How To Decorate Your Home Like The Apartment In Big
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The '80's gave us numerous blockbuster movies, one of such which is Penny Marshall's "Big." In addition to being a fun movie, "Big" also helped catapult legendary actor Tom Hanks into stardom.
"Big" features a young happy-go-lucky preteen named Josh, who yearns deeply to fast forward life to the point of adulthood. Many fans of the movie will recall that after being rejected from enjoying a ride because he did not meet the height requirements, Josh makes a request to a fortune-telling machine known as Zoltar, and his desire to grow is made known. The next day, his wish comes to pass, and he wakes up with much shock and trepidation to discover that he has turned into a grown man. Usher in Tom Hanks, who plays the character of the grown Josh (via The Movie Scene).
Before hit movies like "13 Going on 30" and "Little" came out, one can say that this was a paramount movie that introduced the storyline of merging the adulthood realm with the childhood realm. It provides plenty of fun vibes, nostalgic feelings, and vintage accessories.
Adult Josh is pushed to get a job and an apartment, like any regular adult, which he does. The space he calls home is an enviable airy, NYC apartment with an open floor layout. However, due to the fact that he is still really just a kid on the inside, the decor inside his space reflects just that. Keep reading to discover how to imitate the Neverland aesthetic and the whimsical decor pieces within Josh's loft.
Dare to decorate with a dart board
As mentioned earlier, adult Josh now has to live life like a grown-up, so he snags a job as a toy designer and for the first time in his life, he is earning real money. He excels at his job, his boss loves him, and sometimes, Josh finds himself bringing his creations home. These creations, of course, are second place to the additional arcade games he has crammed into the space. In order to get the Neverland vibe that is displayed throughout the apartment in "Big," consider mounting a dartboard on your wall.
You could hang it up in your living room or in your entryway just like Josh did to set the tone of his home. Alternatively, you could have a kid-friendly dartboard in your kid's bedroom. Lastly, and possibly the most effective way to decorate with a dartboard, is to hang it up in your study. This way, it could come in handy for moments when you need a quick break from work.
Inserting fun into your home can be achieved if you purchase a dartboard, but another way to level up your dartboard as decor is to accessorize it accordingly. Consider this wine cork dartboard which My 100 Year Old Home made using used wine corks glued like a collage onto a large plank of wood with a bullseye right in the center. If you choose to challenge yourself to achieve this super creative DIY project, Leslie, the lady behind the gorgeous design, urges you to "keep the bullseye on your dartboard...5'8″ off the ground." If you love a bit of a challenge, this is your sign.
Add a pinball machine as a focal point
"You don't need any quarters for this, it's free," Josh gleefully explains when showing his co-worker (played by Elizabeth Perkins ) around his house. What Josh is referring to is the pinball machine that stands majestically against a wall in the center of his apartment. If you are keen on decorating your home like the apartment in "Big," a pinball machine is an absolute must. Whether you're a kid or simply a kid at heart, there's something irresistible about these arcade games.
The exact pinball machine Josh has in that apartment is presumed to be PIN BOT according to Narkive Newsgroup Archive. If you are lucky enough to find a vintage version, your next step is where to place it. Josh's pinball machine was situated right in the middle of his airy loft, but you can arrange yours as you please, however, consider adding it into a space dedicated to games, such as a basement-turned-den for adults or a playroom for the kids.
Dare to go double or nothing courtesy of a bunk bed
Inside the apartment from " Big," we see Josh introduce a bunk bed with red frames into his living room. This bunk bed is reminiscent of the bunk bed in Josh's childhood bedroom which we see at the start of the movie. Young Josh, in the beginning, was facing the reality that his baby sister will be moving into his room. Although his sister is too little to share the bunk with him, her infancy makes us know that Josh has been the only child for possibly 11 years. This further explains the choice of a bunk bed within his space, as Nest Bedding confirms that bunks are a great choice for households with one child. The argument is that having a bunk offers extra space for guests who come around for sleepovers.
In the apartment from "Big," the 14-foot ceilings give allowance for various bunk bed heights (via NY Curbed). However not every home comes with such high ceilings, which is why the height of your room needs to be considered before introducing a bunk into the space. Imagine deciding to decorate your home exactly like the apartment yet your home has different measurements.
