Some movie houses stay in your memory long after the credits roll.
In this article, I've put together a list of fifteen movie houses that have left a lasting impression on me. Not because they're perfect, but because they have soul. These houses are often old, imperfect, weathered but always full of life. They're places rooted in their era, but still able to connect with the present.
They are houses full of life, memories and emotions contained in objects, materials, and spaces. They are human houses. And that is exactly what touches me as a designer and founder of Luz Editions: the connection between a place and those who inhabit it, between aesthetics and the senses.
Through this selection, you will also discover what inspires me in my work: an eye for detail, things made to last, beauty that needs no artifice. And a special mention for director Nancy Meyers, who has turned movie houses into an art form in their own right.
Make yourself comfortable... the tour begins.
1. I Am Love (2009) by Luca Guadagnino
Where is the real house located?
Located at 14 Via Mozart, Milan, this sumptuous villa is nestled in a quiet, tree-lined neighborhood in the heart of the city.
Who owns it?
It now belongs to the Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI), after being bequeathed by the Necchi-Campiglio family in 2001. It has been open to the public as a house museum since 2008.
Architectural style & details
Built between 1932 and 1935 by architect Piero Portaluppi, it embodies an elegant synthesis of Italian rationalism and Art Deco, with clean lines, bright spaces, and a rigorous attention to details.
After the war, architect Tomaso Buzzi softened some of the interiors with more classic touches, introducing sumptuous fabrics, 18th-century-inspired furniture, and noble materials such as rosewood, marble, and travertine.
The villa is full of technical innovations for its time: central heating, a private heated swimming pool (the first in Milan), a tennis court, an intercom system, a dumbwaiter, and an elevator (Wikipedia).
Key features:
Entrance hall and grand marble staircase with gilded banisters,
Library with diamond-patterned stucco ceiling and wood paneling,
Winter garden veranda with green marble and large bay windows overlooking the garden.
What makes it charming?
An atmosphere of tranquility and discreet luxury: a haven of serenity in the heart of the city thanks to its gardens, swimming pool, and open spaces.
Total design: architect, furniture, art, down to the smallest details.
Preserved almost intact, even after occupation during the war—a real journey back in time.
2. The Notebook (2004) by Nick Cassavetes
Where is the real house located?
The iconic house from The Notebook is located on Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina, USA. Although the film was mostly shot in Charleston, the house is located a little further south, on the riverbank.
Who owns it?
It is a private property known as Martins Point Plantation. It is not open to the public as it is owned by a family who wishes to preserve their privacy. The location is sometimes rented out for film shoots or very exclusive events.
Architectural style & details
The house is a classic example of Southern colonial architecture, built in the 19th century. With its symmetrical façade, white columns, wide porch, gently sloping roof, and large shutters, it exudes warmth, tradition, and permanence. It is surrounded by century-old trees and waterfront property, which enhances its romantic and timeless appearance.
What makes it charming?
This is the house of love rebuilt, the one a man is restoring, brick by brick, for the woman he loves. It embodies the dream of a return, a promise kept, the power of feelings inscribed in architecture. Its charm comes not only from its classic lines, but also from the emotion it carries. It has become one of the most powerful cinematic symbols of romantic attachment to a place.
3. The Holiday (2006) by Nancy Meyers
Where is the real house located?
The famous Rosehill Cottage does not exist in reality—it is a facade built from scratch in a field near the village of Shere, in the county of Surrey, England.
The setting was inspired by a real cottage located in Holmbury St Mary, called Honeysuckle Cottage, which served as a model.
Who owns it?
The Rosehill Cottage filmed belongs to the world of movie sets: it was built for the film on private land and demolished after filming.
As for Honeysuckle Cottage, although real, it is private property and is no longer available for rent, having been listed on Airbnb briefly in 2022.
Architectural style & details
Exterior: traditional English cottage style, honey-colored stone facades typical of Surrey, gently sloping roof, small sash windows, discreet porch. The appearance has been recreated to evoke a “chocolate box cottage,” almost straight out of a greeting card.
