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Reprinted
with permission from the Sheffield School of Design at www.sheffeild.edu
Notting Hill
may be dismissed as just another romantic Hollywood comedy featuring gorgeous
guy and gorgeous gal meeting and bedding. What's striking about this film
is the way the architecture and interior decor reflect the personalities
and lifestyles of the characters. As the film opens, the camera follows
actor Hugh Grant through his neighborhood of Notting Hill, a not-fancy
but quite charming area of London. His house is the one with the bright
blue door.
A brightly painted door sends a clear message: Come on, Open Me, We'll
Have A Good Time. You might think there'd be plenty of attractive
women knocking on Hugh Grant's door. Yet, oddly enough, the poor man can't
get a date. Behind that promising blue door lies a quintessential bachelor
pad crying out for renovation and restoration.
First, you'll notice
a long front hall, which (if you believe in Feng
Shui) is a bad idea because it keeps the chi from flowing. The hallway
leads to a narrow kitchen with a black and white checkerboard floor and
white brick walls. The room is charming, but crowded.
From the kitchen, a cramped stairway leads to a tall window with gracious
sage-green curtains hanging to the floor. These curtains bring a hint
of elegance to this otherwise homey, slightly down-at-the-heels bachelor
pad.
Compare this funky,
cluttered environment to the world inhabited by Grant's co-star, Julia
Roberts.
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