The director behind your dream kitchen

Nancy Meyer’s would hate that I made this video. Today we’re talking about the kitchens of Something’s Gotta Give, The Holiday, It’s Complicated, and The Intern. We get into how we define a Nancy Meyer’s kitchen and why she doesn’t like that we can’t stop talking about them.
0:00 Intro
1:30 The Nancy Meyer's Kitchen
2:09 Something's Gotta Give
4:42 The Holiday
6:24 It's Complicated
8:28 Are we missing the point
11:21 The Intern
12:34 Let her make another!
13:19 Conclusion
Sources:
Something’s Gotta Give (2003)
The Holiday (2006)
It’s Complicated (2009)
The Intern (2015)
AD article on Something’s Gotta Give: www.architecturaldigest.com/s...
2015 Vulture Interview with Nancy Meyers: www.vulture.com/2015/09/nancy...
2020 Vulture interview with Nancy Meyers: www.vulture.com/2015/09/nancy...
Variety - Nancy Meyer’s Rom-Com no longer moving forward at Netflix: variety.com/2023/film/news/na...

[@savannahd.4293]

Nancy Meyers and Nora Ephron both have this cozy, cluttered feel in their movies that make them feel so REAL, and lived in! Its something that elevates their movies, and something that I feel like is missing from a lot of modern romcoms (and modern homes in general) Its not just that I want to experience a whirlwind romance, I also want to do so from my impossibly chic (but slightly messy) Manhattan apartment, or seaside bungalow! Like you said, the depth they are able to portray of these characters by just their surroundings is an amazing aspect of their beautiful films. And since we won't have any more Nora Ephron films (rest in piece you beauty) we NEED more Nancy Meyers!

[@deathmaiden]

yes, I couldn’t explain the deep sense of LACK I feel watching modern rom coms but this is definitely a reason

[@victoriafisher1923]

Set/environment design is an underrated part of character and many productions fail at it. It's especially noticeable in character-driven stories (in fact, it can totally strip a story of character if it's missing and fantasies, where the set has to do a lot of work in world-building).

[@Mobri]

I've been designing these kitchens for 15 years. It gets really, really old.

[@MarkFaldborg]

Two sinks, in case you have two knives you plan on using for another sandwich later.

[@morningsidewithkelley]

I was 8 years old when Father of Bride came out and I distinctly remember how the house, esp the kitchen, made me feel. Those feeling still ring true today. I think that's a testament to Nancy's ability as a story teller.

[@karenreiter533]

Oh that is my favorite kitchen ever! Father of the Bride is such a feel good movie and the kitchen makes me so happy. 💕💕

[@KellyBice]

That was a beautiful house. I came to comment regarding it because I do not think she directed it, but she definitely was part of it.

[@gigitastic90]

My dream kitchen ( my dream house honestly ) is still the kitchen from Practical Magic. It felt so warm, and airy, like magic could happen there.

[@pennypenny376]

I just love the green apples and long hair in that movie!

[@kathleenkalt3852]

That kitchen just glowed.

[@oneofmany7051]

Me, too! Well, I realized a couple years ago while watching that movie, again, for the first time in 20 years is that the Practical Magic kitchen has a lot of similarities to my current kitchen, especially in terms of pathways through the kitchen. I actually pulled up the movie and fast-forwarded to the kitchen scenes so I could take notes. 😂 Love that kitchen!

[@Mobri]

It looks spectacular, but actually using that kitchen would be a daily nightmare. :)

[@jonathankranz2799]

Nancy Meyers doesn't create fantasies about romance; she creates fantasies about class status. That's why, in her movies, kitchens are so much more important than bedrooms.

[@Mobri]

As a kitchen and bath designer, I can't tell you how many people want these kitchens without even knowing why. Pinterest is jam-packed with inspirational photos of Nancy Meyer kitchens.

[@user-et7he5mn3x]

Yup!!!

[@SuigetsuIsArt]

I can see why she doesn't want to be known for it, but it is interesting ... and I agree, let her cook. I always need more Nancy Meyer movies in my life.

[@kendragaylord]

let her cook is so funny!

