The Holiday

It’s Friday! How about another fun movie house tour? This weekend I’m taking you on a tour of my second favorite Christmas movie house, Rosehill Cottage from the movie, The Holiday. The home in Home Alone will always be my first “movie house” love. 😉 The Holiday, hit the theaters in 2006. Did you see it? I am a total sucker for romantic comedies but it was the cottage in the movie that completely stole my heart.


A Little Background:
The Holiday is a “romantic comedy” written, produced and directed by Nancy Meyers. Mrs. Meyers is amazingly talented..she also gave us the hit movies, Somethings Gotta Give and It’s Complicated.

If you saw The Holiday, you can skip the part in italics below. If you didn’t, here’s a quick synopsis from Wikipedia:

The two main characters are Amanda (Cameron Diaz), a highly successful movie trailer editor in Los Angeles, and Iris (Kate Winslet), a lovesick society column editor for The Daily Telegraph in London. The story is set in motion when each of them suffers a heartache: Amanda discovers that her boyfriend has cheated on her, while the object of Iris’ unrequited love announces his engagement at the office Christmas party. Seeking an escape, Iris proposes the home swap on the internet, posting an ad about her quaint cottage in Surrey in the British countryside. Her offer is eagerly accepted by Amanda, who lives in a luxurious home in L.A. but is stressed over her break-up. There are also hints that Amanda is a workaholic; there is a running gag that she imagines her life as being narrated by movie trailer narrator Hal Douglas.

At first, the swap seems uneven; Iris revels in the luxury of Amanda’s L.A. home, while Amanda suffers a series of disappointments in Surrey. Things turn around for Amanda when she meets Iris’ brother Graham (Jude Law). Both Amanda and Graham intend to have a one-night stand, but a romance develops. Things get complicated as only one day remains until Amanda’s flight is scheduled to leave to L.A. While in the cab, leaving for the airport, Amanda realizes she loves Graham, so she runs back to the house, where she recently left Graham, and hugs him.

Meanwhile, Iris befriends movie composer Miles (Jack Black) and elderly Arthur Abbott; Arthur, it turns out, worked as a screenwriter during the Golden Age of Hollywood. The friendship between Iris and Miles turns romantic after Miles learns of his girlfriend Maggie (Shannyn Sossamon)’s infidelity.

So, basically Amanda (Cameron Diaz) and Iris (Kate Winslet) swap houses for a holiday. Iris heads off to California to stay in Amanda’s huge, modern home, while Amanda takes a flight to Surrey in England to stay in Iris’s centuries-old, cottage. One of the first glimpses we get of Iris’s cottage is when Amanda stumbles across it while looking for vacation spots online. Yep, it’s adorable!

Rosehill Cottage in the movie, The Holiday

 

Rosehill Cottage by day…

 

And at night~~~Big SIGH~~~

Rosehill Cottage in the movie, The Holiday

There’s a cute cottage called Slatters Cottage in the Cotswolds and some folks think it was the inspiration for Iris’s cottage. What do you think? Sadly, we’ll never be able to rent Rosehill Cottage (you’ll find out why soon) but it is possible to stay at Slatters Cottage.

Rosehill Cottage in the movie, The Holiday

 

Just before Iris takes off for California, we get a view of her quaint kitchen. What is it about painted cabinetry that just totally cozies a place up?! Can you imagine cooking on that tiny stove? As little as I cook, that would work pretty well. lol

Oh, to have a fireplace like that in my kitchen! Oh, to have ANY fireplace in my kitchen! Note the little spice rack on the wall and the other cooking sauces on the narrow shelf between the stove and the fireplace. Simple and sweet.

Kitchen in Movie, the Holiday

A little closeup of the area above the fireplace. The garland appears to be made from acorns.

Tour the Kitchen in Movie, The Holiday

 

Once Amanda arrives, she gets busy settling in. Here are a few views of the bedroom…the only one in this tiny house. I think the pillow in the chairs says, “Be the person your dog thinks you are.”

Bedroom in the Christmas Movie, The Holiday

 

Love the bed, love the bedding…LOVE!

Bedroom in The Holiday Christmas Movie

 

It looks so much larger in this professional shot than it did in the movie! Notice how the mismatched furniture makes the room feel real and adds so much personality.

Remember Slatters Cottage…here’s one of the rooms you can rent there. Those beds look similar, don’t they?

