"What Lies Beneath:" A House on the Water in Vermont

I love the house in the suspense-thriller What Lies Beneath. I even wrote an extensive post about it over at Hooked on Houses for my weekly Movie Monday feature. It's a beautiful home that was built specifically for the film on a lake in Vermont.

I love their living room with the built-in bookshelves and the windows overlooking the lake. Having Harrison Ford hanging around in the room doesn't hurt, either.

Who could forget the bathroom that the ghost liked to make special appearances in? Here Claire (Michelle Pfeiffer) and her friend try to get some answers from the "other side" with a Ouija Board:

The garden on the side of the house is lovely, but there are some troubled neighbors living on the other side of that fence. . .

A view of the house from the dock:

You can go here for more photos and all the details about it. Or visit my TV/Movie Houses page for links to all of the other posts I've done about famous houses.

P.S. Thanks for all of your well wishes for my grandmother. They mean a lot to me! She was finally released from the hospital over the weekend.

Cozy Cottage Bedroom for Fall

When I saw this cozy bedroom posted at Danish Dessert recently, it looked like the perfect spot to snuggle into on a crisp fall day. It also reminded me of one of my favorite movie houses (and bedrooms).

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

It looks like it could've been inspired by Iris's bedroom in one of my favorite "house movies," The Holiday. Iron bed, painted nightstand, beamed ceilings. It has the same warm and welcoming vibe, don't you think? (If you loved Kate Winslet's cottage in The Holiday as much as I did, click here for more photos.)

I'm hooked on these cozy cottage bedrooms. Head to Hooked on Houses to see what everyone else is sharing--and to join the Treasure Hunt to win an Amazon gift certificate! I'm also joining the Beautiful Life party over at The Inspired Room.

Noah's White House with the Blue Shutters

Have you seen the movie The Notebook? Then you probably swooned over the house that Noah fixed up for his lost love Allie like the rest of us.

The real house used in the movie was Martin's Point Plantation on Wadmalaw Island (South Carolina). It was built in 1772. In this shot of the front porch you can see the water:

If you haven't seen the movie yet, here's a tip: be sure to have a box of tissues handy. Today I posted photos of Noah's house over at Hooked on Houses. Head over there if you want to see them! (You can see links to all of my movie posts here.)

"Something's Gotta Give:" My Dream House in the Hamptons

Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson were great, too, but the real star of the 2003 romantic comedy "Something's Gotta Give" was this beautiful beach house in the Hamptons.

Set photos via Architectural Digest.

If you love this house as much as I do, check out my post about it today over at Hooked on Houses. There are tons of photos from every room of the house for you to drool over. :-)

HGTV Green Home in Port Lucie, Florida

Have you checked out HGTV's Green Home 2009 yet? It's in Port Lucie, Florida, this year. I have to say I wasn't crazy about it, but there were some things I really liked. The back porch, for example. I'd be taking naps out there all the time! "Where's Mom?" "Check the back porch. She probably fell asleep on that little bed again."

I like the color of the master bedroom, but doesn't it look a little small for two?

For more photos from the Green Home and see how people are voting in a poll I'm taking about it, click here. Register to win the sweepstakes from HGTV. Or check out last year's Green Home '08, which I personally loved.

P.S. Thanks for all of the nice birthday wishes you left for me on my Facebook page and on my other blog today! They made me smile. :-)

Kelly Bensimon's Hamptons House

I have a confession to make. I watch "Real Housewives" on Bravo TV. All of them. I have seen every season of "The Real Housewives of the O.C."--even the most recent one, which was pretty much insufferable from beginning to end. I cringed all the way through the ridiculous girl fights between NeNe and Kim on "The Real Housewives of Atlanta." And lately I've been watching Jill, Bethenny, Kelly, Ramona, Alex, and The Countess duke it out on "The Real Housewives of NYC:"


I don't know why these shows stay on my DVR schedule. I don't understand why I continue to watch, even as the women on them make me want to throw something at my TV screen.

Well, one reason is probably the real estate. I love seeing where these women live. Check out Season 2 newcomer Kelly Bensimon's Hamptons house, which we've seen on the show and is now on the market for $10.9 million:

(Click on the photo to enlarge.)

For more information, check out this post by the Real Estalker.

In other "Real Housewives" real estate gossip, the Countess is splitting from her Count after discovering his long-term affair, and they're selling their Hamptons home for $9.5. If I can track it down, I'll be sure to let you know.

Click here to take a peek into more celebrity real estate over at my other blog.

Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic Beach House

Shabby Chic creator Rachel Ashwell recently moved from a house with over 4,000 square feet into a beach house less than half the size. She told Oprah that it made her realize she isn't "a big house person."

"Less is so much more. In the case of this room, the sofa, a couple of chairs...no clutter," says Rachel. "I really find it easy to decorate with pastels starting with a platform of white on the walls, the sofa, whatever, and then layering in your color."

Rachel says there are few things no home should be without: "Candles not too far burnt down, yummy flower arrangements, a chandelier, and lovely china."

{Photo source: Oprah.com}