Once you take your space into consideration, it's time to choose your bunk bed. With regard to color, lean towards one with a red glossy frame like Josh's version, which is quite chic and stands out in the mostly off-white loft. If you wish to get a bunk for your little one's room, this fire engine-inspired version will add character and flair to make bedtime fun for the kids (via Happy Beds).
Use rugs to segment different areas within your space
The apartment in "Big" is indeed a studio apartment, which means that the major living space is used for various activities. Josh has a space where he sleeps, a space for his games, a space carved out to be used as a kitchen, and so on. In all these spaces, you would notice that rugs have been implemented as handy accessories to ensure that all the aforementioned sections are segmented accordingly within the open floor layout. BEACON Kansas City further confirms the power of area rugs to define spaces. When placing your rugs within your home, keep in mind that you can implement different styles of rugs — you do not have to buy the same pattern and use it all over your house. However, the different rugs you purchase should not clash with each other.
One way to ensure that they complement each other is by finding an underlying theme to tie your rugs together. For example, if a light brown sisal rug is used underneath your dining table and chairs to zone out the dining area, a similarly-toned brown rug of a fluffier nature can be implemented to zone out the living room area. The fact that they are both brown, but boast different textures keeps things exciting yet cohesive.
To take things up a notch, why not introduce timeless rug styles into your interior? Carpet expert and buyer Wilhard Kühne, who has been in the business for almost 40 years, shares his tips about the types of rugs people should invest in with DOMOTEX: "Many of my colleagues throughout Germany swear by the Bidjar, Mir, and Nain rugs. These stand out from other oriental rugs thanks to their blue and white color schemes. In the south of Germany, where I work, we sell a lot of gabbehs with geometric shapes or abstract motifs."
Set up a mini trampoline indoors
"Get some air between you and the tramp ... oline, " Josh says to his colleague as he urges her to loosen up and try out the trampoline in his studio apartment. Yes, you read that right, the apartment in "Big" was furnished with a wide-brim rectangular trampoline which is a major game changer and a conversation starter to have in any living space.
Josh uses it for jumping and entertainment and seeing as it's so huge in length and breadth, he is able to use it like a storage platform to help restrict all his inflatable balls to one area while freeing up floor space. In order to walk in Josh's footsteps and satisfy your inner child, consider buying a mini trampoline and setting it up inside your house. Reviewed is making a case for you to get one immediately and add it to your exercise routine. Aly Giampolo, trainer and co-founder of The Ness, a trampoline workout studio based in New York City mentions to the periodical that "When you bounce, your heart and muscles work without strain on the joints because the trampoline absorbs the impact of your landing."
If you get tired of the trampoline or you and the kids get too old to jump on it, feel free to take things one step further by repurposing it into a circular swing bed just like Kassi Killstar did with her trampoline, via Steem It.
Include indoor plants to liven up your interior
Whether you live in a detached house or an apartment without any backyard, indoor plants and greenery can be implemented easily to add life to your living space. According to Decors Veronneau, choosing artificial plants over real ones was a good choice for Josh because artificial plants are super easy to maintain. His inflatable palm trees do not need sunlight for photosynthesis, nor do they need water to grow, and they surely will not be shedding leaves all around his floor anytime soon.
If you fall under this category of not having much time to take care of your plants, then for sure, opt for artificial plants. In order to snag Josh's exact style of plant, opt for a palm tree or palm plant, and take it up a notch by choosing an inflatable version such as this one from Amazon. This could work in most homes but those with pets should take extra care because inflatables can easily burst if claws or beaks poke into them. When Melody Estes, a landscape design gardening supervisor and consultant at The Project Girl, spoke with Gardening ETC, she further highlighted the benefits of palm trees. "Palm plants are popular because ... they look great...they also add a touch of the tropics to any space, which makes them ideal for homes that have an airy, beachy feel."
Who doesn't want to insert a tropical vibe to make you feel like you're always on holiday, even when you're at home?
Let lava lamps light up your space
From the moment the lava lamp was created in the '60s by Edward Craven-Walker, psychedelic lighting was introduced into the world in a major way! According to Wired, Craven-Walker was at the pub, aka a bar in the UK, and (after he may or may not have had a few drinks), he was inspired to make history. The decade when the lava lamp created, the '60s, and the decade after it was created, the '70s, saw a surge in the sales of lava lamps, which Craven-Walker first termed Astro lamps. However, the popularity of these lamps waned slightly in the '80s.
