How To Decorate Your Home Like The House In Julie And Julia

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Are you a foodie? Do you cook? Do you blog? Do you blog about cooking?  That's what Julie did in the movie, "Julie and Julia." According to Rotten Tomatoes, Julie Powell (played by Amy Adams) is your average New Yorker who decides blogging about her experience practicing French cooking is a better alternative to her dead end job. She doesn't just decide to make any French recipes but 524 of Julia Child's (played by Meryl Streep) recipes from her cookbook "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." Based on a true story, out of her scaled-down kitchen, Julie puts herself and her home to the test making all sorts of recipes from the book including delicious cakes, whole chickens, and beef bourguignon. Once the plates are cleared and the kitchen is closed it's the rest of the house that brings the character to life on screen.

If you want to decorate your space like Julie and Eric's (played by Chris Messina) place in New York then the inspirations below are just for you. Choose your favorite big-screen features from the film. Pick from several decor ideas including colorful string lights around the doorways, open storage ideas, multiple patterns on soft accessories, or an earthy color scheme (to name a few) for any room of the house. For fans of the film, food, or style, continue reading for all the ways to recreate these stylistic features and more in your own home.

The apartment in the movie "Julie and Julia" features a neutral color palette with splashes of lighter pops of color throughout the rooms. You can see in the image above of Julie reading a book on her beige sofa just how the neutral tones aren't reserved for just the walls. The toned down hues are also represented on the furniture. There are other light pops of color on the walls or other accessories that help complete the room though. If you want to imitate this color coordination in your own home, begin with the sofa. Don't just select any color sofa but pick by one in a neutral beige you absolutely adore. You want to achieve a lived in look versus something more contemporary. In order to mimic the style, try to stay away from modern forms and sectionals.

The beige couch stands out in the room pictured above. It doesn't get lost amongst the decor and the reason for that is the plush accessories. The best way to give a bland sofa some character is by layering it with the right accent colors. "Adding dark accents to a beige living room not only adds a dynamic twist, but makes a space feel lighter by way of contrast," Joe Studholme, color curator at Farrow & Ball told Living Etc. "Beige spaces feel seamless and undemanding, but the simple addition of a dark element creates a really chic, modern twist." If you want to create the cozy vibe from Julie's sofa in your own home try styling a beige sofa in the living room with dark accent colors like brown, black, navy blue, or hunter green. Use multiple pillows and blankets of various shades to introduce the color scheme just like Julie.

Julie didn't have the large kitchen Julia was used to cooking a meal in. No professional chefs to train and teach with either. But neither are necessary to recreate the same dishes as Julia Child. Julie's New York kitchen was quaint. Due to its small size and layout, unique forms of wall storage were used for everyday items like pots, pans, and spices. There are also multiple tiered open storage shelves used around the residence. When the space for everyday items is limited or your home is lacking closed closet storage, creativity can help make the place home and keep it functional.

When it comes to designing a kitchen like Julie, think about how you need it to work for you. "Small kitchen design has to work twice as hard due to the space constraints," Ben Berbridge, managing director at Kitchen Makers told Ideal Home. "Planning is, therefore, all important to make the most of your space, so consider how you cook and the equipment, crockery, and types of food you want to store." If you know what items you use the most or like to have on hand you can plan your storage for those items specifically. If you have a small, compact kitchen space try creating open storage opportunities, using hooks, wall racks (Ikea), or open shelving for items like spices similar to the image above. Feel free to embrace storing items out in the open (even if you have the closed storage space) for a stylish way to increase functionality (and occupy negative space) in your kitchen.

At this point in your "Julie and Julia" decorating journey, it's time to choose some colors to add to the walls in your home. When it comes to wall paint colors, the palette throughout Julie and Eric's place favors mostly neutral shades. Each room followed a trend of mostly tan, taupe, green, and cream hues that established a balanced and basic background. While these variations of tones blend well together in an open layout, when it comes to decorating your bedroom like Julie, just pick one. In order to bring the vibe of the screen onto your walls, consider painting the walls of your bedroom with an earthy green accent color just like Julie's in the image above of her reading the famous cookbook in bed. The shiplap or wood wall panels are added textural bonus but aren't required to pull off the aesthetic.

There are many different shades of green that you can choose from ranging from light to dark. For the most significant impact in a small-scale space, you may want to choose one with warmer undertones. "Dark greens are also a great choice for smaller spaces such as a narrow hallway or small bedroom. It may sound unusual to choose a dark shade for a small space, but it's a great way to embrace the coziness that comes with compact areas. Try painting the walls, skirting boards, and ceilings in one deep shade to soften the edges of the room to make it appear bigger than it is," Rob Abrahams and Rob Green, co-founders of Coat Paints, told Homes and Gardens. The muted shade will definitely add to the ambiance in your place and channel a cozy atmosphere.

You can never have too much storage. Especially if you have a small space or lack closed storage closets around your home to conceal any unwanted items (like Julie and Eric). The couple's apartment wasn't the largest or most spacious. The layout was open and the bedroom didn't have a door. To create storage in their small-scale space, bookshelves (like the ones pictured above) were packed with titles and open racks were utilized for clothing items or kitchenware. If this sounds like you and your place, get ready to make some room for open storage racks and furnishings in your home.

Maximize space in your own home just like Julie did in hers by decorating with open bookshelves in the living areas, and kitchen, or as dividers in an open layout design. "You could place kitchen stuff on one side, such as cookbooks, and living room stuff on the other," Dayna Isom Johnson, Etsy trend expert, told NBC News. The open form of storage gives you the opportunity to showcase your personal style with personal belongings always within reach. Shelving units like these on Amazon could be a storage solution in your home.

If you don't actually own a bar cart, we're here to share why you may want to consider including one in your home. In the scene above, Eric is mixing a cocktail while Julie has a meltdown trying to cook one of the over 500 recipes from Julia Child's cookbook in the kitchen. Why a bar cart? It's convenient, cute, and like everything else in their place, stored out in the open within reach. This type of furnishing is versatile as its storage, stylish, and supremely functional in a home.

Add character to your space with a personalized styled bar cart that serves the needs of you and your guests. Don't simply just leave it blank or pile it high with glasses and utensils without purpose. "It's important to style a bar cart because it lends itself to being full of practical, helpful, and beautiful accessories," Marie Flanigan, interior designer and founder of Marie Flanigan Interiors, told Insider. "It can make such a gorgeous focal point in a room." Make the bar cart a statement amongst the decor in the living area by accessorizing it with sleek barware, pretty plates, shiny utensils, and cute cups and mugs. Alternatively, the cart can serve as a candy bar, or as a hot chocolate or coffee station. Stick to the basics and style your cart for any season or celebration.