Cameron Diaz Calls a Wallace Neff Stunner Home in ‘The Holiday’

In real life, the abode has quite the illustrious provenance! It was originally designed in 1928 by prolific Southern California architect Wallace Neff as his own private residence. Constructed at a cost of $40,000 (about $650,000 today), the estate features seven bedrooms and seven baths spread throughout two stories and a whopping 10,324 square feet, and, according to a 1933 newspaper ad, was built to be “earthquake, fire and termite proof” and boasted walls that were “extra thick, making interiors warm in winter and cool in summer.”

Wallace’s tenure at the pad was short-lived. Per Curbed LA, “Sadly, the architect and his family did not get to enjoy the highly praised home for very long—with Neff’s practice devastated by the Great Depression, he was forced to put the property up for auction in 1933.” An ad for said auction described the dwelling with glowing acclaim, stating, “This is one of the most beautiful homes in Southern California. Every detail is as fine as he [Neff] knew how to make it. And the perfection of his handiwork is proven by the fact that this home was awarded the American Institute of Architects’ certificate of honor for the best construction and design of houses of its type.” At the time, the property, which despite its massive square footage was considered “medium-sized,” featured handmade tile flooring throughout as well as an “Aeolian organ installed on the first floor in a special concrete vault with a sound chamber opening into hall and living-room.” I’m guessing that vault now serves as the home’s walk-in wet bar (pictured above).

The residence last hit the market in May 2018 for $11.8 million, eventually selling the following April for $9.5 million. Prior to that, it hadn’t been offered for sale since 1998! Oddly, the 2018 listing made no mention of whether or not the owners’ suite boasts blackout curtains in real life, which, honestly, would have been my first question as a prospective buyer!

Only the estate’s exterior appeared in “The Holiday,” with the picturesque motor court serving as the backdrop for several memorable scenes. It is there that Amanda breaks up with her cad of a boyfriend, Ethan (Edward Burns), at the beginning of the film while her amused gardener (Gilbert Esquivel) looks on, and it is also there that Iris meets her new love interest, Miles (Jack Black), shortly after arriving in L.A.

Curious what a production designer brings to a film? One look at the images above should clue you in. For “The Holiday” shoot, Hutman made countless changes to the home’s façade, including modernizing the entrance by outfitting it with a handsome portico and swapping out the double front doors with a single heavy wooden replacement. The front steps were also stuccoed and the motor court pavers covered over with dark grey gravel. The balcony railing was draped with lush bougainvillea, the sizeable hanging sconce replaced with a smaller version, the metal front gate exchanged for a wood one and the large fountain that serves as the centerpiece of the motor court in real life was removed. All of the changes were subtle, but when added together, gave the exterior a very different feel, one that was warmer, richer and far more cinematic.

The interior of Amanda’s house was, incredibly, just a set created by Hutman at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City. The elaborate design was much more modern and sleek and far less Mediterranean in style than its real-life counterpart – and, per IMDB, cost a whopping $1 million to construct despite lacking “exterior walls, a roof, plumbing, heating and electricity.”

Of the design, Jon explained in a behind-the-scenes featurette, “We wanted to make it look like a young woman in her 30s lived there. And so, it’s tricky to make a Spanish house, which is kind of a ubiquitous Southern California style of architecture, look specific. So the interior is very updated.” Updated, indeed. The estate’s actual inside is much as Neff initially built it almost a century ago, with the grand living room still boasting the original coved ceiling, iron wall sconces, chandelier and fireplace!

Though the real interior is nothing to shake a stick at, seeing the MLS images is pretty jarring due to their sharp contrast to what appeared onscreen.

The kitchen is the room most markedly different from its “Holiday” counterpart. The space is charming but dated in real life, with floral patterned tile counters, Saltillo flooring and white raised panel cabinetry, as opposed to Amanda’s minimalist slate floors and dark slab door built-ins.

The library is also a far cry from the much-coveted but now virtually defunct media room at Amanda’s house, which, much to Iris’ glee, featured an entire wall full of DVDs.

The set did take some cues from the actual interior of the home, namely in its general layout. The shape of grand entry stairs, which culminate in a cacophony of oval-shaped risers, is a carryover, as well, though Amanda’s staircase is fully open to the rest of the lower level, while the real-life version is closed off.

It is a bit of a mystery as to whether the estate’s backyard was featured in “The Holiday” or if a set was utilized. Though the pool area does resemble what appeared onscreen, there are some drastic differences. Namely, the actual home does not boast a red shingled overhang between the first and second levels and, if Google Earth is to be believed, never did. So Amanda’s pool was likely part of the elaborate Hutman-designed set. The real backyard does look like something out of a movie, though – a perfectly idyllic spot to spend a warm Southern California winter afternoon!