is now her doppelganger!! REAL ESTATE: The wood ceiling is now painted stark white as are all the beams. These curtains remain in the house today. HOME AGAIN: The curtains are from the previous owners. They used simple slip covered furniture with seagrass and a pink rug layered over it. At the window is a Moroccan rug and the hottest item of the year – the rattan day bed. Candace Bergen!! I can’t wait to see her!!!! Candace dressed in soft pinks from the color palette mood board. Doesn’t she look wonderful?!?! THE daybed. No sitting allowed except for during filming. This daybed at Serena and Lily is the must-have décor item of the year. Of course it would be in a Nancy Meyers movie! HERE. The pinks pick up the color from the mood board. Darling pillows. I’m sure they will take professional photographs of the rooms, neatly styled for all the magazines, web sites and blogs. Speaking of blogs, Nancy told Elle Decor that her favorite decor blogs are Habitually Chic, Remodelista and Belgian Pearls! Oh, to be named on that list!!! The movie is due out Labor Day weekend, so it’s still a few months away for all the PR press. Movie props! That clock is darling!! THE FAMILY ROOM: 2002: Cowtan and Tout fabric on the sofa with Brunschwig and Fils on the shades. Stone floors. This room is on the opposite side of the living room. I love the décor in the family room – this is so classic Michael S. Smith. HOME AGAIN: The Family Room. I love the curtains used on this set. Alice talks with her ex-husband played by Michael Sheen. Alice doesn’t look too thrilled her husband is back. And I just noticed he has a band-aid on his forehead! He gets in a fight with one of the three young men! The door leading to the kitchen is off the front courtyard. The little one’s cute face!! The door to the kitchen is right next to the dining room. The sconces are from Cindy’s day. One note. These iron framed doors/window are so “on trend” today. But, these have been used in older houses forever. Remember, this house was built in 1929!! I would paint them black though – I’m not crazy about the rust colored paint. Another view of the kitchen next to the dining room. The wooden double doors leading into the dining room are Spanish. THE DINING ROOM: 2002: The original Michael S. Smith décor for the dining room as seen in Elle Décor and Elements of Style. I absolutely love this room as Smith designed it. He used Bennison’s Dragon Flower fabric for the curtains. And notice the classic chandelier that Smith chose for Cindy, it is still in the house today. Through the opening is the breakfast room. REAL ESTATE: The dining room today. You can see the wood Spanish double doors leading to the kitchen. To the right is the breakfast room. And notice Cindy’s chandelier and sconces remain today. HOME AGAIN: The view from the courtyard walkway, looking into the dining room and through to the breakfast room beyond it. THE KITCHEN: 2002: Cindy Crawford’s kitchen as seen in the Elements of Style and Elle Décor. Cindy and her husband Rande added on the kitchen and the outside fireplace. I’m sure a new kitchen was needed since the house was built in the 1920s. Today, the kitchen is painted white, not cream. AND, it looks like there are new blue and white tiles in the movie. Not sure if they are permanent or if it’s slight of hand. Cindy’s open cabinets were later closed in by a former owner. REAL ESTATE: It looks like the only change was the kitchen was painted white and a new textured shade was added. Across from the kitchen is the dining area with the wonderful light fixture placed by Michael Smith for Cindy. HOME AGAIN: The main change is the new blue and white tiles that are much more vibrant than the previous ones. Also, there are new Mark Sikes-type of blue and white striped linen shades at the windows. Maybe the darker blue and white shows up better on film than the mostly white tile with some blue that was there before. The view of the new blue and white striped linen shades. In the adjoining room – the cute breakfast room, it looks like the original shades were retained. The gang congregates around the kitchen island. Food for filming. The dining room looking into the kitchen – the blue and white china matches that on the color palette mood board. And, I love how Michael Sheen is wearing a blue and white striped shirt ala Mark Sikes. Notice how the art on the wall really matches the mood board with its orange and pink stripes – it all coordinated. The other side of the dining room, with the painted cabinet. I have to say that I do prefer Michael S. Smith’s décor in this room. It seems more fitting with the house’s architecture: I know the table and chairs used in the movie are “on trend” – I just prefer a more traditional approach like these antique French chairs and table. I think Michael Smith’s décor here is so classic and will be beautiful for the ages. By the way, the small breakfast room is really cute, but there aren’t many photos of it!! There is a marble top table, like a Saarinen, along with a linen striped fabric, a banquette, and rattan chairs. Here’s a peek at it: It looks like a Saarinen table with rattan chairs and striped cushions. And past the kitchen – is this tiny peek into the breakfast room – it shows a banquette with linen fabric and rattan chair(s.) I think! It’s hard to tell. And one more tiny peek at the breakfast room from the dining room – I wish we could see more! Oh well, September will be here soon enough. The Master Bedroom: In 2002: In Elle Décor and Elements of Style. The master bedroom with a beautiful raised ceiling and a hanging Moroccan styled lantern. The gorgeous antique screen is a focal point. On the bed is a suzani, once the textile du jour for Michael Smith. Two French doors flank the