Fictional Interiors - The Holiday

This time of year the majority of my weekends are taken up with curling up by the fire in my warmest jumper and working my way through my list of favourite festive films. Whilst I love all the classic Christmas films and family capers that have long been part of our collection, since its release in 2006 my favourite festive movie has been ‘The Holiday’ starring Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz. The film is the story of Amanda and Iris who decide to take part in a house swap during the festive season. While both women are very different in their personalities and lifestyles their homes also have two distinct styles that create two very different atmospheres within the film.

Amanda’s Californian Home

The location of Amanda’s house is a property in Pasadena that the architect Wallace Neff built for himself in the 1920s. Its exterior showcases the Mediterranean-influenced “California Style” that he became known for. The interiors were built on a soundstage to enable to filmmakers to create a classic contemporary style that they felt suited the character. The film premiered in 2006 and the interiors of this house include many of the trends of that year including sea grass rugs, lanterns, in room technology and cool grey colour schemes. The choice of design highlights that Amanda is not only in the loop about interior design but she earns more than enough money to pay the finest designers to decorate for her.

Some of my favourite rooms in this home are Amanda’s spacious kitchen that brings together a sleek monochrome colour scheme with natural light wood elements that are sophisticated and classic. Her bedroom also lies along the same Zen colour scheme and features a large central bed and two beautifully large windows with blinds that can be controlled remotely for complete black out. The entertainment room features a large widescreen TV with a large cabinet of DVDs and the finest in modern technology with a living room fitted with crisp cream sofas and chocolate brown accents that are clearly more for show than for entertaining guests.

Iris’s English Country Cottage

If you fancy taking a trip to visit this cute and quaint cottage situated in the beautiful Surrey countryside then I’m afraid you will be disappointed. The cottage that the filmmakers thought was perfect for the film was far too isolated and about 4.5 hours away from their filming location in Shere in Surrey. They instead decided to build the exterior of Iris’s cottage on location where they could film all the external shots and then film the interior shots on a sound stage in Sony Studios.  The cottage interiors were designed to be cosy and homely; the exact opposite of Amanda’s sleek and neutral home.

The living room area features a cosy cream colour scheme with exposed stone walls, wooden beams and a roaring open fire that is inviting and mesmerising. The furniture and fabrics are all mismatched and add to the quirky charm of the cottage. Chintzy floral curtains are combined with a velvet footstool, patterned cushions and a Persian rug to create a shabby chic style finish. The kitchen features a small and round traditional dining table and the walls are adorned with cupboards and shelving accessorised with classic blue and white chinaware. A large, Victorian style wrought iron bed is situated in the bedroom next to another cosy fireplace while the quirky (and tiny) metal bath in the bathroom confirms that cosy charm of this quintessential British cottage. The large floor to ceiling bookshelves mirrors the large DVD shelves of Amanda’s home, further highlighting the differences between the two women.

For more pictures of these fabulous interiors, take a look at our latest Pinterest board - Pinterest - Fictional Interiors 'The Holiday'