Interior (on set in Los Angeles): cozy, warm atmosphere with exposed beams, aged decor, library, inglenook fireplace, rustic kitchen, and bedroom with mixed textiles. Everything has been arranged to avoid an overly “grandmotherly” feel and create a space that is both warm and timeless.
The exterior set was built in less than two weeks, with a planted garden and walls styled to look centuries old, then demolished after filming.
What makes it charming?
Immediate visual appeal: the cottage evokes a sense of refuge, peaceful isolation, and the calm of the snow-covered Surrey countryside.
A set built with narrative intent: every object, every texture tells a story of returning to oneself, of a restorative break.
A symbol of romantic dreams and human transformation, almost magical: Amanda discovers a home that ultimately brings her back to life, unlike her large, modern designer house in Los Angeles.
4. Something's Gotta Give (2003) by Nancy Meyers
Where is the real house located?
The stunning seaside home featured in the film is located at 576 Meadow Lane, Southampton, in the Hamptons, Long Island, New York. This exclusive address is nicknamed “Billionaire Lane” due to its prestigious location.
Who owns it?
It is a luxury private residence. In 2014, the property was sold for $41 million to Loews Corporation CEO Jimmy Tisch. It is not open to the public.
Architectural style & details
It is a Shingle Style villa, built in 2000. This is an American architectural style that emerged in the late 19th century, particularly on the East Coast of the United States (in seaside resorts such as the Hamptons and Newport). It is linked to the Arts & Crafts movement and the beginnings of modern American architecture.
In concrete terms, a “Shingle Style” villa is:
Facades entirely covered with wooden shingles, with no separation between the walls and the roof: the appearance is soft, uniform, almost sculptural.
Complex roofs, often with multiple slopes, with dormers, deep eaves or rounded shapes.
An asymmetrical layout, far from classical symmetry, with varied volumes, sometimes L- or U-shaped.
Generous porches, often covered, inviting you to enjoy the outdoors.
A very “seaside” or chic country house look, with a certain modesty in the facade, but great elegance in the details.
Little or no classic ornamentation, unlike the Victorian style.
The exterior facade captured in the film is real, but all the interiors were recreated in a Hollywood studio, inspired by design classes, real Hamptons homes, and Nancy Meyers' own kitchen.
Characteristic decor: light colors (cream, white, blue), bright kitchen with two islands, glass cabinets, faux soapstone countertops, large windows, bookshelves, linen textures, blue and white striped rugs.
What makes it charming?
The aesthetic combines cozy, natural light, and casual elegance: a visual refuge where every room exudes serenity.
Symbolically, it is the sanctuary of an accomplished woman: a home designed for her—uncompromising, with a central kitchen where most of the film's family and emotional life takes place.
More than just a backdrop, it becomes an intimate character in the story: a space that accompanies the emotions, dialogues, and transformation of the characters.
5. Nights in Rodanthe (2008) by George C. Wolfe
Where is the real house located?
The iconic house, nicknamed “The Inn at Rodanthe,” is located on Hatteras Island in the town of Rodanthe, North Carolina, United States.
Originally built about half a mile from its current location, it was later moved to safer ground inland due to coastal erosion.
Who owns it?
The private house, formerly known as Serendipity, was purchased in 2010 by Ben and Debra Huss, fans of the film, who saved it from demolition and converted it into a charming rental property for admirers of the film. It continues to operate as a vacation rental today and has even been listed on the market for between $1.25 million and $1.8 million, according to real estate listings.
Architectural style & details
Built in 1988, this beach house-style coastal villa sits on stilts, with light wood siding, hurricane-blue shutters, and wraparound porches facing the Atlantic Ocean.
The house has a romantic, rustic aesthetic, accentuated for the film by balconies, painted shutters, and an “Inn at Rodanthe” sign created for the occasion.