[@Beardlybeloved]

The Nancy Meyer kitchen aka all my kitchen builds in the sims 😂😂

[@BadgerOfTheSea]

When not only is there a kitchen island, it is a second kitchen island with a second sink, that is fancy.

[@Jen.O]

Having innocently walked into a real life 2 island/ 2 sink kitchen, I can say wouthout a doubt it definately says "I'm better than you".

[@radhiadeedou8286]

​@@Jen.Oimo it says "I'm mentally unstable"

[@Eighthplanetglass]

Your videos quickly became some of my favorites. I love your voice and pacing and humor and interest.

[@Adam-kn3tv]

Too many times I've clicked on a video of interest, only to be met with incessant pulsing background music, obnoxious unnecessary sound effects, and even more obnoxious narration, and had to click away, despite wanting to know more about the subject of the video. Louder, faster, and flashier is NOT better. This? I'm in heaven. 🫠

[@KellyBice]

I agree. This is good!

[@NekoPsycho777]

most unhinged way to add subtitles to a video launching 12:00 minutes into this video. huge fan

[@kendragaylord]

that's how i read on the computer, but when i went back in the edit, i was like... does anyone else do this?

[@DavidCruickshank]

@@kendragaylord I absolutely do it, especially on big paragraphs.

[@LX-kt90rx]

I always say this in discussions about Nancy Meyers movies. I think people pay more attention to the interiors in her movies because the storylines are all basically the same. Rich, successful white woman, beloved by her friends and children, but unlucky in love (usually because her husband/ex sucks and made mistakes). She’s often a little uptight, and someone along the way shows her how to loosen up and have fun (often her love interest, but not always). Then she realizes she don’t need no man, but MAYBE she just WANTS one. Other than The Parent Trap and Father of the Bride, that’s the story with all her movies. Even her daughter Halle (who wrote and directed Home Again) followed the same template. And the interiors from that film were my favorite. It’s a little weird to me that Nancy herself isn’t a little bit more self aware here. But I digress. Her films are fun and aesthetically pleasing escapes from reality. Great video!

[@mysterything8348]

I would add, the Intern as being different set up

[@LX-kt90rx]

@@mysterything8348 it’s the same. It’s still about a rich white woman who’s successful in her career and beloved by her employees and her child. She’s “unlucky” in love because her husband cheated, and at the end, even though she doesn’t need to take him back, she decides to. She was a bit uptight, and then Robert DiNiro shows her how to loosen up/enjoy life/take back her power AND get better at her job. Anne Hathaway’s character was younger than other Nancy Meyers leads, but it’s still the same basic template.

[@0.-.0]

Thank God, I've always worried about that person watching me from my kitchen's back window...

[@knittingdoula]

There are few things I love more than a Kendra Gaylord commentary, made of one part takedown, one part envy, one part admiration, and one part hilarious petty. I wish you posted more often, but it's always a delicious treat when you do. Thank you!

[@Anna-B]

I was not expecting the As Time Goes By appreciation, but I’m here for it!

[@getyourownshoe]

Blast from the past or what?! ♥️

[@haleymist09]

Jean ❤ Lionel forever

[@rosemarygrady3541]

Me too! Currently rewatching it right from the beginning Jean ❤ Lionel . I like their home too… very much of its time

[@MinaF99]

You’re currently my favourite KZbinr since that masterpiece of a lighting video (I’ve watched it like 5 times) very excited when you upload

[@kendragaylord]

That is so kind!! Thank you for being here

[@bleeka325]

That’s how I found this channel also.

[@alexsilva-vn7jc]

The whole house in "Something´s Gotta Give" was an interior design crush of mine for the longest time when it came out. Not so much anymore, but I totally get it.

[@aleciahansen7859]

Off topic but I adore Sally’s apartment decor in When Harry Met Sally.

[@nancydineen6797]

There a yellow quilt in Sally’s apartment that I love

[@83nades]

I was just watching It’s Complicated the other day and I commented to my husband that I loved how cozy the kitchen was. But my all-time favorite, Nancy Meyers kitchen is in Baby Boom. Diane Keaton’s Vermont farmhouse kitchen is the stuff of my dreams. So cozy and it has a fireplace!

[@mglouise97]

You talk about architecture and design in such an interesting way. I absolutely love it. I have also changed all the lightbulbs in my house because of you.