Rosehill Cottage in the movie, The Holiday

 

Amanda has quite the time adjusting to a home that’s heated via fireplaces only. She makes the best of it by snuggling down into the bed. Don’t you just love the alcove over by the window with the bookcase?! It’s those little things that make this home feel extra inviting.

Tour the House in the Movie, The Holiday_wm

 

When Amanda first arrives at Iris’s, she takes a little tour of her new digs for the week. Her comment once she sees the bathtub is so funny, “THAT, will be interesting!” Look at that tiny sink!

Rosehill Cottage in the movie, The Holiday

 

And here she is later in the movie…making the best of it. Doesn’t look so comfy does it?

Bathroom in Rosehill Cottage in the movie, The Holiday_wm_wm

 

 

While staying in Surrey, Amanda meets Graham, Iris’s brother who is played by Jude Law. He stops by for a visit not realizing Iris has rented out her cottage and left the country. Here are a few more views of the kitchen with Iris and Graham…

Cozy Kitchen in Movie, The Holiday_wm

 

Amanda and Graham go out for dinner to this restaurant in the movie…

 

Wow! What an amazing place for a restaurant!

 

Back at Iris’s house… This hallway from the kitchen leads to a room we see very little of in the movie.

 

Rosehill Cottage in the Movie, The Holiday_wm

 

 

Here’s a little view of the foyer with a great bamboo hall tree. Amanda is freezing and is beginning to wonder about her vacation choice. She tries to warm up with an adult beverage.

Cameron Diaz in the movie, The Holiday_wm

 

The front door to this cottage is so charming!

Rosehill Cottage in the movie, The Holiday

 

The other side of the front door…

Front Door of Rosehill Cottage in The Holiday_wm

 

We get a brief glimpse of the living room here and a view of Iris’s china hutch in the kitchen…

Hutch with Blue White Dishes in Movie, The Holiday_wm

 

Isn’t it a wonderful space? I love that velvet ottoman/coffee table. Completely impractical and oh, so fabulous! It would last about a week at my house before something was spilled on it.

This house appears to be built of stone/rock, doesn’t it? Hold that thought.

Tour Rosehill Cottage in Movie, The Holiday

 

Here’s another view of the living room looking toward the stairway. Amanda has had a bit too much to drink (can you tell?) and is singing and dancing…sort of.

Rosehill Cottage in, The Holiday

 

 

From this angle, you can see the cute, little alcove across the room. How do you like the drum table between the chairs? What do you suppose is in the basket on the stair landing? Looks kind of like firewood…perhaps for the upstairs bedroom fireplace? On second thought, I think it’s rolled up magazines. Notice the branch stairway handle. Ummm, are you getting a bit suspicious yet about this cottage? Is it seeming a bit too fairytale-charming to be real? If your answer is, yes…sadly you are correct.

 

It turns out this darling cottage that looks for the world like it’s been here a gazillion years, was built in the space of a few weeks just for the movie! The village shots were filmed in Godalming and here you can see snow being “created” for the movie.

Godalming village scenes in the movie, The Holiday

Rosehill Cottage was built over the course of about a week.

Rosehill Cottage in the movie, The Holiday

Though it appears to be made of centuries-old stone, it was actually constructed of wood and fiberglass. You can just see the beginnings of that “ancient” stone wall that encircled the home in the movie.

Rosehill Cottage in the movie, The Holiday

The landscaping took 4 weeks to complete…that’s 3 weeks longer than it took to actually build the cottage.

Rosehill Cottage in the movie, The Holiday

See the tree on the right…yep, it’s fake, too.

Rosehill Cottage in the movie, The Holiday

Even though the home was created just for the movie and was torn down once the movie was finished, I still adore it. It could be the blue-print for a real cottage, couldn’t it?

Rosehill Cottage in the movie, The Holiday

 

Thanks for coming along for the tour.  If you enjoyed this post, appreciate so much if you would give it a Google +1.  Thanks in advance!

You’ll find tours to all your favorite movie houses (like the beach house in Something’s Gotta Give, stately home in Home Alone and the Victorian in Practical Magic) here: Tour Your Favorite Movie House

(A few of the pictures in this post are from Cote de Texas with Joni’s permission. Thanks, Joni!)

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Comments

  1. Days at Buttermilk Cottage says

    Love your post, love the cottage, love the movie! All winners!
    Best,
    Susan

  2. A Hint of Home says

    How terribly interesting to know all the facts about the set.
    It is an adorable cottage. I still like having a kitchen table. It's cozy for family and good friends.
    Merry Christmas to you and your family!