fireplace, which lead to a terrace and the front lawn. OK. This reminds me of why we all have loved Michael S. Smith so much over all these years. I love how he thought to put a screen against the long wall! I love that lantern and wonder if it is still there now? We might have to wait for the movie to find out. Real Estate: The master bedroom today. Looks a bit different! Not nearly as pretty as when Cindy lived there! The two French doors lead out to the terrace and the front lawn. At the end of the large lawn you can just barely see the guest house where in the movie Alice puts up the three young filmmakers. AND…notice there is a door on the left wall. So…THIS is the reason why Michael Smith had the brilliant idea to put the screen there – he was hiding something!! LOL HOME AGAIN. And here is the bedroom as seen in the movie. There is a sort of foyer into the room as you can see to the right of Reese. And as the room was decorated for the movie. The colorful headboard follows the color palette mood board. In fact, that headboard looks exactly like the one that was shown on the board: The color palette mood board. Notice the photograph of the bedroom that was source for the movie. Here is that exact photo: This photo from a magazine was pinned and then put on the color palette mood board for the movie “Home Again.” It appears the Production Design found a bed very similar to it, but without the canopy. The master bedroom headboard, which is very similar to the one on the mood board. And from Instagram, the director Hallie Meyers-Shyer goes over lines with the star, Pico Alexander. I think Pico is going to be a huge heart throb after this movie. REAL ESTATE: The bathroom is quite attractive with a standing sink and with a marble & paneled wood surround on the tub. A large window opens to the garden. I love the old fashioned medicine chest. HOME AGAIN: Reese has a crying scene in the bathroom where there is now a shade at the window, but otherwise it looks very much the same. Here she cries in the medicine chest’s mirror. The Guest Room: 2002: From Elle Décor and Elements of Style. The guest room is quite fantastic with a canopy bed, Oriental rug, antique chair, chest, and porcelain lamp. Another suzani is placed on the bed. Beautiful and classic Michael Smith. This door opens to the back terrace that it shares with the living room. Beautiful, full, striped curtains – classic Michael S. Smith. Another photo from the guest room shows the opposite side of the room, with a desk and antique mirror. REAL ESTATE: This shows the guest room and how it shares the same terrace with the living room and the swimming pool beyond it. SECOND GUEST ROOM: REAL ESTATE: This photo shows the second guest room. HOME AGAIN: And here is the second guest room used for the younger daughter’s bedroom. It looks like they didn’t even have to repaint the room. THE GUEST HOUSE: REAL ESTATE: As mentioned before, the guest house is located at the front of the property, right off the street. It faces the front lawn and the master bedroom. Here is how it looked when the real estate photos were taken a few years ago. HOME AGAIN: And here it is, shown during a movie night. So cute! HOME AGAIN: Inside, the guest room is furnished in creams and white with touches of deep blue. I only see one bed, not sure where all three slept? It looks like there is either a laundry room or kitchenette included in the guest house. I guess the three boys are happy just to have a place to stay! Here they have a fight over Alice – you can see the terrace that overlooks the front lawn. In this scene, it looks like perhaps Alice Kinney was once in a movie. You can see the actor’s chair with the name Kinney written on it. And there is a poster for a movie “Lola In Between” which Hallie Meyers-Shyer actually wrote the screenplay for when she was still in high school. It looks like she resurrected that screenplay to be a part of this, her first motion picture. Since the boys are filmmakers, is Alice sharing her cache of film reels and scripts with them? Notice the actress starring in “Lola in Between” is Lillian Stewart. Candace’s name in “Home Again” is Lillian Stewart, so there is some connection between Lillian and Alice and movies and the three boys. There also seems to be another sub plot involving Alice’s oldest daughter acting in a play and the boys coaching her? Who knows? It’s hard to tell an entire script from a 2 minute trailer, but I tried. All I know is I can’t wait to see Home Again!! And finally: For everything you need to know about the “Home Again,” go HERE. My friend Linda Merrill has a story on her blog about “Home Again” if you want to read more! HERE. AND….. Since Hallie, Nancy and Reese are all connected to Mark Sikes with his love of blue and white stripes.. here are a few things I found that can give you that fresh blue and white look: LOVE THIS CHAIR! It comes in a lot of different fabrics, but the check is fabulous!!! HERE Have a white Slipcovered sofa? Add some blue & white striped pillows for an immediate change HERE. Bar cart: HERE OK, how cute is this??? Blue & white striped headboard. HERE Great bench HERE. Bench – so cute in red & white check. I love to mix in red or pink with the blues. HERE How about just a touch of Mark? Cutest dog bed!! HERE And magazine bins, plant boxes, whatever you need: HERE and finally, this throw, which can be used to place over a sofa back cushion, be used on a bed, tossed over a chair, cover a table – any way you want to bring stripes to the décor. Plus there are many different colors and patterns. HERE. See you at the movies!
Finnis Architects with Damon Hills, have recently completed a modern house extension that has been added to a heritage Californian Bungalow in Australia.