Interiors: Although filmed in a studio, the owners recreated the original layout: a kitchen with blue-green cabinets, swinging doors, vintage floral wallpaper, wood floors, and warm furnishings reminiscent of the film's decor.
What makes it charming?
It embodies the oceanfront retreat, a place where characters find themselves and reinvent themselves.
It is a house designed to be reborn, a symbol of a love story in turmoil, until it is restored to a serene light.
Its elegance lies in its simplicity: a warm architecture, fragile in the face of the elements, but deeply human in its narrative.
6. It's Complicated (2009) by Nancy Meyers
Where is the real house located?
The charming house featured as Jane's residence is actually located at 714 West Potrero Road, in the Hidden Valley neighborhood of Thousand Oaks, California, United States. It was used for exterior shots; the interiors were filmed in a studio in New York.
Who owns it?
The property is a private residence in the heart of a Hidden Valley equestrian estate. It is used as a single-family home and is not open to the public.
Architectural style & details
The house is designed in a typical Santa Barbara Spanish ranch style, with a terra cotta tile roof, porch, arches, light-colored siding, and matching shutters.
In the film, the interior is a studio set designed by Jon Hutman, featuring natural textures (linen, raw wood, neutral walls), a functional open kitchen, exposed beams, and simple, warm furniture to evoke an atmosphere that is elegant, grounded, and lived-in.
What makes it charming?
It is the home of an independent woman who is reinventing herself: a bright, soothing, restorative place that reflects her future and her choices.
It functions as an intimate refuge, a place of encounters, gentleness, and sincerity after a breakup.
Its charm comes from its visual simplicity and its adoption as an emotional, not superficial, backdrop—the space itself becomes a secondary character in the story.
7. The Anniversary Party (2001) by Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming
Where is the real house located?
The house used in the film is the Schaarman House, a private residence located in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, California. It was designed by architect Richard Neutra, one of the masters of the 20th-century California modernist movement. Much of the film was shot in this house, which offers panoramic views of the city and surrounding mountains.
Who owns it?
The Schaarman House is currently owned by Jeffrey B. Gorman, an art director and advertising executive. It was listed for sale in 2017 for $8 million.
View: Panoramic of the city and San Gabriel Mountains
What makes it charming?
The Schaarman House stands out for its harmonious integration into the surrounding nature and its design focused on light and space. It embodies the ideal of Californian modernism: functional and aesthetic architecture that promotes indoor-outdoor living. In the film, it serves as the backdrop for an intimate and emotionally charged evening, reinforcing the theme of the fragility of human relationships.
8. Call Me By Your Name (2017) by Luca Guadagnino
Where is the real house located?
The house used in the film is the Villa Albergoni, located at 3 Via Montodine, in the village of Moscazzano, near Crema, in Lombardy, Italy. This 16th-century villa, built on the ruins of an ancient castle, is an iconic location in the film, serving as the Perlman family home.
Who owns it?
Villa Albergoni is privately owned. It was put up for sale in 2018 for approximately $1.7 million.
Architectural style & details
Architect: The villa was built in the 16th century by an influential Milanese family, the Vimercati. It was built on the ruins of an earlier castle.
Style: Italian Renaissance architecture with Baroque influences.
Features:
Solid wood floors and ornate ceilings.
Carved stone fireplaces.
Landscaped gardens with terraced grounds.
Two turrets at the corners, remnants of the old castle.
Monumental staircases leading to the different levels of the garden.
Wall frescoes attributed to the Crema painter Aurelio Busso.
What makes it charming?
The Villa Albergoni embodies discreet elegance and historical richness. Its intimate atmosphere and authentic décor create a setting conducive to reflection and self-discovery. In the film, it serves as the backdrop for a budding love story, where every room and every corner seems imbued with memories and emotions. The house thus becomes a character in its own right, a silent witness and participant in the events that unfold there.
