While not specifically described as a Christmas movie, Home Alone still feels immensely linked to the Christmas season, as does the home that Kevin defends throughout the movie. That real-life home is now getting a long-awaited restoration to its original movie glory, once again bringing the ’90s comedy classic back to reality, and fans absolutely played a key part.
The house that Home Alone was filmed in is located in Chicago, and when the house previously went up for sale, fans got an in-depth look at the inside of the house. The images and story went viral, as fans were not loving the completely modern aesthetic that looked nothing like the film. Now the owners are doing a full restoration that aims to bring it back to how it looked in Home Alone, and the restoration was revealed by project manager Scott Price.
Price told NBC Chicago that “Our vision is to bring back the warmth and just the love from the movie.” Price revealed that the current owner of the house is paying for the restoration to the home, and then added, “There was so many great colors and it just made you feel like family and like home and we want to bring that magic back.”
When those first photos were revealed, fans posted side-by-side comparisons to the home’s look in the film, and the difference was night and day. Now, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the home looked stunning by modern standards, but it was also bereft of the charm and personality it had in the films.
That’s a matter of opinion, of course, but the patterned rugs, red and white walls, and ornate decor scattered around the house in the film helped bring the house to life, giving off an aura of wealth but also comfort. While the bones of the house are intact, everything in the more recent design is white and grey, and there’s not much in the way of character or personality there.
In the comments of the side-by-side comparison, poohbearthemastiff wrote, “I would have paid 10x more for that house if it was kept original. Just like a classic car it’s worth more. Now this house looks like every other house. Actually I might buy it and build it back to like it was. Is it for sale now???? Who would want to see that?”
Thegiannaschiller wrote, “A moment of silence for what once was a house, and is now a sterile doctors office”, while traciemorrissey wrote, “I thought the bottom photo was in black and white”. There were many, many more of these sort of reactions, so it’s good to know that at some point, the house will be getting a look more in line with the way it was featured in the film.
There’s no timetable for when the restoration will be complete, but whenever the house is finished, hopefully, it will be over the holidays to truly bring its classic self to life.
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