Movie houses are like the ultimate form of eye candy – more often than not you won’t be able to afford them, but they’re lots of fun to look at.

Just like Carrie Bradshaw’s infamous Sex and the City apartment (how does a journo afford that place?) they’re typically aspirational, impractical and art-directed to the hilt.

However, this doesn’t mean you can’t learn something from the interior designers behind these real estate confections.

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One of the key players in the movie house game is writer, director and producer Nancy Meyers, who brought us house-swap movie The Holiday and THAT kitchen in Something’s Gotta Give.

“It’s my thing. It’s something I like, though I think it overshadows the work a little bit sometimes,” Meyers told The Hollywood Reporter of her iconic sets.

Meyers usually works with set designer Beth Rubino to create homes that suit her characters and while they’re usually covetable, they’re also comfortable and homely.

You may not be able to afford the upholstered bedheads, waterfront views and fancy home cinemas featured, but you can adopt a few take-home tips for your own place.

The Change-Up

The backstory

This 2011 film may have been a shocker, but there was one good thing to come out of it: Jason Bateman and Leslie Mann’s house in Atlanta, Georgia.

A colonial-style home, it also had to be family-friendly to accommodate several young children, something production designer Barry Robison pulled off with aplomb.

What we can learn

• Don’t be afraid to use patterns! The more the better. As long as you coordinate the colours in the prints, using a variety of different fabrics throughout your home isn’t a faux pas. Rather, it creates depth and pulls the eye around the room. Plus, if you have kids, patterned fabrics hide a multitude of sins.

• Bright colours like blue and yellow, when used sparingly, can also be used to lighten up a home with dark flooring throughout.

• If you like the look of this home, steer clear of minimalist trends and all-white furniture and opt for fabrics you love and lots of layers like cashmere blankets, printed cushions and framed photographs.

Something’s Gotta Give

The backstory

Possibly the most revered movie house of all time, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who didn’t fall in love with Diane Keaton’s beachside home in the Hamptons in this 2009 rom-com. Particularly the kitchen with its huge fridge and island benches.

“It’s a dream kitchen. I know that,” Meyers admitted to The Hollywood Reporter.

“I saw 50 houses in the Hamptons. No one would rent to us. So I took photos of everything and took ideas from the best of what we saw.

“People would come visit me on stage and say, ‘Can we rent this stage for the summer?'”

What we can learn

• Firstly, never underestimate the design impact of a striped carpet. Keaton’s home features this look throughout and, rather than being overwhelming, it looks polished. Consider the width of the stripe (a mid-width stripe works best) and the colour (a neutral and a pastel is a safe bet).

• Rubino has used cream as her base colour and shades of blue throughout, a great idea if you’re trying to evoke that beachy feel.

• Maximise natural light by keeping curtains and blinds to a minimum and placing several lamps on side tables in each room. Lamps are a great option if you want a softer light, especially in the evening.

It’s Complicated

The backstory

In this 2009 rom-com about finding love after divorce, Meryl Streep plays a successful bakery owner left alone in a palatial California ranch after all her grown-up kids move out. One of her main pursuits throughout the film is to renovate her already-excellent kitchen.

“This is where I failed in this movie. I wanted to give her a real crappy kitchen. But people said, ‘Why in the world does she need another kitchen?'” Meyers said of Streep’s original cooking area, which looks out over her vegetable garden.

What we can learn

• Utilities can be chic. You’ve got loads of pots, pans, groceries, books and plates – so what? Rather than shoving them away in drawers, use them to create visual interest in the home by stacking them tidily in exposed areas. This gives the house a nice lived-in vibe without it appearing messy. After all, fruit and veg can be beautiful too.

• Streep’s faux home also proves that picking a colour you love and using it throughout your home can really pay off. The orange theme carried throughout the house is surprisingly tasteful and warm and ties every room together, whether through an orange throw blanket, an orange painting or a bowl of actual oranges.

Twilight

The backstory

Vampires have to have awesome houses, right? Apparently, if this super popular film series is to be believed. In the Twilight films, the blood-sucking Cullen family live in this strikingly architectural house in Portland, Oregon.

Designed by architect Jeff Kovel and owned by John Hoke, the director of footwear design at Nike, the ‘Hoke House’ as it is known is the epitome of slick modernity, set amongst forest greenery and full of zen furniture and wood finishes.

What we can learn

• If you’ve got greenery outside your own home, lucky you. Keeping windows unobscured and clean can make the most of outside trees and make you feel like you’re living in the tree tops.

• If you like the minimalist look, opt for hard surfaces broken up by touches of leather, woven carpets and textured cushions.

• As this home proves, lighter wood surfaces can be prevented from looking dated when paired with super-modern furniture.

• Keep an eye out for glass coffee tables, crisp framed black-and-white photographs, leather chairs or ottomans and patterned rugs in darker colours. They will complement a “keep it simple” approach.

The Holiday

The backstory

Cameron Diaz’s Los Angeles house in 2006’s The Holiday is breezy California living at its most chic. In fact, it’s so great it makes it hard to believe she would want to ditch it for a chilly holiday break in England.

One of the best scenes in the movie features an over-excited Kate Winslet exploring the home’s many rooms upon arriving off a flight from gloomy London. Her joyous shrieks mirror the audience’s response upon seeing the fully-stocked home cinema and plush pool lounges.

What we can learn

• Indoor plants don’t have to be cheesy. In fact, they can look downright stylish when used appropriately. Put yours in a sleek neutral ceramic pot and place it in the entryway of your home or next to an armchair to seamlessly bring the outdoors inside.

• A simple couch or chair can be miraculously updated with the addition of a plush navy cushion or cosy knitted throw blanket and the same goes for a deflated-looking bed.

• Positioning your bed under a window may mean an earlier wake-up time, but it also creates a focal point in the room and a lovely light-soaked look.

• Finally, if you have a pool it pays to invest in stylish pool lounges or beach chairs. Look for some with removable cushions or waterproof fabric in earthy tones like cream, beige or charcoal grey.