  3. How amazing, you would never know it wasn't real! Do you know what happened to it- did they pull it down when they finished with it?
    Amazingly it turns out Fig Tree Cottage is only 3hrs from where I live- so I could go on a little Holiday myself!

  4. Dana and Daisy says

    I love it! I want to live there! And I would have never guessed it was not a real house!

  5. I absolutely love the movie and love the cottage, which looks so perfect old and english. Unbelievable that it's all faked!
    What did they do with the cottage after making the movie?
    Have a wonderful holiday season, Monika

  6. Susan (Between Naps on the Porch) says

    Deanne and Monika…they tore it down right after they were finished making the movie. 🙁 Wonder if it even had running water…probably not.

  7. Loved this interesting post!!

  8. La Maison Fou says

    One of my fav flicks all year round!
    Thanks for showing me what I need to re watch!
    Loved it.
    L.
    La Maison Fou blog

  9. Susan I adore this movie! Just watched it again!

    I have a New Giveaway from My Sparrow, do come and enter!

    xoxo
    Karena
    Art by Karena

  10. Definitely one of my top fav. movie homes! I really enjoyed this post! Thank you!
    Amanda

  11. I LOVE that movie!! I watch it over and over–just to catch glimpses of the cottage. How wonderful to find all these fabulous pictures here. Thanks for posting them–I'll be back to drool some more. I'm crushed though, to find out it's not a real cottage.

  12. The Sewing Loft says

    Well, I guess now I can stop worrying about that roof falling in. LOL! I loved the movie and really enjoyed your post and pictures.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Barb

  13. I LOVE this movie cottage!!!

  14. Splendid Sass says

    I have no idea how many times my daughter and I have watched The Holiday. I truly love the movie.
    Have a wonderful, festive weekend, Susan.
    Teresa

  15. Hi Susan,
    I loved this post so much. I actually bought the DVD just to look at the cottage. I love every room but the library is a room that I could really see myself hanging out in. Thanks for being my first follower on my blog.
    Have a great weekend,
    CareyAnn

  16. Summerland Cottage Studio says

    LoVed the movie and Thank YOU for sharing the back story with all the fabulous photos (that I just pulled into my inspiration file) Oh JoY !!!

  17. lvroftiques says

    Oh Susan I loved this! I own the movie it's one of my faves but I understand it was considered a bit of a bomb. I don't care! Iris's cottage was my favorite movie house! And I'd have picked it over ole Amanda's dreamy mansion any day *winks* I thought it was just a little too perfect to be true. I also understand that Iris's house was decorated in a warm and welcoming way as a reflection of her personality and Amanda's was supposed to be cold and elegant reflecting her personality….Mabe I learned this from you? Can't remember……But our homes really do say so much about us don't they?
    Ooohhh this was delish! I'm saving this post to my favorites! Vanna

  18. jewelsinthegarden +: ) says

    I love this movie and asked for it last year for Christmas and the reason I love it is because I love the cottage. Love it's beauty and charm and coziness. Thank you for showing me more of it!!
    Julie

  19. What a wonderful trip behind the scenes.

  20. Jessa Irene (Holiday-Haven) says

    This is an amazing post, love how you walked us through it! And yes, someone should make this house it is so cute. Thanks to for sharing that link, will have to check out that site it sounds like fun!

  21. That makes no sense to build something so beautiful just to tear it down………sigh

  22. Liz@http://infusewithliz.blogspot.com/ says

    I love this movie…and the house…I was so disappointed to find out it was not a real place! Just like the movie Somethings Gotta Give..I fell in love with the house, the kitchen is my favorite ever…and it was all built for the movie! Well we get to enjoy some great decorating and get entertained, so that's a good thing! I agree that ottoman is wonderful and the drum is such an original idea! I never noticed it before!

  23. Nanniepannie says

    I'm so glad you posted about this house, I was looking at it on Google Image just this week and thought about emailing you to suggest it. I think when the movie came out House Beautiful did a spread about both the houses in the movie.

  24. The Inspired Nest says

    Thanks so much for this tour. This is one of my favorite movies and I loved getting a closer look at the cottage! I am dying to get a better view of Graham's house!
    Lacy

  25. Love this movie! Love the cottage! Sometimes I'll pause a movie so I can check out the background or the house. Thanks for posting the photos!

