I’m one of those people, like a lot of us I’m sure, that likes to daydream about things, such as what I would like to get if I was rich. If money was no object and you could get whatever you want. Pretty unlikely I know, but it’s a daydream right? Anything goes. And there’s always that little sliver of hope that one day it may actually happen. A great long-lost billionaire aunt may die and leave your money in her will, you might at last get lucky with all your numbers in the lottery, you might place a bet on sport or in an online casino, of which there are many here, or you might even somehow come up with an idea for an amazing app and sell it for millions. And for the record, I do also daydream about ways I could do useful things with money and help other people. But for this post I’m just talking for fun about cool things I could buy!
When I was younger I would daydream about owning a fancy car (Lamborghini Countach of course), or owning my own arcade (well, I’ve got one arcade machine now, so that will have to do), but as I get older I’m daydreaming about more practical things, like a house. And where better to get inspiration for a great house than the movies. Here are some houses that have gotten me excited over the years, and that the daydreaming me would love to own.
The Goonies
This is one that I loved as a kid. It would be great to see it in real life, and it would be cool to own but it’s perhaps not top of my list anymore. I have loftier ambitions now. I just love how it looks, and the veranda running around it, and I really like its placement at the top of that cool hill. I can just imagine riding down that hill on a BMX.
Back to the Future
It never really struck me back in the day, but Doc Brown’s house in Back to the Future is pretty incredible. And he had that all to himself? Here’s a cool video showing the inside of it. It’s called The Gamble House as it was originally built for David B. Gamble of Procter & Gamble fame. I love it.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Now there’s two contenders here, but only really one that I would want to own. Ferris’s house just always struck me as an incredibly large and grand house. It’s similar to the house in the French Prince of Bel Air. I always loved the semi circular driveway and the columns. But of course it’s Cameron’s house that really is the cool one. Not least because of the ultra cool Ferrari in the glass garage. It’s a very cool house built in the woods, with a lot of glass, by architect A. James Speyer and it even has its own Wikipedia entry. I really do like the idea of living right in the heart of the forest. There must be something very relaxing about that.
Twilight
Speaking of houses in the forest, the Cullen House in Twilight is another beautiful example of that. Lots of glass and wood. I always thought this house was pretty cool. I hope it doesn’t sparkle in the sunlight though.
Home Alone
The Home Alone really does look utterly huge. Absolutely massive. Like too massive for a family home. I’m not sure I would want to live there but it would be cool to see it in the flesh one day on a movie location tour or something. It’s such an iconic house that I had to include it here in this list.
The Holiday
When people think of movie houses, I’m sure a lot of people go straight to The Holiday. This whole movie, of course, is about a house swap. One tiny cottage in England which I’m sure many people love too, but one of the scenes I love is Kate Winslet’s excitement when she arrives at Cameron Diaz’s house in L.A.
Sleeping with the Enemy
It’s harder to get video of the house from Sleeping with the Enemy because apparently it was made purely for the film. It was literally right on the beach, and wasn’t a practical location for a real house, so they just built a shell. It is meant to be Cape Cod but was actually North Carolina. Even still, the views from the balcony really do look great. The whole thing is black and white though, so I would have to include a splash of colour in the decor.
The Lake House
I love all time travel films, and The Lake House is no exception. This house is so unique. I mean there’s a tree inside the house! Very cool. I would probably be nervous living in a house that was on stilts above water though. But it would still be a really cool property.
Iron Man
And last but not least, Tony Stark’s house is possibly one of the best movie houses. Not real of course, but I thought I would finish with a real superhero of a fantasy house. And yes in my daydream I do also have that amazing workshop in the basement. Here’s Jon Favreau taking us round the building of the set.
And here’s a fan-made, simple 3D rendered animation of the house.