9. A Good Year (2004) by Ridley Scott
Where is the real house located?
The main house in the film is located in the village of Puget-sur-Argens, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France. It is a typical old Provençal wine estate, with vineyards and a stone house.
Who owns it?
The estate is privately owned and used for seasonal rentals and events.
Architectural style & details
Style: typically Provençal, with stone walls, red tiles, colorful shutters, exposed beams, and terracotta floors.
The house is surrounded by vineyards, olive trees, and Mediterranean gardens.
The interior reflects a blend of rustic elegance and modern comfort, with weathered wood furniture, natural fabrics, and a large stone fireplace.
The terraces offer panoramic views of the Provençal countryside and the vineyard.
The estate also includes a traditional stone wine cellar, highlighting the importance of wine in the local history and that of the film.
What makes it charming?
This house embodies the French art of living, with a warm and authentic atmosphere.
The decor invites you to relax, get back to nature, and rediscover simple pleasures.
It symbolizes rebirth, a return to one's roots, and a new beginning in the heart of a landscape steeped in history and tradition.
The house becomes a character in its own right, witnessing the hero's emotions and transformations.
10. Under The Toscan Sun (2003) by Audrey Wells
Where is the real house located?
The main house featured in the film is the Villa Vignamaggio, located in Greve in Chianti, in the Tuscany region of Italy. This historic 16th-century villa is famous for its vineyards, lush gardens, and typical Renaissance architecture.
Who owns it?
Villa Vignamaggio is a private property that is now operated as a luxury winery and tourist rental. It is open to the public for tours, events, and stays.
Architectural style & details
Style: Tuscan Renaissance architecture with stone walls, tiled roofs, towers, and interior cloisters.
The villa is organized around a central paved courtyard with stone arcades and columns.
It features large landscaped gardens, terraced vineyards, and centuries-old olive trees.
Inside, there are terracotta floors, beamed ceilings, antique wooden furniture, and traditional Tuscan details.
The villa has a romantic, warm atmosphere, combining elegance and authentic rusticity.
What makes it charming?
It is a house that symbolizes rebirth, new beginnings, and simple beauty rooted in nature.
Its peaceful and elegant atmosphere invites you to dream, recharge your batteries, and be creative.
It is the perfect setting for a story of personal transformation and reinvention, just like the main character.
The villa conveys a sense of harmony between man and the earth, a balance that the film celebrates in every shot.
11. Little White Lies (2010) by Guillaume Canet
Where is the real house located?
The main house in the film is located in Cap Ferret, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France. This seaside villa is emblematic of the seaside residences of the French Atlantic coast.
Who owns it?
The house is a private residence. It belongs to a private individual and is not open to the public.
Architectural style & details
Style: contemporary seaside architecture with a white façade, large bay windows, wooden shutters, and flat roofs.
The house is designed to maximize natural light and offer panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean.
Inside, there are open spaces, natural materials such as light wood, linen, and rattan, and a minimalist decor with warm touches.
The ambiance is both modern and relaxed, true to the spirit of the region, with an atmosphere conducive to relaxation and conviviality.
What makes it charming?
This house embodies the gentle seaside lifestyle, the ideal retreat for reunions and moments shared with family or friends.
It is both simple and elegant, with a bright and soothing atmosphere that invites serenity.
Its proximity to nature and the sea gives it a unique character, combining intimacy and openness to the world.
In the film, it becomes a theater of emotions and unspoken words, a place filled with memories and emotional tensions.
12. Stealing Beauty (1996) by Bernardo Bertolucci
Where is the real house located?
The film was mainly shot in the Chianti region, between Siena and Florence, in Tuscany. The key villa is the Villa di Geggiano (also known as Villa Bianchi Bandinelli), located in Pianella, in the municipality of Castelnuovo Berardenga (province of Siena).
Other scenes were shot on the grounds of the Castello di Brolio, owned by the Ricasoli family, located in Gaiole in Chianti, visible from the castle.
