Six Movies and Shows For Design Lovers To Watch While Stuck At Home
Stuck at home having cancelled your dinner plans, long weekend travel, or vacation? Here’s something to look forward to: evenings and weekends filled with streaming, streaming, streaming. These days, you can watch everything from new release feature films to documentaries to television shows to Broadway productions to classic movies, right from the comfort of your own living room.
And with so many movies showcasing interiors just as captivating as their storylines, it can be hard to narrow the field. To help you navigate through the myriad options, we’ve picked six favorites for designer lovers. Read on to find out how and where you can watch. Happy viewing!
For A Virtual Escape To The English Countryside
Emma
Starting "as early as" March 20, you can watch this year’s period comedy-drama adaptation of Jane Austen’s satirical novel from home as Universal Pictures and its subsidiary Focus Features have decided to make their movies currently in theatrical release available on demand early, due to the coronavirus’s impact on moviegoing. (Universal’s movies will be widely available on on-demand services, including those owned by parent company Comcast.) And the set is just the visual feast your eyes are craving: a veritable confection of feathers, flowers, and frocks filmed in what could be considered a grand tour of English manor houses (including Firle Place in East Sussex, Lower Slaughter near Cheltenham in the Cotswolds, Wilton House near Salisbury, Chavenage House near Tetbury in Gloucestershire, and Kingston Bagpuize House & Garden southwest of Oxford). For now, you can pre-order Emma on several streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime Video.
For Architecture Aficionados (Amateurs Welcome)
Hollywood’s Architect: the Paul R. Williams Story
Available for free on the Public Broadcasting System website and app, this documentary examines the life and work of California architect Paul Williams. Known as “the architect to the stars” having designed homes for Hollywood heavyweights such as Frank Sinatra and Lucille Ball, Williams designed upwards of 2,500 buildings from the 1920s through the 1970s, mostly in and around Los Angeles. Williams was not only a 20th century creative giant but a pioneer as well: in 1923, he because the first African American architect to be inducted into the American Institute of Architects. Now, thanks to PBS’ new documentary, his legacy will live on.
For Theater Buffs
The Phantom of the Opera at Royal Albert Hall
Broadway has shuttered its doors for now, but you can still catch a show via the streaming service BroadwayHD. And for a limited time, the platform is offering a free seven-day trial, along with a $8.99/month (or $99.99/year) monthly membership. In addition to its library of nearly 300 productions, BroadwayHD has added two new playlists, including “Trailblazers” in honor of Women’s History Month and “Happy Birthday Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber,” both of whom were born on March 22.
For The Collectors Among Us
Knives Out
A dollhouse-turned-bar, a stash clock with a shushing figure, and books galore—these are just a few of the incredible props decorating the set of Knives Out. Available via Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, and other streaming platforms, writer/director Rian Johnson’s fantastically fun and fast-paced whodunnit takes place in an equally-fantastic mansion: the quirky, antiques-filled estate of the fictional murder mystery writer Harlan Thrombey (played by Christopher Plummer). The interior scenes of the movie were filmed at the Ames Mansion in Massachusetts’ Borderland Historic District.
For the Serial Binge-Watchers
The Crown
Yes, you’ve probably already seen this one, but there’s no time like quaran-time to re-watch a favorite, especially one filled with as much palace style as palace intrigue. Afterall, Helena Bonham Carter’s portrayal of Princess Margaret remains one of the brightest moments of the last few months. Plus, for those of us considering a decorating project now that we’re stuck at home, Buckingham Palace's unexpectedly bold paint colors deliver inspiration in spades. All three seasons are available on Netflix.
For the Love of Italy
Roman Holiday
The heartbreaking news from Italy is overwhelming. For now, it seems the best thing we can do to show our support of la dolce vita is to donate to the causes that support the Italian health care system (such as Red Cross Italy or the #SostieniUnInfermiere campaign, which supports Italian nurses) and heed the advice of health care officials worldwide to stay home, in an effort to ease the burden on our own health care system. If nothing else, hanging out at home offers plenty of opportunities to escape to Italy via the movies, like Roman Holiday, the 1953 romantic comedy starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. The classic is available on both Netflix and Amazon prime video.
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