The Interiors That Made Nancy Meyers a Design Icon

Nobody passively watches a Nancy Meyers movie. Each one is an enticing invitation to escape from the humdrum of daily life and experience the joys that come with falling in love the right way, aging wisely, and saying yes to the unknown. These sparkling narratives are enhanced by the perfect blend of cashmere wardrobes and feel-good soundtracks. In other words, they’re the cinematic equivalent of a cup of warm cocoa. (You’re picturing Cameron Diaz in her pj’s puttering around that cottage in England in The Holiday right now, aren’t you?)

Of course, the legendary writer and director—whose Provençal-style Los Angeles home is profiled in the new issue of AD—also has a special talent for creating elegantly affluent living spaces that have inspired several Pinterest pages. Though she says in the new AD story that she doesn’t want fans’ enthusiasm for the interiors in her films to overshadow the stories themselves, there is no denying that her movies' signature look has taken on a life of its own, and that it’s particularly having a moment right now. Perhaps it is because we’re craving comfort post-pandemic, and her homes deliver. Lensed in sun-drenched natural light and flush with fresh flowers, stacks of colorful books, exposed shelving, casually thrown pillows, and herbs on the windowsill, these spaces are often the picture of domestic bliss (as is Meyers’s own home). With a keen observation for detail, Meyers takes great effort to ensure that her movie rooms fit the charming personality of the heroines who inhabit them. (Now you’re picturing Cameron Diaz’s chic L.A. home office in The Holiday, right?)

Meyers was hustling in Hollywood as a screenwriter and producer for decades before finally taking a seat in the director’s chair for The Parent Trap in 1998. (She actually earned a best original screenplay Oscar nomination for the 1980 comedy Private Benjamin.) But her unmistakable aesthetic has been evident since the 1991 remake of Father of the Bride (which she cowrote and produced with her then husband, Charles Shyer). Who could forget Steve Martin and Diane Keaton measuring up their future son-in-law in that warm living room furnished with plush and cream-colored seating and a prominent wood-paneled fireplace? The upstairs baby suite as seen in its 1995 sequel resembled a fluffy pink cloud, sigh.

We may not be able to live in Meyers’s world, but we can take notes. Here’s a look at the gorgeous homes featured in her directing catalog. Get ready to swoon.

For this remake of the Disney classic, two long-lost twin sisters (Lindsay Lohan in dual roles) plot to reunite their divorced parents from two delectable spaces. In Napa Valley, California, Annie bonds with her dad (Dennis Quaid) at a Spanish-style compound covered in ivy and teeming with potted plants on the wraparound porch. Across the pond in London’s Hyde Park, Hallie and her mom (Natasha Richardson) reside in a posh London town house featuring an elegant sitting room and grand staircase. The foyer was painted creamsicle to match Lohan’s hair!

Mel Gibson’s caddish Nick can hear women’s thoughts, and Meyers can turn a downtown Chicago bachelor pad into a designer haven. His Las Vegas–esque apartment is a sleek and modern lair—with splashes of black, aqua, and orange—inspired by Mies van der Rohe’s landmark West Diversey Parkway apartment complex in the city. This look contrasts with the office of his new female boss (Helen Hunt), which is lighter and more feminine. Still, its bold red drapes, red chairs, and Asian-style cabinets illustrate her confidence.

As Amanda Peet explains in the opening moments of this smash, a hit play can buy you a house in the Hamptons. But leave it to Meyers to give playwright Erica Berry (Diane Keaton) a fabulous and timeless oasis decorated in a soft blue-and-cream palette for that true oceanside feel. A real beach house in Southhampton recently listed for $18 million was used as the exterior. The inside—built on a soundstage—is most famous for that traditional coastal-style kitchen with gleaming white cabinetry and black countertops. Meyers has revealed that it’s based on her real one in L.A.

This comedy favorite, in which two lovelorn women (Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet) swap homes for two weeks, was filmed on location in San Marino, California, and the English countryside. The Mediterranean-influenced L.A. mansion is spacious enough for an exercise room, living room (decorated in white and chocolate brown), media room (chock full of DVDs, since it was the early aughts), office, and main bedroom suite. And although the quaint cottage looks plucked from a storybook, it was built from scratch in Shere, England, in four weeks. Yes, even the landscaping and gardening was the work of a production team.

It’s still unclear as to why bakery shop owner Jane Adler (Meryl Streep) wanted to remodel her gorgeous home in Santa Barbara, California. After all, she lives in a 1920s Spanish-style ranch with a terra-cotta roof and stone walkway. Her cozy living room features soft linens and wood accents. And that kitchen? An easy-to-entertain area with curved-arm dining chairs, hanging lamps, marble-top counter and open shelves. By the way, her small appliances and cookware were sourced from Le Creuset, All-Clad, Cuisinart, and KitchenAid.

Business entrepreneur Jules (Anne Hathaway) and her family live in a Brooklyn brownstone so lovely that she raves about it to her intern (Robert De Niro). Shot on location at a renovated home in the Clinton Hill neighborhood, its traditional interior details include moldings, high ceilings, and an ornate mantel balanced by contemporary furnishings. Not surprisingly, her heavily trafficked kitchen is at the center of the action. The design combines industrial and rustic elements, such as open shelving, subway tile backsplash, and a farmhouse sink.