Collection by ronpat5
Favorites
Aptly named “The Open Corner House,” the rear of the home is rotated 90 degrees, with each perpendicular exposure opening up to views of mature trees, and the all-important patio and pool area. “This is seen over and over again in the film, as the characters are often shown gazing into nature, playing outside, or gathering in covered outdoor areas,” says Ramirez.
The home’s primary bedroom is dramatically cantilevered over the rear yard. “The colors of the wooded property are constantly changing throughout the year, and that shifting color palette becomes the main focal point,” says Ramirez of the site’s seasonality. “As the homeowner eloquently put it, ‘The views from our bedroom are like an ever-changing piece of art.’”
A behind-the-scenes shot pictures Hawke, Roberts, and Ali, along with director Sam Esmail. “Capturing the essence of a home isn't easy,” says Ramirez. A typical photoshoot, for example, attempts with just a few images to summarize what it feels like to live in a home—an experience often better suited to film. “I can't think of a better way to portray that, than by letting one of the greatest directors loose inside the home for several months!” Ramirez says.
The home’s rear corner is wrapped with windows and Marvin Signature Ultimate French doors to embrace views and natural light. “By designing the architecture and interiors simultaneously, The Up Studio was able to create a design that blurs the lines between interior and exterior spaces,” says Ramirez.
The home’s kitchen—an important gathering space for any family, fictional or not—is featured prominently in the film. As Ramirez explains, the home’s interior architecture was preserved in the making of the film, but there were instances where slight modifications were made to fixtures, finishes, and furnishings for visual effect.
The dramatic stair with a two-story backdrop of Marvin Signature Ultimate Casement Narrow Frame windows is a focal point of the home—and the film. “The custom steel stair we designed in the foyer is the first thing guests see when they enter,” says Jeffrey Ramirez, partner at The Up Studio. Those guests, of course, include Ethan Hawke and Julia Roberts’ characters, who are immediately impressed when they set foot inside the home.
The sprawling 5,200-square-foot residence by The Up Studio is sited in a fairly secluded and densely-wooded area of Old Westbury, New York, surrounded by mature oak and maple trees. The home’s front facade—with undulating gables and long, winding entry—is undeniably cinematic. In contrast to the traditionally-influenced front, the rear of the home embraces a more modern design sensibility. Rotated perpendicularly, the L-shaped configuration and wall of windows from Marvin maximizes natural light flowing into the home, and encourages unobstructed sightlines from the interior to the lush landscape outside.













