If you take a look at the best romantic comedies of the last few decades, you’ll find they were all made with similar ingredients. The recipe is as follows: a love story, first and foremost; an iconic soundtrack of songs by Steve Tyrell, Hanz Zimmer, and the like; an ensemble cast; and of course, a perfectly curated home with interiors that stand the test of time.
These homes have won over the hearts of millions with their aspirational-meets-accessible sensibility. Some of these properties may be a bit out of reach for the average viewer, but the interiors belie a lived-in quality that allows you to imagine yourself there. These homes are always elegant and comfortable, never sleek and modern. They feature cluttered desks and overflowing nightstands. They have book shelves filled to the brim with novels, skirted sofas covered in pillows, a bounty of table lamps, and kitchen counters covered in bowls of seasonal produce. And if you can see yourself in a protagonist’s house, perhaps you can easily insert yourself into their love story as well? One can dream.
We decided to put these homes head to head to see which is the most quintessentially “rom-com.” Our list is made up of on-screen dwellings that we all know and love. From Nancy Meyers favorites to Nora Ephron classics, keep reading as we rank our top seven romantic dwellings that remain a source of inspiration for film lovers around the world.
#7: The Wedding Planner
Romantic comedies were in their prime in the early 2000s, and the San Francisco apartment of Mary Fiore (Jennifer Lopez) in the 2001 film The Wedding Planner set the bar for what a good rom-com home should be. The historic one bedroom was neat and tidy, while still feeling warm and inviting. From the glow of table lamps and taper candles to the working fireplace (with a marble mantle, of course), the wedding planner’s abode had a feminine sensibility that is hard to beat. However, what really earned Fiore’s home a spot on our list was the iconic TV tray scene, where the wedding planner herself—wearing a crisp white button down and perfect denim—beautifully plates her take-out dinner, pours herself a glass of white wine, and sits down on her skirted striped sofa to watch Antiques Roadshow. It doesn’t get more rom-com than that.
#6: When Harry Met Sally
Coming in sixth place is the Upper West Side apartment where Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) lives in the 1989 film When Harry Met Sally. The cult classic was written by Nora Ephron, and Albright’s apartment was the genesis of the Nora Ephron aesthetic (which has an entire Instagram account dedicated to the theory). Her space exudes lived-in comfort with yellow striped wallpaper, pastel-toned antique quilts, a perfectly cluttered desk, and, like every good rom-com house, a basket of produce on the kitchen island.
#5: The Holiday
While the cottage of Iris Simpkins (Kate Winslet) will always hold a special place in our hearts, we’re giving fifth place to the Mediterranean-style mansion Amanda Woods (Cameron Diaz) calls home. The sprawling abode from The Holiday—which was written, produced, and directed by Nancy Meyers—is a true rom-com home, but with a hint of California modernity. Though the movie was released almost 20 years ago, you wouldn’t know it—aside from the floor-to-ceiling shelves of DVDs in Amanda’s media room. Like many great rom-com homes, this light-filled, spacious pad features an open-concept kitchen, where you’ll find an expansive island, a round dining table with skirted chairs, and a sofa—because why not? From there, Meyers hit the nail on the head by outfitting the place with countless cozy armchairs and table lamps, luscious green plants, and walls of French doors to embrace true California living.
#4: You’ve Got Mail
The apartment of Kathleen Kelly, a bookshop owner played by Meg Ryan, is the dream dwelling for any single woman living in New York City. Located in an Upper West Side brownstone, Kelly’s cluttered one bedroom is bursting at the seams with Laura Ashley–inspired charm. There’s the ditsy floral and plaid bedding, the pleated lampshades, the botanical prints hung on the walls, and the quintessential-’90s wicker armchair. But what really drives it home is the overflow of books on every imaginable surface—none of which came from Fox Books, we hope.
#3: Father of the Bride
The interiors of the home in this 1991 remake have not aged a bit. The Colonial Revival house owned by George and Nina Banks (Steve Martin and Diane Keaton) ticks every box. (Once again, we have Nancy Meyers, who directed the movie alongside her husband, the late Charles Richard Shyer, to thank.) It has traditional interiors that feel warm and lived-in, a kitchen complete with copper pots hanging above a sprawling butcher-block island, and white rolled-arm sofas adorned in mismatched pillows. The family home is perfectly cluttered and curated, almost as if the actors walked into the home of a real family living in affluent Pasadena in the ’90s.
#2: It’s Complicated
Second place goes to another Nancy Meyers original—the picturesque Spanish-style home of Jane Adler, a bakery owner played by Meryl Streep, in It’s Complicated. Inside the terra-cotta-roofed abode, you’ll find a welcoming interior designed for hosting and entertaining. The open-concept kitchen and dining room are both filled with heirloom-quality furnishings, warm fabrics, and a counter covered in fresh baked goods, produce, and bunches of freshly picked basil. But what makes this home so iconic is Jane’s sprawling garden, which she tends to while wearing a blue chambray, straw hat, and wicker basket, mind you.
#1: Something’s Gotta Give
Coming in first place is the Shingle-style Hamptons home in Something’s Gotta Give, a 2003 film directed by none other than…Nancy Meyers. If you’ve ever heard of “the Nancy Meyers aesthetic,” this film is the origin story. The romantic comedy follows Erica Barry (Diane Keaton), a playwright who spends her days writing, crying, writing while crying, drinking wine, and falling in love with Harry Sanborn (Jack Nicholson). Barry’s oceanfront property—a prime example of the viral Coastal Grandmother aesthetic that would take over TikTok years later—teeters on the edge of whimsical, traditional, and nautical. Books are stacked on nearly every surface, as are vases of fresh hydrangea and trailing ivy. Shelves are filled with serving platters and collected ceramics. And like in every good rom-com home, the table is always set for a dinner party.
