Just pronouncing the titles of certain films, the mind travels towards scenarios illuminated by the warmest sun, stories punctuated by the chirping of cicadas and dives into the waters of picturesque pools surrounded by fragrant gardens. The countryside, the sea, the wild nature, and in the background…. the open doors of homes that are always welcoming, which frame the dreams, expectations and summer adventures experienced by the movie's protagonists. These are places where the interiors mostly exhibit an informal and relaxed style, ideal for a "slow travel" summer holiday.

Now that summer finally seems to have exploded, some pearls of the big screen inspire the vintage market and the trendsetters, not only in the choice of summery interior and outdoor furnishing proposals, but in the choice of which will be our next holiday destination.

It is inevitable to think of films where the Italian landscape is the protagonist: in this sense, the atmospheres transmitted by the house in Stealing Beauty, a 1996 film by Bernardo Bertolucci, are unique. In a farmhouse located on the Ricasoli estate in Gaiole in Chianti, Siena, Italy, surrounded by an enveloping landscape of olive trees and vineyards, American 19 year-old Lucy (Liv Tyler) arrives. In the wake of the search for love — and of her biological father — the girl spends an unforgettable holiday with a couple of family friends, who gather around the house an eccentric group of aesthetes, artists and intellectuals. The walls of the rooms of the farmhouse are in stone left as natural as possible, which forms the background for light iron furnishings or sturdy wooden furniture; antique carpets color and warm up the rooms evoking vintage and the importance of objects handed down for generations. Among the cult pieces, the vintage stone bathtub stands out (in the photo, which takes up an iconic frame from the film), an increasingly popular element of the country house, intended not only for interiors but ideal, if installed outdoors, for cooling off surrounded by greenery and admiring the view. The effect is an authentic rustic, never slick style. Just think of the farmhouse swimming pool, a small and simple stone tub that seems a pond, in which water reflects the dark green of the surrounding nature.

Aesthetes who loved 2008 film Mamma Mia, set on the magical Greek island of Skopelos, in the Northern Sporades archipelago, could not help but appreciate the bohemian style of the Greek villa where the eventful story takes place, and in particular of Donna's bedroom (a sensational Meryl Streep), which has by now become an icon of the Mediterranean vintage style: the choice of fabrics stands out in particular, such as the splendid white cotton or linen sheets that decorate the iron bed decorated with circular elements, worked with red embroidery that evoke the style of Cretan embroidery, articulated on geometric motifs and images borrowed from nature. Jute or multicolored wool carpets come into play on the floor, also decorated with geometric patterns. We also draw inspiration from Mamma Mia for the summer palette: the bedroom walls are in a bluish lavender shade, which offers an interesting contrast with the red and white sheets. But those who prefer more traditional combinations can focus on the classic Aegean blue, combined with white and multicolored tablecloths and sheets.

From a farmhouse in Tuscany with a rustic charm to a house with typically Mediterranean flavours, we catapult ourselves towards a type of beach house featuring more urban and glamorous tones, such as the one in which The Hustle is set, a 2019 film starring a hilarious pair of professional con artists, played by Anne Hataway and Rebel Wilson. Imagine waking up and sipping a coffee by a blue pool overlooking the ocean, refreshed by the shade of lush vegetation: in front of you, only the blue of the sea and a breathtaking view. This is how Josephine (Anne Hathaway) lives, in a house illuminated by large windows inspired by modernist architecture. The film tells us we are in the south of France, even if in reality the location is the island of Majorca, the largest of the Balearic archipelago: in fact, the structure of the main block of the house, made of traditional stone, is a typical structural element of the houses of the island. The two-story living room flooded with natural light is based on a welcoming minimalism: a white cube effect that can be replicated using resin, stone or very light stoneware tiles floors and white walls, to be combined with the neutral tones of the armchairs and sofas. Contrasts between the white of the walls and vintage furnishings' materials such as leather and rattan are certainly allowed; on the walls, sober black wood photographs' and works of art's frames.