  26. Susan I love this movie, have watched it three or four times.
    Now you really shocked me to find out the cottage was not original. I am from England and was there this year and saw many cottages just like that, so assumed it was the real thing.
    Still love it though!!!

  27. Andi's English Attic says

    How weird they felt the need to built the cottage when there are loads to choose from just like it in England. I have to admit though, as an Englishwoman, something didn't look quite authentic about the cottage although I had no idea it wasn't real.
    I have stayed in a cottage just like Slatters. I don't want to say it WAS Slatters but it's spookily similar. When a house is heated just by fires believe me, it's COOOOOOOLD in the mornings (and that bathroom doesn't look very cosy, does it?).
    I think Nancy's films are responsible for many women changing the interior of their own houses. xx

  28. Andi's English Attic says

    Oh, and I'd just like to say that seeing the close up of the drum table has given me inspiration on what to do with my husband's old drum kit! It's a sparkly (fibreglass?) one. Do you have any advice on what paint to use to turn it black/dark blue? xx

  29. Everything is so wonderful here. Thank you for this wonderful post.

  30. what a wonderful tour!!! One of my favorite movies!!!

  31. Gloria (The Little Red House with the White Porch) says

    Hi, Susan – I have seen that movie and never knew that they made the house in a week, it was just a shell, and then it was torn down! Oh, how sad! 🙁
    Very interesting post, though! I enjoyed it. Have a great weekend.
    Best,
    Gloria

  32. Love the old looking slip covered chairs in the living room.

    The stove looks like my first apt. stove. My little apt was a basement apt. and only one person at a time could get in the kitchen!

    Mary

  33. OHHHH NOOOOO! A fake? This is my uttermost favourite movie. I hadn't watched it for over a year and then got a bunch of snacks and while the kids were at school I watched it twice in one day : ) and all just to dream about living in that cottage…{and maybe a little about Jude} I absolutely loved your post even though I was a little sad to find out it's a fake cottage. Thanks for sharing. Stacey

  34. FABBY'S LIVING says

    I love the movie…it reminds me, I own it and maybe I'm going to get some popcorn and start watching it again, snuggling with my hubby!
    Merry Christmas!
    FABBY

  35. ♥ Sonny ♥ says

    I truly enjoyed this post… Seeing the detail photos and reading your commentary..
    I think if I try hard I just might be able to make that ottoman for myself.. Would be worth a try anyway.

    The kitchen table is my favorite. I never liked a bar and yet I put one in all 17 kitchens I've lived in or built for others. One day soon I'll take mine out:)

    Thanks for an enjoyable tour of this adorable home.

    Holiday Hugs
    Sonny

  36. Gorgeous cottage…and, a fake…that is almost like learning about Santa Claus! That is one of my favorite movies and the cottage is my special retreat when I need a break. Beautiful cottage….

  37. Did you notice the gorgeous aqua blue bowls used as a book-end….and I LUV the idea of a "rolling cart" instead of a HUGE island,,,oh, the possibilities….. 😀 franki

  38. Laura Ingalls Gunn says

    One of my favorite homes ever! Sending you a hug for such yummy images.

  39. very cute post

  40. Designs By Pinky says

    Oh my gosh, I am SO disappointed to find it is a fake house!!!!!!!!! I have never seen this movie but want to now! I was so in love with the cottage as you took us on the tour! I kept thinking how I LOOOOVED the stone walls, the little nooks, the stairs etc., etc. I also thought that they HAD to have had a platform of some kind for her to be sitting on in the tub scene, her legs could not be that long OR her torso:):) Thanks again for this wonderful post, I have enjoyed these "{movie" posts so much!!!! XO, PInky

  41. Sonya@Beyond the Screen Door says

    Oh, thanks for sharing this! I have loved this house since I first saw the movie! The whole feel of the cottage is just magical! I found all this fascinating! I love seeing the behind the scenes info on houses like this! Makes me want to go work on a set crew! LOL!

  42. One of my favorite movies-simply because of that cottage. Kind of sad it wasn't the real thing. When I was in England with a couple of friends, we spent a day in the country and saw so many cottages like this. We were dying to see the insides. We were daring each other to knock on the door and ask for a tour but we didn't want to be "rude American tourists".

