How To Design Your Home Like Madame From Kiki's Delivery Service
Most of us have a definitive list of movies we strictly watch every fall, and "Kiki's Delivery Service" better be one of them! According to IMDb, this Studio Ghibli movie is about a 13-year-old witch named Kiki who flies away from home on a broomstick to find a new city and develop her magical powers. She later uses her flying abilities to create a delivery service while having an adorable, black, talking cat named Jiji by her side. Not only is the story beautiful, but so is the animation. From the town's architecture to the landscape of the fields, all the small details create such a heartwarming design.
One of Kiki's clients is a character named Madame, an elegant, older woman who asks the young witch to deliver a pie to her granddaughter's birthday party, per Ghibli Wiki. Not only is this character beautiful and charming, but so is her home! Her abode has a gorgeous French country aesthetic from the inside out, and her décor is something you don't want to overlook. We'll show you exactly how to mimic the style of Madame's home because you can get interior design inspiration from anywhere — even an animated film.
Add life and color with flowers
The most eye-catching part of Madame's home is the floral display across her lawn and on the brick walls. There are variations of pink, blue, and white, as well as plenty of greenery. This brings her brick residence to life by adding more color and texture while also softening its appearance. This is a beautiful example of a French country garden because flowers border various parts of the yard while also made to look scattered and wild, via HGTV.
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange suggests starting small, as you don't want to overwhelm yourself or accidentally include flowers opposite the style you're going for. Hollyhocks are an excellent option to mimic Madame's garden, as they are gorgeous flowers in various colors, such as pink, white, and red. Delphinium is unique and can grow 3 feet tall to add height to your yard, and it comes in other colors, such as blue and lilac. It's similar to the shape of lavender but is more frilly and has larger flowers to create volume — which can help make your garden seem more full like Madame's.
Exquisite décor
The décor in Madame's home is sophisticated and timeless — just like her. HGTV says toile is a classic French country pattern, and you can see it in the wallpaper. It's simple and not overwhelming because the pattern size is large. If the pattern size were smaller, it would seem much more scattered across the wall. Toile can be incorporated in many ways, such as upholstery, drapery, or bedding.
You can also tell Madame is a big fan of collecting antique décors, such as the statue, grandfather clocks, and portraits. Antiques have the ability to elevate any look and add plenty of interest. To create a similar aesthetic, you'll want to find antique oil paintings or mirrors, per Brocante Ma Jolie. In this movie, it seems as though the frames of her décor are made of brass, so make sure to find something of the same or similar material.
A space to bake pie
Right there is the sweet and delightful Madame in her fabulous French country kitchen, where she and Kiki first meet and bake a pie. The first thing to catch our eyes is the open shelves and brass kitchenware on display. According to Dolly, these are both major characteristics of the French country aesthetic. You can create this look by installing open shelves or replacing your wooden cabinet doors with glass. Also, you can incorporate brass through kitchenware and hardware, such as brass handles of your lower cabinets.
Light blue is a common hue in French country décor, and Madame has incorporated this color through the tiles on her walls and floor. The flooring tile has a playful pattern with a white boat and blue background, and it's boarded with orange and red for contrast. However, instead of purchasing brand-new tile, you can opt for light blue paint as a fresh wall color.
More plants
As you examine the interior of Madame's home, you can tell she loves plants and introduces a sense of nature. Here, she has green plants along the window and a leafy vine by the entrance of the doorway. On the left, she has what seems to be faux plants sticking out of a large bowl and a picture frame of two different flowers. So, if you're hoping to have a home similar to Madame's, having a green thumb is a major requirement.
If this will be your first time taking care of an indoor plant, you'll want to start with something easy for beginners. A plant we think Madame would love is the pothos (Epipremnum aureum), as it can grow a long, leafy, beautiful vine you can hang anywhere, such as a bookcase, per Swansons Nursery. It has different color variations, as you can get one that's either a mixture of yellow and green or white and green. Just make sure this plant gets plenty of indirect, bright light, and only water the plant once the soil has dried out.