It’s Refreshingly Uncomplicated: Color Inspiration from Nancy Meyers’ Movies
Recently, a phone call to a friend who was in the middle watching It’s Complicated led to a long discussion about the gorgeous houses in Nancy Meyers’ movies. Meyers, who also directed The Holiday and Something’s Gotta Give, is almost as renowned for the production design and set decoration on her movies as she is for the movies themselves. A self-described design addict, she’s been interviewed about interior design everywhere from Traditional Home to Architectural Digest. As color month comes to a close, who better to turn to for classic color schemes that will stay in style for years?
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Meyers and production designer John Hutman favor traditional, comfortable interiors that feature serene yellows, grays, and blues. While the colors are often muted, they’re always used cleverly — for example, one color might be used on the ceiling, bookshelves, and doors to unify a space. In Meyers’ films, houses are relaxing, stylish retreats — and luckily for the rest of us, full of easy-to-emulate color inspiration.
1. A chic gray bathtub against pale yellow tiles in It’s Complicated.
2. In The Holiday, Amanda’s LA kitchen features midnight blue cabinetry accented by a modern yellow planter and lemon-colored baskets and candles.
3. The butter yellow ceiling, door, and bookshelves in Iris’s comfy English library in The Holiday make the space seem calm and uncluttered.
4. A modern pop of dove gray on the stairs and banisters in Amanda’s home in The Holiday.
5. The light blue cabinets, red table and chairs, and cream fireplace in Iris’s kitchen capture a favorite Apartment Therapy color scheme done perfectly.
6. In It’s Complicated, a variety of blues — in the rug, the duvet cover, the chair, and the side table — look cheerfully eclectic.
7. Architectural elements — such as the arches and tiles — shine in a light-filled, golden hallway in It’s Complicated.
8. Monotone blue walls, curtains, and chairs in Erica’s bedroom from Something’s Gotta Give look fresh and pretty.
Images: 1. FilmoFilia 2. Outnow-CH 3. Outnow-CH 4. Outnow-CH 5. Outnow-CH
6. Traditional Home, photos courtesy of Universal Pictures. 7. Traditional Home, photos courtesy of Universal Pictures. 8. Hooked on Houses