Christmas Worlds We Still Want to Live In
Interiors
From the McCallisters’ Christmas maximalism to the cosy world of "The Holiday," we revisit the films and TV shows that shaped our festive imagination, the creatives behind them, and the decorations worth bringing home.
There are certain Christmases we feel we’ve experienced, even though we’ve ever only seen them on screen. We’ve watched these films and shows so many times that the homes in them feel almost as familiar as our own and we still remember how they made me feel when we first watched them, and all these years later, we find myself wishing we could spend Christmas there. Of course, we can't. But perhaps we can at least bring a little of that feeling into our own homes.
It’s easy to forget how much thought goes into making these worlds feel so familiar. The production designers, set decorators and craftspeople behind them aren’t simply making somewhere look festive. They’re creating homes with personalities, histories and little details that tell us something about the people who live there. Each has its own point of view, and somehow, even sometimes years later, we’re still taking decorating inspiration from them.
For this holiday edit, we’re revisiting some of our favourite Christmas worlds, looking at the creative choices behind them and finding pieces that capture a little of their magic. Because while we can’t actually spend Christmas in these places, we can certainly borrow a few ideas.
"Home Alone" — The Art of Christmas Maximalism
Classic red-and-green holiday decor inside the iconic McCallister house. Macaulay Culkin and Joe Pesci in Home Alone
Everett Collection
If there's one family that knows how to do Christmas, it's the McCallisters. From the red-and-green wallpaper to the towering Christmas tree and richly decorated interiors, the McCallister house in “Home Alone” is festive maximalism at its best. There's barely a corner that doesn't feel like Christmas, and we wouldn't have it any other way.
Production designer John Muto and set decorators Eve Cauley and Daniel B. Clancy pushed the traditional Christmas palette to its limits, making red and green as much a part of the house as the decorations themselves. Even without Kevin's elaborate traps, there's something about that house that makes you want to spend December there.
"Gilmore Girls" — Small-Town Christmas Nostalgia
Walking in a Stars Hollow winter wonderland. Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel in Gilmore Girls.
Everett Collection
Lorelai Gilmore can smell snow before it falls, and frankly, we understand the excitement. There's something about Stars Hollow in winter that makes you want to abandon your plans and move to Connecticut. Maybe it's the gazebo covered in lights, the promise of coffee at Luke's or the fact that an entire town will happily turn out for a snowman-building competition.
The show's production design team created a fictional town so convincing that, 25 years since it first premiered, Warner Bros. is inviting fans to experience it for themselves. This December, the studio is transforming its original backlot into Stars Hollow for its biggest “Gilmore Girls” holiday celebration yet, complete with a newly recreated Luke's apartment.
But you don't need a ticket to California to borrow a little Stars Hollow Christmas. Its charm is in the decorations that feel collected over the years, the handmade touches and the idea that there's always room for one more string of lights.
"The Holiday" — The English Countryside Coziness
COZY, UNDERSTATED HOLIDAY STYLING INSIDE ROSEHILL COTTAGE. CAMERON DIAZ IN "The Holiday."
Everett Collection
If you've ever watched “The Holiday” and seriously considered swapping your life for a cottage in the English countryside, you're not alone. Iris's little Surrey home is practically a love letter to British cosiness. There's a fire you'd never want to leave and barely enough room for all the books. It's the kind of place where you'd happily spend an entire weekend doing very little, preferably with a glass of red wine and no plans to go anywhere.
Production designer Jon Hutman worked with Nancy Meyers to create Rosehill Cottage, which was actually built for the film rather than discovered down a picturesque country lane. Every room feels as though Iris has spent years filling it with things she loves. And that's the appeal of an English countryside Christmas. Nothing needs to match, and the decorations are all the better for looking as though they've been brought out year after year. Jude Law turning up at the door wouldn't hurt either.
"Gossip Girl" — Upper East Side Holiday Glamour
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"Gossip Girl"
HBO
Blair Waldorf would never settle for an ordinary Christmas, and neither would the Upper East Side. In “Gossip Girl,” Christmas is as much about being seen as it is about celebrating. For Upper East Siders, even the holiday decorations have a reputation to uphold.
Production designer Loren Weeks helped establish the show's unmistakable New York aesthetic, where the interiors told us almost as much about the characters as their wardrobes did. The Waldorf home was no exception, with its old-world elegance and a level of formality that feels distinctly Blair. Think white floral garlands and velvet ribbons, with not an ill-considered ornament in sight. Blair would sooner wear last season's headband than compromise on the tree. After all, even Christmas has to meet the standards of Manhattan's most discerning zip code.
"Elf" — A Handmade Christmas Fantasy
Decking the apartment with nostalgic, handmade paper chains. Will Ferrell and Daniel Tay in Elf
Everett Collection
Nobody does Christmas quite like Buddy the Elf. Give him a department store and a stack of coloured paper, and suddenly the place looks like Santa's workshop with barely an inch of ceiling left uncovered by paper snowflakes. And somehow, you find yourself wanting to do the same at home.
Production designer Rusty Smith drew inspiration from the handmade charm of classic Christmas television specials, particularly Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The North Pole's storybook quality was no accident, with forced perspective used to make Buddy look comically oversized among the elves. And while Buddy's decorating might look like the work of one very enthusiastic elf, the film's art department reportedly spent weeks creating the paper decorations.
Perhaps that's why Elf makes us feel like children again. For a couple of hours, Christmas is every bit as magical as we remember it being, and suddenly covering the house in paper snowflakes doesn't seem like such a bad idea.
