By Frankie Wallace.

There are all sorts of reasons to watch movies that go far beyond the plot or actors involved. Movies like Spanglish and Big Night can be enjoyed for their focus on delicious meals and cooking; Gidget and Into the Blue have the ocean as their centerpiece, attracting beach lovers; and The Devil Wears Prada and the Sex and the City movies can be watched for the fashion inspiration alone. The same goes for interior design, with movies like The Godfather and Scarface giving viewers serious FOMO in terms of homes and interior design. 

The Great Gatsby’s Art Deco Set

Art deco was the dominant style in the 1920s and ‘30s, characterized by bold, geometric shapes and bright metallics (along with other rich colors). For home design inspiration, you can either look to films from that time period or turn to our favorite modern movie set in the early ‘20s: The Great Gatsby. Here are a few ways to take your home back to the early part of the 20th century — stylized and modernized, of course:

• Browse antique shops for unique chandeliers adorned with expensive-looking crystals.
• Mix light neutrals with dark woods and jewel tones. For example, an off-white couch can sit atop a ruby area rug.
• If you like a lighter theme fit for spring, go with pastel colors, similar to what Daisy Buchanan has in her sitting room or the rustic-chic style of Nick Carraway’s cottage. If you like to change the colors with the seasons, focus on the pieces you can swap out, like rugs, pillows, and throw blankets.
• If your favorite part of art deco is the bold patterns, go all out. Gatsby’s bedroom has geometric design in everything from the walls and floor to the bedding.
• For a formal room, look for oval pieces (tables and rugs) and decorate with rich grays and light-colored feathers.

What seems like a display of riches now (fur, gems, and gold) was purposely aspirational back then; viewers went to the movies for escapism, as the real world was steeped in the Great Depression. If you want your home to shine in a way that can bring similar positivity into your life, try modeling it after this film.

Whimsical Decor, Wes Anderson Style

Few films are more stylized and whimsical than Wes Anderson’s, and even those who don’t love the scripts or stories come for the visuals. His cinematography is specific and precise, often focusing on balance and uniformity. Here’s how to create an Anderson-inspired home:

• In Rushmore, there are unexpected design pieces everywhere. Use an enormous map to create a statement wall or place humorous nods to the education system throughout your home. For example, you can put up a chalkboard, use lockers as a dresser, or create an at-home library complete with green desktop lamps.
• The Royal Tenenbaums has a number of decor items that are easy to replicate at home: children’s artwork as focus pieces, vintage masks, and animal print wallpaper.
• The Grand Budapest Hotel is a visual achievement, with an enormous pink hotel at its heart. Inside, the pops of color continue due to stunning color coordination, with bright red carpets, pink walls, and green palm trees.

Anderson’s movies and sets have a seriousness to them, which is interesting because they’re also zany and unrealistic in so many ways. Adopting this style can bring a bit of spontaneity to your life and impress visitors with a surprising but refined aesthetic. 

Swoon-Worthy Kitchens From Nancy Meyers

While Nancy Meyers is a writer, director, and producer, some know her best for the gorgeous kitchens she puts at the heart of some of her films:

• The kitchen in The Intern, which is set in Brooklyn, may be bigger than many city dwellers’ apartments, but you can copy the style for yourself with various shades of blues and grays.
• Something’s Gotta Give came out in 2003, but its style is still super popular, with white and granite creating an open, airy, and inviting space. The key here is tons of counter space, especially if you’re able to put in a huge island. When the island can replace a regular kitchen table, you’re also able to practice a big component of feng shui: keeping furniture away from walls.
• It’s Complicated features a gorgeous house, which comes into play with one of the plot points in the movie — Meryl Streep’s character is working with an architect, played by Steve Martin, to expand it. The kitchen is stunning, with tons of natural and artificial light illuminating the already-gorgeous place. At your own home, you can replicate this feeling by cleaning the windows, replacing thick curtains with sheer ones, and installing brighter bulbs in your overhead lights.

For many people, the kitchen is the most important room in the house. If you have enough in your budget to overhaul just one room, you may want to focus on the kitchen — it’s where you start and end every day.

Audiences may not be able to buy a multi-million-dollar home like the ones they lust after in the movies, but interior design is one of the more attainable goals renters and homeowners can achieve. Get your dream interior by bargain shopping at thrift stores or taking on a DIY project for half the cost of buying the real thing. You can also opt to invest in one signature piece that’s inspired by your favorite movie, then opt for less expensive decor to surround it. Sourcing your home renovation ideas from the big screen can lead to some exciting and noteworthy upgrades.

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