  43. Entertaining Women says

    I think that if you and I went to the movies together, we would be asked to leave because we would spend the whole time talking about the setting…"Do you recognize the fabric in that sofa?"…"Oooh, I wonder who makes those beautiful goblets on the dining table!" Thank heavens we can rent movies and have the ability to start and pause…start and pause to our heart's content. Thank you for sharing the cottage tour. Merry Christmas! Cherry Kay

  44. Loved this behind the scenes glimpse of one of my favorite movies!
    I suspect they just constructed the outside of the cottage and filmed the inside on 'sets' at the studio.
    Wouldn't it be fun to have that job -designing movie sets?
    Thanks, Susan… loved this!

  45. Traci at ThreeDogsAtHome says

    I really enjoyed the tour of the "cottage". Thanks for taking us all on the tour.
    Traci

  46. fairchildstreet says

    Great post. I so love romantic comedies. Charmaine

  47. Katie @ On the Banks of Squaw Creek says

    I've always loved that cottage! The textures are amazing!

  48. I seriously lusted over this cottage when I watched the movie and am still lusting now!!! Love it, love it, love it! Do you think Santa might bring me one?

  49. Lady Katherine says

    I love this movie! The cottage is wonderful! I will have to show you my kitchen one day! You will be shocked. lol

  50. Love this movie, love this cottage and love youe post!!!! Hugs, Flavia

  51. Happy Homemaker UK | Laura says

    I recently moved to this area and have been looking for this cottage – now I know I need to look no further. Seems strange (and wasteful) to build this cottage when so many similar ones are in the area. The town in your photo is actually Shere – the yellow door belongs to The Lucky Duck (for lunch, tea, and ice cream). And today we received so much snow there would be no need to fake it. Fascinating post! XOL

  52. Sherri Cassara says

    I loved the other house in the movie too… and coveted the velvet ottoman in this house when I watched the movie. Very interesting – loved all your facts!

  53. Katie @ On the Banks of Squaw Creek says

    I'm stuck in the rocking chair with my sick two year old and an ice cream bucket, watching Toy Story. You should do the house from this movie. 🙂 Gorgeous foyer, details in the hardwood, wainscotting, chunky trimwork…it's actually very pretty!

  54. One of my all time, favorite movies (My hubby's too!). Your post is quite interesting…and disappointing. I always hoped that cottage was the real thing. Oh, well. As much as I liked it, I'm more of the Amanda/LA house. Now that kitchen is just what I dream of…
    Jane (artfully graced)

  55. Very cute cottage, but I think I'd feel a little "squeezed" after a time…especially looking at the kitchen counter space. Also, I can't help but notice the sagging roof line..a bit scary. Guess I notice too many details. I'd still take the Home Alone house, or Something's Got to Give (although I'd "warm up" that house a bit.

  56. I love that cottage! It makes me so sad that it doesn't really exist!! Kind of like Santa clause all over again… I'm going to go visit the other cottage at Hooked on Houses and see if maybe it can't slip a few presents under my tree signed "from Santa"…
    : )
    Meg

  57. Marias Hörna says

    Hello. Greetings from Sweden. Very interesting pictures. And this filem I definitely want to see. Have a nice day and please check into my room at Maria's Corner:)

  58. And I thought I was the only person who would watch a movie to see the rooms in the houses! LOL! There was a film on the other night, and it was pretty boring (can't remember what) but when my husband asked if he should turn it off, I said "No! I am having so much fun looking at the rooms!" Thanks for the tour of this adorable, albeit faux cottage. 😉

  59. Hi Susan I am just catching up with your posts. I love very near Shere where the cottage was and some of the "Holiday" was filmed. It is a lovely village to visit if ever in the area. We do have lots of wonderful cottages very similar to that(solid not fiber glass) all over the UK. My sister in law owns a few holiday lets similar in and around Rye in Sussex http://www.honeysholidaycottages.co.uk/home/ especially Rose Cottage, Jackie in Surrey, UK.

  60. Love your post and your site….I often dream of a home like the ones featured….can't wait to rent The Holidays. Happy New Year.

  61. Thank you for posting this little cottage tour. I love this movie, especially this little cottage! Too bad it wasn't real!

  62. OMG they tore down the cottage???? WHY on earth would they do that???? That is the saddest thing I have ever heard…..

  63. Susan (Between Naps on the Porch) says

    Emily, this may not make you feel much better, but I don't believe it was built with running water or working baths, etc… It was just built for the filming. I think the walls were made out of inexpensive faux materials…so it wasn't a real house that anyone could live in.

