Yahoo Lifestyle Which Holiday Movie House Is the Best? Our Top Pick Might Surprise You
All of the most beloved holiday movies feature houses that become cozy-season obsessions. Many of these homes feature often snow-covered, twinkle-light-dressed exteriors and warm, welcoming interiors, even when the heating isn’t on. Then there are a few outliers—a New York City apartment and an elegant Cali mansion. Since we know you're tuning into festive flicks this season, we’ve gone ahead and ranked the top holiday movie houses. Did we put your favorite at the top of the list?
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12. The Santa Clause
In this 1994 classic, Tim Allen’s Scott Calvin lives in a nice, simple condo. Although it happens to be where Santa Claus falls off the roof to his doom, the no frill interiors otherwise get the job done and are what you’d likely expect from a stereotypical divorced dad.
11. Elf
Any New Yorker is likely jealous of the apartment where Buddy the Elf’s family lives. With an actual dining room, it’s quite spacious. We’re also partial to the Christmas makeover Buddy gives it, including paper snowflakes, a big tree, and tons of string lights. The exterior of the home is portrayed by 55 Central Park West on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, which is also a featured filming location in Ghostbusters.
10. Love Actually
While there are a handful of lovely London homes in this romcom, the Portugal house where Colin Firth’s character goes to pen his novel is undeniably charming. The Mediterranean-style property boasts plenty of natural light, exquisite French doors, and a great view of the backyard pond. What more could you want in a writer’s retreat?
9. It’s a Wonderful Life
George and Mary Bailey’s Bedford Falls residence may be a drafty old house, but it’s nothing short of wonderful. Mary tirelessly works to give it a makeover—painting the window trim, putting up fresh wallpaper, and carefully decorating. While it never reaches perfection, George eventually learns to appreciate it—teaching viewers the magic of calling a fixer upper home.
8. Miracle on 34th St (1994)
In this remake of the 1947 classic of the same name, Susan Walker asks Santa for a house in the suburbs. Her desired property is a suitable fantasy; it boasts large windows, plush seating, and a handful of fireplaces. If ever a house were holiday-catalog worthy, it’s this one.
7. The Holiday (Los Angeles)
The California house where Kate Winslet’s character spends the holidays in this Nancy Meyers classic is the epitome of a dream Los Angeles home. With a gated entrance, it has heigh ceilings, a pool, blackout shades in the bedroom, and a movie theater-quality entertainment center. Having a Hollywood legend as a neighbor is an added bonus.
6. The Family Stone
An underrated gem, The Family Stone is set in Massachusetts, where the Stone family’s colonial residence was practically built to be covered in snow. The idyllic setting is even better inside, where warm-toned paints, patterned wallpaper, and lush fabrics give it a familiar feel.
5. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Clark Griswold takes Christmas very seriously, and his family’s traditional home makes an excellent canvas for decorating with 25,000 twinkle lights, sleigh and reindeer blow molds, and a big, real Christmas tree. While the interiors are packed with quintessential ‘80s elements—green carpet, plaid curtains, and a pink bathroom—we can look past that. Not to mention, there’s room in the backyard for a pool! Plus the movie is packed with so many good quotes.
4. Christmas With the Kranks
The entire neighborhood where the Krank family resides can only be described as the American dream—barring the community’s strict decorating rules. The Krank household is especially cozy thanks to a dining room enveloped in wallpaper, a relaxed living room, and a great primary bedroom with an en suite. Of course, the home looks even more magical when it’s decked out with Christmas cheer inside and out.
3. A Christmas Story
Yellow siding paired with green trim make this home’s exterior extra charming. Inside, large front windows are perfect for displaying major awards, and the flow between the kitchen and living room makes it feel especially cozy. Better yet: Fans can actually visit the house in Celeveland, as it’s still a museum despite a scare over its fate when it was put up for sale in 2022.
2. The Holiday (England)
If you look beyond a few initial heating issues and the fact that the road to the house is practically impassable in winter, the English cottage in The Holiday is straight out of a storybook. With exposed wood beams, a charming kitchen, and a claw-foot tub in the bathroom, it’s the perfect place to hide out.
1. Home Alone
The Home Alone house has rightly earned its place as one of the most iconic filming location in Hollywood history. The spacious suburban home (which is actually in Winnetka, Illinois) includes a staircase perfect for sledding, a great formal dining room, an attic bedroom, a kitchen with a big island, a huge primary bedroom, a living room with a fireplace, and a backyard treehouse. It’s no surprise that the Wet Bandits are willing to endure relentless trauma in an attempt to rob it.
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