Five Great Decoration Movies

Sometimes I see a movie and feel like the director is speaking directly to me: "You love houses? You love interiors? Well, take a look at this!" And a glorious, captivating, visually arresting movie ensues. I love when that happens.

So I got thinking about some of my favorite movie interiors and came up with a list of homes worth checking out on the big screen. Here are a few that are always tops on my list:

Grey Gardens
The original documentary is already a cult classic, but when HBO's version with Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange came out this year, it cast its own magical spell. The house, in its varying stages of decay, is both beautiful and repelling. Peeling wallpaper, unravelling upholstery, and the fall of an upper-crust family continues to fascinate.


Blow-Up
London has never looked more appealing as in Michelangelo Antonioni's movie set in the swinging 60s. David Hemmings plays Thomas, a fashion photographer whose effete taste also extends to his super-chic bachelor pad that doubles as equally well-decorated photographer's studio. I want to jump into the frame!
Casino
Martin Scorsese's portrait of a pre-Vegas Vegas is like a shiny jewel. The lacquered interiors of Ace and Ginger's ranch-style home (played by Robert de Niro and Sharon Stone, respectively) make you yearn for the era before the mega-hotel. Ginger's dressing room alone has been source of many a personal fantasy, but the bedroom with its metallic wallpaper, over-the-top headboard and Sharon Stone, dripping in jewels and furs, is the real star.

The Leopard
Turning back a few centuries, Visconti's The Leopard, is set in the world of 19th-century Sicilian aristocracy. There's a scene that takes place in a ballroom that I'll never forget. Think: upholstered brocade walls, opulent curtains and elegant proportions. It's probably the most famous room but the rest of the palazzo -- in almost every scene -- plays like a character in the movie.

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
Yes, the plot line is a bit dopey, but I've never seen an umbrella shop as beautiful as this one. The super-saturated colors -- pink striped wallpaper, dashes of red and shiny black cabinetry -- have served as inspiration for many a decorating scheme and also put Catherine Deneuve on the star map.