Romantic comedy enthusiasts, rejoice! The legendary festive cottage from one of your favorite films is now a reality, and you can actually stay there.
For almost 20 years, admirers of “The Holiday” have fantasized about spending a night under its rustic beams, warming up by the stone fireplace, and experiencing the charm of Iris Simpkins’ snug English retreat. However, there was one catch: Kate Winslet’s cherished ‘Rosehill Cottage’ was purely a movie set, never existing in real life.
The charming cottage that captured hearts on screen was merely a temporary construction in a field in Shere, Surrey, and was dismantled immediately after filming concluded.
Its design was inspired by Honeysuckle Cottage, located in nearby Holmbury St Mary—a real-life fairy tale abode that continues to draw devoted fans.
Interior designer Lucy Small took on the challenge of bringing this Hollywood dream to life. She aimed to recreate the magic that had previously only existed on film.
Instead of choosing a location in England, Small selected the picturesque town of Blue Ridge, Georgia, for her project. It’s a place so enchanting that you wouldn’t be surprised if Jude Law appeared at your doorstep with a bottle of wine.
Attention rom-com lovers, the most iconic festive cottage in movie history is now a real place you can actually book
For nearly two decades, fans of The Holiday have dreamed of sleeping beneath low beams, curling up by that stone fireplace, and stepping into Iris Simpkins’ cozy English hideaway
Unlike the film set, Lucy’s version had to actually function as a home – plumbing, electrical and all the cozy quirks included.
‘This was a new build, not a reno. Unfortunately! A reno would have been much less expensive,’ she told The Daily Mail. ‘The cottage in the movie didn’t even make architectural sense – the inside didn’t line up with the outside – so bringing that fantasy into real life was… a challenge.’
Small also revealed that the ‘frumpy spinster’ décor in the film was shockingly expensive and replicating it wasn’t cheap either.
Even though the original cottage was styled to look slightly mismatched and old-fashioned, Lucy revealed it was anything but cheap to echo.
‘A lot of the furnishings in the movie go for tens of thousands,’ she said. ‘Those living-room chairs are about $10,000 each, and the umbrella stand by the door was $15,000.’
‘We didn’t buy the authentic pieces, of course,’ she added with a laugh. ‘But even the replicas added up fast.’
She sourced real stone, hand-hewn wood beams, rustic plaster walls, vintage-style fabrics and charming ‘lived-in’ clutter to make the home feel like Iris just stepped out for a mug of cocoa.
Lucy noted that her surroundings helped inspire the full-blown rom-com fantasy.
Interior designer Lucy Small recreated the cottage in the misty mountains of Blue Ridge, Georgia, a dreamy town that you truly wouldn’t blink if Jude Law wandered up your driveway
Small also revealed that the ‘frumpy spinster’ décor in the film was shockingly expensive and replicating it wasn’t cheap either
Even though the original cottage was styled to look slightly mismatched and old-fashioned, Lucy revealed it was anything but cheap to echo
‘A lot of the furnishings in the movie go for tens of thousands,’ she said. ‘Those living-room chairs are about $10,000 each, and the umbrella stand by the door was $15,000’
Although the build was stressful and risky, she insisted the emotional payoff made it worth it
‘I live in the setting of every Hallmark movie,’ she said. ‘We have the mountains, the little downtown, the gazebo – all of it. People already come here to escape. So building a place for them to really escape to just felt right.’
Although the build was stressful and risky, she insisted the emotional payoff made it worth it.
‘Building is hard and expensive and stressful,’ she admitted. ‘But when people stay here and I get emotional emails about family traditions or sisters who watch the movie together every year… it makes everything worth it.’
Despite her optimism, experts warned her the idea was ridiculous.
‘Building is hard and expensive and stressful,’ she admitted. ‘But when people stay here and I get emotional emails about family traditions or sisters who watch the movie together every year… it makes everything worth it’
Rates begin at $399 per night off-season and reach $499 during peak holiday months
To her delight, fans proved them wrong by booking months ahead.
‘I had very smart people tell me, ‘Nobody cares about a 20-year-old movie,’ and ‘How are you going to rent this?’ she said.
Instead, it’s become a full-blown phenomenon.
‘We’re pretty solidly booked into the new year,’ she revealed. ‘Weekends start opening again in March — but people are already booking into summer.’
‘It’s been amazing,’ Lucy said. ‘I read every email and social media message. People send the sweetest stories about relationships and family traditions tied to this movie. It’s more than I ever imagined’
Rates begin at $399 per night off-season and reach $499 during peak holiday months.
‘It’s been amazing,’ Lucy said. ‘I read every social media message. People send the sweetest stories about relationships and family traditions tied to this movie. It’s more than I ever imagined.’
And yes, staying there truly feels like stepping into the beloved holiday romance.
In the film, Diaz’s character, Amanda Woods swaps homes with British journalist Iris Simpkins (Winslet) for two weeks at Christmas to get away from her troubles in Los Angeles.
To her surprise, she falls in love with Iris’s brother Graham (Law) during her stay.
‘I just wanted to build something people love,’ Lucy said. ‘And I think we did.’
