When it comes to movie sets we want to live in, no one does it quite like Nancy. It’s like her films connect directly to some mysterious part of the female brain — whether it’s a quaint English cottage, the perfect NYC brownstone, or the coziest ranch style home, she just gets it. We’ve been obsessed with her interiors ever since watching Father of The Bride on repeat as kids. Now that we’re all grown up, we’re turning an analytical eye on director Nancy Meyers’ set designs to figure out how we can create a little of her cinema magic in our own homes.
Use color, but with restraint.
A muted palette is really the touchstone of Nancy’s style. In Amanda’s house from The Holiday, she kept the furnishings almost completely neutral, only pulling in some green with a few lush indoor plants.
Rule #2: Sisal and seagrass, everywhere.
You see a lot of natural fiber carpeting in Nancy’s movies — it instantly adds the cozy quality we love so much about her interiors.
Invest in an overstuffed slipcovered sofa.
No Meyers movie is complete without a couch you want to curl up on (like the one Jack Nicholson’s character makes himself at home on in Something’s Gotta Give). We’re partial to this little sectional number by Rachel Ashwell, and we’re pretty sure Nancy would approve.
Add a touch of toile.
If you’re going to go mostly neutral, you’ll definitely want to incorporate some pattern. Toile is clearly the obvious (and preppiest) choice. We love the little pink chair she placed in Hallie’s room in her 1998 version of The Parent Trap.
Keep your front yard manicured.
If you want your home to be on a Nancy-level, you’re going to need some major curb appeal. (We’re still not over the white house from Father of The Bride). Think about keeping your front yard mostly green, with a few groomed seasonal flower beds.
Hang industrial style pendant shades.
This is a more recent thing, but we’ve seen industrial pendant shades in the last few Nancy Meyers films. We’re loving these glass shades hanging in the kitchen from The Intern.
Park a white bicycle in the entry hall.
The characters in Nancy’s movies don’t just live and work in beautiful spaces — they commute in style as well. Why not park a crisp white bike in your entry way, like in the office space in The Intern?
Add a dash of velvet.
Meyer’s movie sets are all about the idea of comfort and home, so she doesn’t shy away from rich touchable fabrics like velvet. We’re obsessed with this blue tufted ottoman from Iris’s cottage in The Holiday.
Make the kitchen the center of your home.
If you pay close attention, the best scenes in Nancy’s movies almost always happen in the kitchen — people get to know each other, confess mistakes, and fall in love. (Who wouldn’t want to spend all night in a kitchen like this one from It’s Complicated?) Whatever your current kitchen looks like, invite a girlfriend over for wine and just stay there. Who knows what dialogue might happen?