Who owns it?
The Villa di Geggiano has belonged to the Bianchi Bandinelli family since 1527. Today, the estate is a charming private villa, with vineyards and gardens that host events and receptions.
Architectural style & details
Style: Tuscan Renaissance residence, enriched in the 18th century during the marriage of the Bianchi Bandinelli family.
Features:
Golden stone facades, arcades, and central courtyard.
Two turrets, medieval remains of a former castle.
Landscaped terraced gardens lined with century-old olive trees and vineyards.
A private chapel, wall frescoes and sculptures in the garden's “green theater.”
What makes it charming?
It embodies an atmosphere of silence, awakening and sensuality, bathed in golden Mediterranean light.
The film makes it a place of initiation, where the character of Lucy is transformed, the space becomes an emotional mirror.
The lively texture of the place, between art objects, nature, and present memories, makes it a setting steeped in poetry.
13. Panic Room (2002) by David Fincher
Where is the real house located?
The exterior of the film depicts a brownstone located at 38 West 94th Street, on Manhattan's Upper West Side, between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue in New York City. However, all interiors were built on a set in Los Angeles, at the Manhattan Beach Studios in California.
Who owns it?
The building in question is a historic private residence in the brownstone style typical of the Upper West Side. It remains privately owned and is not open to the public.
Architectural style & details
Architectural style: New York brownstone townhouse, built in the early 20th century (~1910), with a brownstone facade, four stories high, and a simple design typical of the elite residential architecture of the Upper West Side.
The film shows a characterful house, sturdy yet elegant, surrounded by other similar buildings and close to Central Park.
The interiors, entirely rebuilt in a studio, were designed with detailed moldings, solid wood staircases, tall windows, and a central stairwell providing a highly structured and graphic visual effect for the moving camera shots inside the house.
What makes it charming?
The house symbolizes an intensely private urban refuge: austere elegance in the face of threat, a sophisticated cocoon in a deeply rooted New York setting.
The contrast between the discreet exterior of the city and the ultra-secure, high-tech interior (the concrete and steel Panic Room) creates a unique dramatic tension.
The decor (external + internal) becomes a visual character in its own right: graphic architecture, clean lines, vertical spaces — all of which build an atmosphere of an orderly refuge designed to withstand a terrifying night.
14. The Squid and the Whale (2005) by Noah Baumbach
Where is the real house located?
The Berkman family home is a brownstone in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, located at 167 Sixth Avenue, on the famous avenue between St. John's and Lincoln Place. The scenes were shot directly in this house. The intimate world of the film is entirely based on this authentic setting.
Who owns it?
It is a historic private condominium used as a family home. In 2012, it was sold for approximately $3.45 million after being renovated while retaining its period details.
Architectural style & details
Typical style of Park Slope brownstones, built in the early 20th century: brownstone facade, cornices, vestibule doors, multiple stories, etc.
Warm and bohemian interiors: moldings, original wood floors, working fireplaces, engraved glass doors, rugs, antique furniture, light and familiar atmosphere.
The house is approximately 334 m² spread over four floors, with an adjoining garden connected to several neighboring properties.
What makes it charming?
It embodies a lively, fragile urban home organized around the daily life of an intellectual family in the 1980s. The place is warm, worn, messy, full of life and memories.
The decor is a real character in the film: the verticality of the space (stairs), the fireplaces, the books, and the worn materials highlight the emotional tensions and family separation.
The contrast between the orderly exterior and the disorderly interior reflects the complexity of family ties, filmed with sensitivity, lucidity, and humor.
15. Out Of Africa (1985) by Sidney Pollack
Where is the real house located?
The film was shot mainly in the Karen/Lang'ata area, about 30 km southwest of Nairobi, Kenya. The crew set up camp at Ngong Dairy, a former farm belonging to the wife of President Jomo Kenyatta, to recreate Karen Blixen's residence near the Ngong Hills.