  64. Wendy Blackmon says

    Hey Susan, Keep hearing about you from Bill over at Afford. Accou. and this is the second time I have accidentally stumbled upon your site. I've been here for a couple hours now. I was searching for this cottage. I new it was a fake and wanted to show my husband, who found that too incredible to believe. I LOVE The Holiday. My hubby and I watch it every New Years. It makes me all warm and fuzzy. 🙂 I agree with another commentor – we need to see Graham's house! Seeing your pics brought it to life so much more. THANK YOU!

  65. Susan (Between Naps on the Porch) says

    Wendy, I really do need to show Grahams house…will do that before too long in another post. Thanks for that suggestion! 🙂 Glad you stumble across BNOTP again!

  66. Oh! And they need to sell the floor plans for this cottage!

  67. Nancy Crane says

    I was just looking through this part of your website and love knowing all of these tidbits about the movie homes, which inspired me to watch The Holiday and Something’s Gotta Give again this weekend. I also watched Miss Potter and the house that Miss Potter buys towards the end of the movie reminds me so much of the house in The Holiday, which made me wonder if that home was built for the movie as well…

  68. That is so adorable. When I am about to fall asleep I think of that cottages so maybe I can dream of being there.
    Wonder who lives there now a days.Beautiful!

  69. Watching The Holiday right now on TNT again! I love it too. Decided to look up about the Cottage and found your site. Actually we got our first look at the Cottage when Iris went home from work after her bad day.
    Writing this as Iris is writing to Amanda, so funny, life imitating art!
    Love your site, will be back. Thanks!

    • Phyll…glad you found that post…how fun to view it while actually watching to movie. 🙂 I love that movie…love the house! Hope you do come back…appreciate your comment!

  70. ShereInHabiter says

    The village shots and house were in Shere but the Godalming high street was used for the scene where Amanda is on the phone. The image you have of the men covering the road in snow is also in Shere.
    Hope this helps!

  71. I just watched it and loved it. Seeing as it was so close to where I live I thought I’d come and check it out and look for the house which is when I founds your site. I am Sooooooo dissapointed that it isn’t real as I was really looking forward to going there. What a shame. Still it’s really interesting to read about. I might go down and check out some of the locations anyway, so thanks again for all the information about these locations.

    • Paul, I know, I felt the same way, so disappointed that it wasn’t real. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. It does look like a beautiful area, though and I bet if you go, you’ll find some similar homes along the way. If you do go, take pics of the outside/exteriors and share them with me…I’ll post them on BNOTP! 🙂

  72. Thanks Susan. As I say it isn’t too far from where I live (about an hours drive) so I might go down there in the new year and have a look. I’ll be happy take some photos and send them to you. Happy new year!!

  73. Absolutely love this site and have shared with all my friends. Watched The Holiday again over Christmas (natch) and can’t believe I’ve found a site that captures the internal decoration and design. I will definitely one day live in a cottage like this. Really enjoyed exploring the rest of the site too. Totally inspiring.

  74. So disappointing that this place doesn’t really exist. That’s Hollywood for you!

  75. I’ve looked at this post before but so enjoyed viewing it again this morning!

  76. Graham’s house interiors were all filmed in Los Angeles in a real house in Griffith Park. The only set built for Graham’s house is the children’s bedroom with their tent. The exterior of Grahams was filmed in England and can be clearly seen when Cameron Diaz walks up to the house and then again in the final shot of the film. The final shot in the film (of the New Years Eve party) is a special effect. The actors are all in Los Angeles and they are digitally put into the window of the house in the English countryside.

  77. Iris’ cottage exterior built in England had no running water, no plumbing, no heating and no electricity. The movie crew brought in generator’s for their lights and to illuminate lighting in the cottage but the house had no basic utilities. The cottage exterior set only had enough interior decoration to be visible through the windows and when the door opened. The actual interior of the cottage built in Shere was much too small to contain the livingroom and kitchen and much too small to film in. It was cramped and tiny, had a very low ceiling and no actualy upstairs at all. The cottage interior (built on stage at Sony Studios in Culver City) was actually much larger than the exterior cottage set in England. The interior set could never actually fit within the walls of the cottage exterior. The stage at Sony Studios separated the downstair and upstairs sets. If you were on the cottage first floor and went up the stairs, they dead-ended without a second floor. The second floor set, built elsewhere on the same stage, duplicated the stairs and had the bed and bath room. The second floor set was only about 6 feet off the floor, not a real second floor at all. The cottage interior sets at Sony Studios were surrounded by a photographic backdrop of the actual location in Shere so that when the camera looked out the cottage windows or when the door opened, the correct landscape was in view. There was a daytime backdrop and a nighttime backdrop. Even though the filming in England was done in February, all of the snow in the movie is fake. Even the helicopter shot of Cameron Diaz’s limo driving through the countryside is all fake snow (digitally added to the shot).

