1. Ever wonder if TV characters could afford their houses in real life?
People magazine calculates how much the Tanner family’s iconic Full House Victorian in San Francisco would cost them today (about $14,000/month!).
They also consider the cost of Monica’s apartment on Friends and conclude that it’s a total TV fantasy (anyone surprised?). But let’s face it — reality isn’t nearly as fun.
BTW, if you missed it: 25 Things You Didn’t Know About the Sets on Friends.
2. In Praise of “Big House” Novels
It’s probably no surprise that I love reading books that feature great houses in them, like Manderley in Rebecca. Johanna Lane writes:
“The attraction of these novels is partly because the rhythms of life in great houses are so very different from the rhythms of our own: The characters linger over breakfast, they take long walks in the gardens, they stop for lunch, they stop again for afternoon tea, they talk to each other without constantly checking their iPhones. These books allow us to try on the past to see how it looked.”
3. Victoria’s House in Sydney
A reader named Victoria sent me photos of her house, saying, “Thought you might like to see how we do things in Sydney, Australia! When I finished renovating, the house had its own agent and was used for photo shoots for magazines, advertising campaigns and a movie.” You can see before and after photos on her blog Vintage Girl.
4. Making a Tiny Apartment Work
This couple lives in a 242 square-foot West Village studio and show how they made the small space work for them. I’m guessing the key to living in such tight quarters would have to be, number one, liking each other. A lot.
5. Gone Girl Author Gillian Flynn Sells Chicago Townhouse
Gone Girl was one of those novels that I couldn’t put down once I started reading it, and I’m looking forward to seeing how they tell the story on the big screen (Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike are playing the unhappily married couple from the book).
Author Gillian Flynn just sold her townhouse in Chicago (pics here). Love the woodwork!
6. If you can’t afford a back staircase…
I’ve always thought it would be pretty cool to have a back staircase off the kitchen. These homeowners in Idaho apparently did, too, so they painted one right onto the wall! Wonder how many visitors do a double-take when they walk in and see it?
7. Clark Gable Carole Lombard’s Palm Springs Getaway
This Spanish Colonial in Palm Springs is very Old Hollywood. Once owned by Gable and Lombard, it now belongs to film producer Joel Douglas (as in Kirk’s son and Michael’s brother). He’s selling it furnished for $2.195 million.
P.S. Cary Grant had a vacation home in Palm Springs nearby…
It was on the market a while back and I loved the blue shutters and vintage green tile. How wild would it be to own a house that belonged to Hollywood royalty like Gable or Grant?
Are You Hooked on Houses?
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