This Hosting Season, My Inspiration Has Come From the Kitchens of Nora Ephron Movies – Here's How I'm Recreating the Iconic Lived-in Look

I have a confession to make. Before this year, I'd never watched a Nora Ephron movie. But my fellow editors told me that I absolutely had to binge-watch them, it's a right of fall passage! And When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and You've Got Mail were at the top of the list.

So cozying up over the recent wintery weekends and watching my way through them, I've realized just what I've been missing out on. Yes, the movies are total classics, but what really stuck with me is the home decor, most specifically the cozy kitchens that feel perfectly layered and lived in.

And as we head towards a season of hosting and holidays, my kitchen inspiration is coming directly from the screen. Honestly, I want to create the same warm, welcoming feeling in my cooking space that I felt while watching the movies. Here's how I'm doing it.

Few people can create interior design envy like Nora Ephron. In fact, she's become just as known for her beautifully layered designs as she is for her timeless storylines. And the kitchens of her famous films are perhaps the most coveted.

'Nora Ephron's movie kitchens are the heart of her characters' homes, and they feel effortlessly comfortable. They're warm, cozy, and timeless, inviting in a way that appeals to everyone,' says Molly Torres Portnof of DATE Interiors.

The kitchens are full, layered, and unfussy. Countertops are covered in kitchenware, baskets, and curious decor. Countertop lamps bring a warming glow that feels ultimately cozy and undeniably inviting. And there's a real sense of nostalgia that takes us back to the kitchens we all grew up in.

'I find that the kitchen is always positioned as the heart of the home. It is layered, lived-in, and always ready for a new recipe or a long conversation with a loved one,' adds Stephanie Bruss, owner of Designs of the Interior.

'I think it is the warmth and the feeling of togetherness that appeals at this time of year. As the holidays approach, the kitchen becomes the central gathering area of the home,' she explains.

'It's where you're cooking, hosting, and memories are made. Nora Ephron's kitchens naturally possess that welcoming feeling where recipes are passed down and conversations are had.'

5 Ways to Recreate Nora Ephron's Kitchen Aesthetic

If you love the Nora Ephron aesthetic and want to recreate the look in your own kitchen, take notes. These are the features and decor to introduce for the layered, lived-in look her movies are renowned for.

1. Add a Large Lamp to Your Kitchen

If there's one thing almost every Nora Ephron kitchen has in common, it's a large lamp nestled on the kitchen countertops. It's a key element that adds warmth and lived-in style, which makes these spaces so inviting.

And she hasn't gone for small, streamlined designs, instead embracing something larger, textures, and similar to lighting you'd find in a living room. It creates the essence of a soft kitchen, a look we are all craving even today.

In Bewitched, it's a tall lamp with a linen shade placed in the corner of the countertops, and in You've Got Mail, it's a round, neutral lamp base with a classic cone-style shade. They're soft, textured, and add a sense of coziness.

2. Let Your Kitchenware Double as Decor

When you see a Nora Ephron kitchen, the term 'organized, intentional clutter' comes to mind. The countertops are full, the walls are covered in open storage, and utensils are crammed into mismatched crocks. It's that sort of collected look that resonates with us all.

'Don't be scared to introduce lived-in elements to your kitchen,' says Stephanie. 'Not everything needs to be tucked away or hidden. Fresh flowers, a loaf of bread, and worn cookbooks make a space feel approachable. These elements introduce a casual ease that we see in so many of her films.'

The kitchen from Julie & Julia captures the look perfectly. Everyday essentials are left on the sides, a stand mixer is a permanent fixture in the corner, and copper pans hung along the walls create that traditional kitchen feel we all love.

It's a look that says 'your kitchen is lived in and used, and that's okay.'

3. Layer in Textiles

'Nora's kitchens, much like the wardrobes of her characters, are lived in and snug. Texture, natural materials, warm hues, and classic touches are all elements people can introduce in their own spaces,' Molly explains.

Not only are they easy to introduce, but they are key to the warm, inviting feel these kitchens exude. In You've Got Mail, it's the linen draped across the dresser beneath the window; in Sleepless in Seattle, it's a row of dish towels hung on hooks along the wall.

So, whether you elevate your kitchen towels, introduce a chic tablecloth to the heart of the room, or lay down a rug to add warmth and comfort, texture and softness are at the core of these spaces.

4. Mix in Freestanding Furniture

A freestanding kitchen always feels a bit more layered and inviting, simply because it reflects the way we decorate cozier rooms. And almost every Nora Ephron design has freestanding furniture mixed into the kitchen.

A freestanding island is a lovely choice, or for smaller kitchens, a dresser beneath a window (like in You've Got Mail) adds a charming vintage detail while adding a touch of extra surface space. Or for the ultimate hosting space, a large dining table at the heart of the kitchen truly invites everyone in.

I'd bring in this Painswick Console Table from Wayfair that will age and wear beautifully over the years of use, or this Basque Solid Wood Kitchen Island with Storage from Crate & Barrel for a more rustic, lived-in look.

5. Fill Your Kitchen Windowsills with Collected Decor

What really stands out to me in Nora Ephron's kitchens is the charming pieces of decor that are woven in throughout the schemes. Countertops framed by kitchenware with no other home are broken up now and again by a trinket box or a decorative ceramic pot.

There's art on the walls, decorative plates on display, and greenery, whether it's a vase of flowers or a festive wreath on a kitchen window. These small details and personality, charm, and homey appeal.

The framed art hung on the upper cabinet doors in the Julie & Julia kitchen is one of my favorites, but I also love the windowsills in You've Got Mail and Bewitched, crammed with all sorts of items, yet somehow still have space for ceramic ornaments and glass decor.

I might be late to the party, but I've found so much inspiration from the kitchens of Nora Ephron movies, and they are about to transform my space ahead of hosting season. They're all so perfectly layered and lived in – it's almost refreshing to see schemes that truly reflect the way most of us use our kitchens.

And to recreate the look, it's mostly small kitchenware pieces and decor that make all the difference, whether it's hanging kitchen towels on wall hooks or adding a lamp to your countertops. And if you need some more inspiration, our cozy kitchen edit has plenty to inspire.