    • I knew it didn’t have plumbing, running water, heating, etc… but didn’t realize how little was filmed inside. That makes sense since it would have been very difficult to get the shots they needed (not to mention all the equipment) inside a tiny cottage home. It really makes you wonder when you go to the movies how much you’re seeing is real and how much is “Hollywood.” We still love the fantasy homes and worlds they create, though! 🙂

  78. clara Lopez says

    I really love this article. I spend a long time looking for info about this charmming house. I love this movie.
    Good Job!
    Best regards, from Dominican Republic

  79. Hi Susan, Thank you so much for this post. That was one of my favorite movies and Rosehill cottage is something that I would trade everything in the world to spend one day/night there.
    Very interesting post.
    Sam

  80. Loved this – it was really interesting to see the cottage being built, this is one of my favourite movies and i always watch it without fail every Christmastime.

    I used to live near Godalming and this was filmed in the summer, i remember going shopping in the street that you have the photo of (church street i think was the name) to buy some fabric and suchlike and the whole street was decorated (including the shop windows) for Christmas – in Summer! I also caught a glimpse of Cameron Diaz in her sheepskin coat and remember thinking how hot she must be!

    I have just moved to a lovely cottage in Devon and plan on basing a lot of my decor on Rosehill Cottage ( i have a head start with the painted cabinetry) it’s not as pretty on the outside either but i will work my magic and within a few years it will be lovely 🙂

    Thanks again for this – it was really interesting!

    • This was so amazing to see the inside of the cottage. Yes, I wish it was for real. Thank you for bringing the cottage to life.
      Siobhan, please take pictures and post

  81. Sharon Connolly says

    Thank you Susan! I love this … and you for sharing it. I’m addicted to this movie and the soundtrack and really want to live in England for a whole year!! xx

  82. I was looking at this again because I absolutely love this house. Is it just me or is the ottoman coffee table, which is gorgeous, different in the last picture of the living room? It doesn’t look as big? There is room for two of the wooden trays on the other pictures but only room for one on the last picture. Maybe I am just not looking at it right. I have heard where they do things like that in the movies hoping no one notices.

    • Carol, I see what you’re saying. I bet it’s the angle the picture was taken. It also looks a bit darker…probably the photography made it look that way and they may have used a wide angle lens. Those tend to skew pictures and make things look a little odd. I love that house, too! It is just so cozy!

  83. Thanks so much for the research that went into this! My favorite movies are the ones where I love the sets! It just transports me!

  84. Thanks for sharing this – this was one of my favorite movies.
    I loved Jack Black in this movie…
    Have a wonderful day.
    Rose
    http://www.muchloveroseblog.tumblr.com

  85. Patti Whitcher says

    Hi Susan,
    I truly enjoy your blog and especially the inside scoop on movie houses (and tours of houses in general)! I particularly enjoyed your blogs about the houses in Something’s Gotta Give and It’s Complicated. I believe you reported that the same designer did both of those Nancy Myers movies. Did she also do the houses in The Holiday?
    Patti Whitcher

  86. Dear Susan! I enjoyed your post very much! You have good taste for films, designs. My only question: where can I see the floor plans for this two houses (Iris+Amanda’s)? Imre

  87. I don’t understand why they didn’t find a spot for this divine cottage and sell it at the end of the movie. It could have been made fully functional and lived in or rented out to Brits or enthusiastic Americans. I would love to own some land in a beautiful countyside and have those little cottages spread about for rental. Oh, the possibilities….. Christmas, Easter, summer getaways. Makes me think of an American TV show called the Little People. They live on a large farm where they grow pumpkins and during various seasons they have weddings, hayrides, pick your own pumpkins, they have a wildflower section where you can pick wildflowers and a little country store where you can buy jams, jellies, etc. Also they have a beautiful old barn for various events and a lovely old, old one room church that they have moved in for small weddings. They’ve hosted weddings in the large barn as well. They have stables where you can ride horses and the family lives there on the acreage. These little cottages would be perfect to compliment the old look. These cottages could also be used in the Mountain areas of the US and in historic area as well. Thanks for the post on Rosehill Cottage even if it isn’t real. But the village was real right? I loved it too and especially where Amanda went shopping for food.

