"Designing in the Flickering Darkness . . . "

Greetings,

Okay y'all.  I wanna play a little game with everyone.  Hop over to the comments . . . and let's talk about the movies.   Not your favourite stars . . . or soundtracks . . . but, your favourite interiors.   But, I want to go further than a gushing commentary about the "Something's Gotta Give" house.  Yes, I know we all love that space.  And it turned the design world upside down for years afterwards.  But, I wanna dig a little deeper.  What I'm really fascinated to talk about are those movies where 'the house' is a character.  And the changes to the interior of the house affect the plot of the film.

I'll start with a few.

"Out of Africa"

Even just typing those three words on my computer brings up a deep well of emotion.  And that house.  That house.  Watching its evolution throughout the film.  And then seeing the contents of Karen's home spread across the front lawn (like some kind of turn-of-the-century One Kings Lane sale) . . . and Meryl and Robert swaying in slow motion - weaving a path through 'the things' of her life.  A simple, glorious film about ownership . . . and letting go . . .

"Mr. Blandings Building His Dream House"

I often recommend new clients watch this one before we start any major renovations.  Not only as a cautionary tale . . . but, to help everyone see that even the most gruesome construction projects result in the most amazing homes.  I even use "is this the flower sink?" as a code word . . . to be that little "why-don't-we-just-do-this-tiny-microscopic-throw-away-idea" thing - that throws the entire project (and/or budget) into a tailspin  . . .

And then something a tiny bit more obscure . . .

"Kiss Me Goodbye"

If you've never heard of this one . . . don't fret . . . practically no one has.  And it's SO off the radar, that I can't find a single image of the interior of the film ANYWHERE on the entire internet.  The story itself revolves around the brilliantly comical Sally Field - as she re-opens the New York brownstone that she had shared with her late husband.  I know it doesn't sound like a promising beginning to a fun comedy . . . but, if you find it 'on demand' - it's a good two hours of laughter and classical design.

Alrighty y'all.  Let's start sharing your favourites . . .

Cheers,
Scot