The movie "Big" is based in the '80s, the same time frame when lava lamp popularity waned. However, this did not stop Josh, a 13-year-old boy turned 30-year-old adult, from investing in a lava lamp for his studio apartment. If you wish to score cool points really quickly with your guests while decorating with items that make you happy, invest in a lava lamp. You can find a very similar version from the '80s here, via The Glow Company or a more modern version to insert as a focal point in your home like this one from Etsy, which offers ultra futuristic vibes.
One thing to keep in mind when utilizing this groovy creation for the first time is that it does take a few hours to warm up and get going (via Kids Kiddle).
Place stickers on your walls and doors
Oh how wonderful it would be to be young again and go to town with stickers plastered on almost every inch of your wall and door space. Granted, stickers may not necessarily be considered art, but stickers, or wall decals, as they are called according to The Decal Guru, can be used like wall art to make your space feel more personal.
Pictured above, Josh not only found stickers necessary to place on his front door, but he also ensured to display classic signs like the "STOP" sign in white font against a red background amongst a few others. As Josh reveals his home to his guest and colleague after the work party, viewers can see that it's not only the door that has stickers — he also uses them on the walls throughout his home.
If you are decorating your home like the apartment from the movie, you need to tap into the power of stickers ASAP. When deciding which types to go for, take into consideration the adhesive used for the sticker application. If it is permanent, and you are renting your home, this could land you wish issues, so you should lean towards ones with a temporary stay power (via My Name Tags).
Introduce a vending machine instead of a refrigerator
Even though this Pepsi-branded vending machine in Josh's apartment was the highest level of product placement to occur within the movie "Big", it was undoubtedly one of the coolest objects he had within the space. If you are aiming for a decor similar to that of the apartment, then introducing a vending machine is a surefire way to do so. According to Book Riff, if you are considering a soda vending machine, which is the type Josh has pictured above, $3,600 is a ballpark price to get a valuable version. If you are keener on having a snack vending machine instead, these come a little cheaper with a ballpark price of $3,000.
An example of someone who successfully recreated Josh's aesthetic is this Youtube user from Japan. He chose to invest in a home vending machine for his drinks. The decision was met with major support from followers who believe it to be a super cool addition to the home.
That being said, with all things, there are positives and negatives. Before you invest in one, keep in mind that it may need a whole lot of electricity to power up. You must also consider the size of the machine you wish to purchase when compared to the size of your apartment, so it does not overwhelm it. If you have difficulty obtaining the machine, you can introduce a mini fridge cooler. This Amazon Coca-Cola version is portable, size friendly, and at about $200, it works out a lot cheaper than the vending machine.
Dare to decorate with dinosaurs
Josh's love for dinosaurs is apparent everywhere you look within the apartment from "Big." There are inflatable free-standing Godzillas in the living room. You can spot rhinoceroses scattered around as miniatures and tabletop decor in many parts of the living area. The thing to take away from Josh daring to decorate with dinosaurs is that he was onto something.
When speaking to Houzz, Trang Tran, museum store buyer at the dino-centric Fernbank Museum of Natural History makes a case for such an obsession with the prehistoric creatures, saying: "We have evidence from fossils and bones and have a general idea of what the dinosaurs look like, but nobody knows what they actually look like. They have feathers; they don't have feathers. They are green; they weren't green. The mystery behind the dinosaur fascinates people."
By all means, you can join Josh in decorating with dinosaurs. However, there are other ways to accessorize your home besides using inflatables. A dinosaur wall decal like this peel-and-stick version from Amazon might do the trick! (And combine two of these tips in one item.)
Alternatively, if you have a good amount of cash to splurge, consider showcasing your love for dinos and taking this love to a whole new level by auctioning for fossils to stand as art in your home. Iacopo Briano of the Binoche et Giquello auction house said to Daily Mail ahead of a fossil auction, "The fossil market is no longer just for scientists...dinosaurs have become cool, trendy – real objects of decoration, like paintings," Briano added, citing Hollywood actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Nicolas Cage as fans of such outsize prehistoric ornaments.