    • I have the DVD of The Holiday and listened to the narration with the writer and director Nancy Myers. She stated that the little country store where Amanda went food shopping in England, was originally a candle store that they turned into the little country food store just for the movie….also….I’m thinking the house was taken down because maybe it’s not durable enough….they use fiberglass and wood to build it….so maybe not durable enough……large stone and rocks would have been costly…..I have to say….they did a great job of making it look like large rock and stone. It looked very authentic…..like a charming century cottage.

  88. Dear Susan! I really adore this movie. I watch it every December 🙂
    Would you like to write a post about Graham’s Mill House from that movie?
    It would be interesting post!
    Greeting from Budapest, Hungary 🙂

  89. Sherry Stuifbergen says

    I am interested in the blue and white checkered dishes in the cupboard in the kitchen. They really pop. I’d like to know where you could find that pattern. Is it from the “Cornwall” dishes known to England? I love your blog. Thank you for the tour. I will have to watch this movie. Sherry

  90. Jo Anne Carlisle says

    I need the blue prints for this Cottage. I`m building and I have fell in love with this house.

  91. Janice pierce says

    Benjamin Moore
    Gray Owl
    OC-52

    Iris painted cabinets.

  92. Janice pierce says

    Iris painted kitchen cabinets
    Benjamin Moore
    OC-52

  93. Marny CA says

    I love The Holiday. Own the DVD and then always watch the movie when it’s showing again on the tv.

    I knew the cottage wasn’t real … but it still resonated with something within me.

    The love you have for all of what you’re sharing is beautiful. Thank you very much.

    • Thanks, Marny! Whenever it comes on TV, I always get pulled in again, no matter how many times I’ve seen it. Even though we know the cottage wasn’t real, we can take solace in knowing there are a lot of cottages very similar to it in that area. So someplace that little cottage really does exist. 🙂

  94. I don’t know if you see new comments on old posts, but… I just love this!! I feel the same way about the ottoman, even though my Labrador would end up sleeping on it. You wrote: “Back at Iris’s house… Doesn’t this just make you want to put a little table in your kitchen? I’ve actually read, having a kitchen table is very popular with folks remodeling their homes. Isn’t it funny how we move away from things like hardwood floors, porches, tables in the kitchen…only to miss them and start adding them back in again?” My house has hardwood floors, a porch, and a table in the kitchen. ;<)

    • Nan, I’ve thought that so many times. It just shows that sometimes the way things used to be done, really is better. lol Central heat and air came along and I guess the builders decided we didn’t need porches anymore. How wrong they were!

  95. Thanks for your lovely post. Love the on-set pics.
    Would you happen to know what coffee machine is in Iris’ kitchen? I can’t make out the name on the side. The picture is too blurred. I think I can make out the letters “D” and “U” maybe. I think it’s the coolest coffee machine, so I’d love to have one. I hope it is not fake. :-s
    Love
    Mille

  96. Roxanne Stickler says

    Interesting article though I knew it was ‘fake’ & built just for the movie. The exterior shot was also used at the end of the last episode of “Burn Notice” – with somewhat different ‘interior’ though still cozy. I thought the cottage’s name is actually “Rose Cottage”; isn’t there a little sign hanging on the gate?

  97. Julie Black says

    Amazing how authentic it all is and I am watching the film now on the couch on a chilly Autumn New Zealand day. Is also want one of my favourites.

  98. Lori Hojnicki MacKenzie says

    I adore the movie The Holiday!! Could watch it over & over. Jude Law, oh my gosh. (Did you see him in the Young Pope)? Excellent.

  99. Wow! Can those folks come build me that exact same cottage here in Indiana? I love that.

  100. madonnaearth says

    I love the houses in this movie too, but for the cottage, I would be forever tripping over everything. I am way too clumsy to make that work. LOL

    I think the house for me is the grand one the sisters have to move from in Sense and Sensibility (also with Kate Winslet)! I especially loved the library and the room with the piano in it. I have always wanted a piano.

    And then I would also have to have servants, because there is no way I’m cleaning that all by myself. lol.

    Thanks for the views of the houses you have here on your blog. I love these!

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