Rooms on Film: Enough Said (Marianne's House)

Let's have a look at the second of three lovely homes in the 2013 film, Enough Said. Unlike main character, Eva's (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) little suburban two bedroom, Marianne's (Catherine Keener) house is just a little more..something I can't quite put my finger on. Certainly Eva is impressed when she first visits the home. This one is also in a suburban neighborhood, but the location seems to offer some cooler outdoor decoration options. 

Should Eva be jealous? I certainly am.

On first meeting, Marianne certainly stands out in the crowd. While all the other women wear shifts, she drifts around the party in a plaid chambray shirt over a wispy ivory dress. Throw in that retro purse and my guess is this lady's spent some time in France. So, smashing first impression. Easy to see why Eva was bowled over. Then we head to Marianne's house, also in the 'burbs of California. Looks like the sort of Spanish style home you find out there. Light colored stucco and tiled roof. The landscaping is lush and varied.

cool doorbell and a mail slot right in the exterior wall

love the terracotta tile roof

The pinky-red door opens into a small entrance off the livingroom. Poet Marianne's eclectic taste is evident at a glance: the vintage dresser, oversize lamp and handful of items. There is also a focal wall featuring a 3D installation of wallpaper with a framed painting in front of it. The carved wooden frame is an earthy touch. No paint or gilding, just stripped wood. The space is so distinctly feminine that it's hard to imagine what it must have been like with her ex-husband living there. Given Marianne's attitude toward him, I'm guessing she redecorated like crazy after he left.

love the ornate hardware on the door

arched doorways are always a plus

the gold-lined florals in the wallpaper reflect the light and give the room lustre

spare metal and brown leather chairs mixed with more cushy, cottage seating

I've been trying to do something like that wallpaper installation in my own place, using fabric and foamcore. I could hang art in front of it by suspending it from the picture rail. You may recall my past experiments from my "Birthday Bad" posts: 2 and 3. 

The livingroom itself is all good things: cozy, organized, inviting. There is something to look at in every direction.

tastefully arranged room - global, eclectic right down to the rug

restrained mix of neutrals and brights on patterns and stripes inspired by several different countries

french doors and plantation shutters to control the flow of light

the bookcase is a warm, weathered antique white

vibrant color pops beautifully against the neutral bones

a view from the sitting room toward the mantle-less fireplace

Off the livingroom is the dining room which sits between the kitchen and the small sitting room. The space is simple and global: a lotus capiz chandelier above a wood-topped tulip table with oriental wood/rattan seating. It marries well with the view of the backyard just beyond: 

no centerpiece, just a smooth surface and a clear view beyond

The warm white cabinetry really helps to lighten up the small house and carry the light through:

chef's stove with topnotch hood above antique white cabinets

warm pale blue walls with lots of artwork and a small, marble and iron french island

i can't imagine ever closing those patio doors

As if she weren't awesome enough, sophisticated Marianne also apparently serves amazing tea...in Moroccan tea glasses! And in the front corner of the house, between the dining room and living room is a small office/sitting room, of equally casual elegance. Probably where the television and computer are located.

there is a sunny laundry room just beyond the kitchen

i'm too practical - buy my glasses by the box at bb&b

that looks cozy - a nice long sofa to nap on and a small desk

more varied artwork on the pale blue dining walls and beyond

view from the patio through the dining room and sitting room to the livingroom

the different paint colors make an interesting pallet

dig that flow...

Finally, we come to Marianne's side yard, a space landscaped and flagstoned within in an inch of its life. A wooden roof shades the area directly off the house, while beyond is a small, shapely pool. To the left we have the seating area complete with more South American blankets, indian bedspreads, recycled material furniture and a mix of patterned pillows.

imagine the air that scents your home coming from here

the pool with stone seating built into the shaded wall

tranquility now, the good life in a nutshell

honestly, this space speaks for itself

To the right of the doors, is a small outdoor bed with a gauzy canopy like this one, and a table lamp. (I hear it never rains in southern California...) That bed is heaped with Indian linens and there's a round, tufted floor pillow next to it. Dare I ask what so much lounging space is for? Only two people - Marianne and her daughter - live here. And before that there were three people. 

I would definitely like to spend a weekend here to test out the various spaces (living room, sitting room, bedrooms, patio and the seating by the pool), just to confirm that this is really reasonable for the average American.

a lovely outdoor bedroom on the patio

the patio bed seems to be adorned with a canopy and a huge balinese umbrella - and different linens

the sitting room doors open out in front of that bed

imagine stretching out to read here with that fresh green smell all around you and the sound of the breeze...

On further reflection, I was wrong. Eva should be jealous of Marianne's home. It's so ladyboss, it is SICK! From the front door to the far edge of the pool, this place is an outstanding balance of color + texture + pattern serving up a vision of warm, relaxed, worldly femininity (except maybe for those metal/leather chairs). The eclecticism is sharply realized, but not too overdone (although post-divorce, that would be understandable). If only they'd shown the bedrooms!  

I think this house might be the next-level expression of Celine's pad in Before Sunset. The grown-up version, if you will.

And we have one more home to go from this film: Eva's best friend, Sarah (Toni Collette). I am not showing Albert's (James Gandolfini) house, because it has nothing we want to talk about. Just a divorced bachelor pad for a man with very simple tastes.