Get inspiration from the 90s and 2000s rom-com interiors you know and love

Social media is flooded with tips and tricks on how you can achieve the Nancy Meyers aesthetic. Think Meryl Streep's warm and inviting home in It's Complicated or Kate Winslet's enviable cosy cottage in The Holiday.

Or scoot across to Nora Ephron, and you too can achieve Meg Ryan's perfectly cluttered apartment with books, art and gorgeous wallpaper in You've Got Mail.

Though these films were popular - and still are - in the 90s and early 00s, these types of interiors are having a resurgence in 2025. Freakier Friday, the sequel to Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan's fan-favourite film from 2003, also boasts a home featuring the best kind of nostalgia - lived-in luxury.

Look to any of these rom-coms and you'll find there's plenty of texture. Coming in many forms, from the walls to the floors to the ornaments, there's a plethora of different materials. There's also a big difference between eclecticism and mess, so don't think that by throwing just anything together that it'll create the aesthetic you're going for - it won't. Everything is specifically selected.

Wainscoting is big in rom-coms, and it's a great way to achieve charm through the architectural details of the space. There are also some very affordable DIY options to achieve this charm.

Additionally, choosing a beautiful wallpaper for the upper portion of your wall is an elegant way to incorporate colour into your space, allowing you a palette to then draw further inspiration from with your furniture.

If you've opted for a patterned or colourful wallpaper, then couple that with billowing curtains in a block colour, and your space won't seem too loud.

A rom-com is full of meet-cutes, vulnerable conversations, and maybe a kiss or two. To that end, the interior of the protagonist's home will tend to feel comfortable and lived-in. Invest in an oversized couch, then fill it with plump and plush cushions, add a throw rug, and you're ready for Jude Law to knock on your door.

The homes almost always have a nod to natural wooden furniture, like coffee tables, bedside tables, or shelves. Not only does this add warmth to the space, but it's a great way to tie in the other colours or styles you've used throughout the room too.

Above all else, rom-com interiors are a blend of traditional furniture with selective eclecticism, and natural wooden frames help to really stabilise that.

Please - and I cannot emphasise this enough - whatever you do, you cannot, under any circumstances, use "the big light". There's a lot of discourse online surrounding the big light and when to use it. You may be more familiar with it as "the main light in any given room", but unless you have a shade covering it or a chandelier, chances are the light may be too bright or look clinical.

A way to soften its harsh glare is to use a warmer globe, but in true rom-com fashion, I would recommend lamps. Yes, there are occasions where the big light serves a function, and by all means, if you're cooking or have poor vision, then absolutely make the choice that best serves you.

But often in our favourite rom-coms, we'll see beautiful and ornate lamps of all sizes and styles, perfectly scattered throughout a space. Emitting a warm glow or unique patterns, they add a touch of je ne sais quoi to any space. They're also insanely flattering for anyone basking in their warm glow.