Karen Blixen's real house, called Mbagathi House, is now the Karen Blixen Museum, located in the suburb named “Karen,” but it does not appear on screen.
Who owns it?
The house filmed, Ngong Dairy, was converted for the film; today it is privately owned (by Florian Keller) who acquired the famous property and made it his home.
The Karen Blixen Museum (Mbagathi House) is managed by the National Museums of Kenya and has been open to the public as a heritage site since 1986.
Architectural style & details
Style: early 20th-century English colonial farmhouse, modified for filming to evoke the spirit of Karen Blixen's home.
Features of the converted Ngong Dairy:
Exposed facades, large veranda running the length of the house, separate kitchens, dug wells, coffee plantation surrounding the property.
Immersive landscape with views of the Ngong Hills, lush green fields, and a gentle, wild atmosphere.
What makes it charming?
The place evokes an atmosphere of luminous melancholy, an intimate connection between man and the African land, reflecting a personal and universal history.
It is a setting that is both rustic and romantic, where the natural environment, climate, and landscape play the leading role.
The house becomes a silent character, a mirror of emotions and sensitivity, suspended in time and steeped in memory.
The contrast between the initial abandonment of the place (dryness) and its transformation into beauty conveys the idea of rebirth through rootedness.
Why do I love these movie houses so much?
There is a paradox in each of these houses that moves me: they are both very real and completely fantastical. You can feel life in them. A life that is sometimes dreamed of, sometimes lost, but also a refuge or a rebirth.
I like them because they tell a story.
As you will have noticed, all these houses are dated, old.
They represent a history of transmission, of roots, of light, of objects that bear the marks of time. They are never cold, minimalist or disembodied. They have a soul.
An architectural detail, a central staircase, an old glass roof, furniture chosen one by one... Even the most bourgeois or cinematic houses—such as Villa Necchi Campiglio or the house in Something's Gotta Give—find their place in this subtle blend of imposing beauty and intimate warmth.
The antique as a symbol of imperfection
These are houses with cracks, memories, silences. They contain vintage everyday objects that are still in use. They are often family homes, designed to welcome guests. Walking through them, you feel like you are rediscovering something familiar, even if you have never seen them before. Perhaps that is what makes these houses so precious: you enter them as you enter a memory, and they tell you what you had forgotten.
A special mention for Nancy Meyers
It's hard to talk about movie houses without mentioning Nancy Meyers' keen eye. In her work, houses are much more than just a backdrop: they are characters in their own right, reflecting the souls of her heroines.
She is one of the few directors to place such importance on interior design in each of her films.
What makes her houses so memorable? It's the blend of Californian classicism, European charm, and understated sophistication. Her interiors exude a controlled warmth, with large open kitchens, well-stocked bookcases, natural fabrics, cream and sand-colored walls, and carefully chosen objects. Everything feels real, lived-in, and designed for comfort.
And with good reason: Nancy Meyers often draws inspiration from her own homes, which she then reworks with her decorators to make them cinematographically perfect. The house in It's Complicated, for example, features elements from her home in Ojai. This link between her life and her films makes her sets deeply sincere.
There is a deeply feminine vision in her approach: houses that tell a story, that welcome emotions, questioning, and reconstruction.
What connects them to me and also to Luz Editions is the memory of things.
These are houses with roots. Whether filmed in New York or Tuscany, they all have the same connection to their origins, to history, to transmission. They celebrate the soul of a place, of a country, through their design and their meaningful objects, like our handcrafted pieces. Simple objects that bring a house to life.
The houses in these films are not sets. They are characters. And perhaps that is what I am trying to do with Luz Editions: create objects that do not play a role, but truly inhabit the lives of those who choose them.
First picture : Villa Vignamaggio / Under the Toscan Sun's house
Photographs of houses taken from Google / Photos from films owned by producers Last 2 photographs taken from Nancy Meyers's movies : Something's got to give / It's complicated