[@anjulipatil]

She was doing cool kitchens since Baby Boom, that Vermont kitchen was awesome

[@kathleenclark5877]

Kendra! I loved this! I am a major fan of Nancy Meyers/Nora Ephron Rom-Coms to be begin with. And you are so right. I believe that the way people decorate with things they like, colours, collections … these things connote character as this is how the person likes to live, the surroundings in which they choose to spend their time which defines character. So Nancy is right. As are you. She is the writer as well as the producer in your examples (by the way, I feel like viewing all of these films again as they reside in my ridiculously huge DVD library RIGHT NOW!) Also, I had my kitchen redone due to an insurance thing and, while it is minuscule in comparison, I think I channeled the Something’s Got to Give kitchen in a small so of way unconsciously. So, in conclusion (at last), I love the way you think and analyze and I am fer shure going to subscribe immediately. Thanks!

[@taylorewalters]

the timing of this video is crazy. my partner & I rewatched It’s Complicated for the millionth time earlier this week. it sparked a long talk about all of Nancy Meyers magical kitchens.

[@allisonc.-jt4rc]

Kendra, you are so brilliant and funny. I so enjoy your insights and your humor. I am now deeply tempted to make pesto while wearing white Cashmere...😅

[@mirandareilly5366]

me screaming at nancy meyers: KEEP IT A THING, ALWAYS MAKE IT A THING, THE SCRIPT IS GOOD TOO, WE LOVE THE THING

[@dainasworldnumbers88]

The only problem I have with your videos is that your not making them every day! This is my favorite You Tube channel period.

[@dianeyoung8130]

ive been following you since you had under 1k subscribers and I would always comment to my husband how the heck does she not have more followers?! Im so glad youre getting the recognition you deserve. Love your videos!

[@Worgiewoo]

I can’t express how happy this video has made me. Thank you, this is pure comfort 😊

[@heartquaked]

The way I choked on my little Caesar’s lunch combo at TWO!! kitchen islands

[@lydiagagne6740]

A commercial for that show “The Bear” was played before this video and the resemblance between you and Jeremy Allen White was shocking. Love ur videos!

[@sunblock8717]

uh, that is not the compliment you seem to think it is

[@bleeka325]

@@sunblock8717it’s a fact that the OP was shocked by the resemblance. It not inherently a compliment or an insult.

[@Miriam_Meadows]

I was at the post office today and thought “where’s some fresh stamp content?” This is even better!

[@Indiebeau11]

I love As Time Goes By!!!

[@laurenm3148]

YES another table! I am obsessed with your spreadsheets.

[@ThanhTran-pu5ob]

i love your videos and the editing has stepped UP! love the subtitles lolll

[@emiilyrose]

this editing is AMAZING!! you're seriously a comfort youtuber for me now. cannot get enough of these videos!

[@danib9845]

Oh I love this! The only reason I know Nancy Myers is because I looked her up after watching Something’s Got to Give and falling in love with the set design, especially the kitchen. I then made a point of watching every one of her movies! What I love about her kitchens is that, while they are filled to the brim with things, they never feel messy. But they reveal so much about the protagonists that they are like another character in her movies. It doesn’t mean that it’s the only reason I loved her movies. I still watch them over and over. I love the entirety of her work. I’ve loved other Rom-Coms just as much, but never made a point of looking up who directed them. When I learned that Myers was retiring, I was crushed.

[@Leo9ine]

Man, I adore your style. It's so cozy, chill, down to earth. Easy to watch and listen to. Happy to be here for more

[@ManWhoLovesTheMary]

The poetic nuance of this video (ah, and not just this one) is...masterful. It's with the aforementioned aformention that I look at my own kitchen. It's small. And I can't do much with it because it's a rental kitchen. And I'm last on their list for getting updated STONE countertops like some of my contemporaries. It has some charming features. But it's also a crowded mess. It's kinda sad in a lot of ways. What does all this say about me? And how much of it is not because of myself but the apartment complex and what I cannot do? Dear Abby, help! Really expands your mind, videos like this. Also, I really enjoyed The Holiday. During high school in the midst of a fairly recent post 9/11 world, it was an enjoyable respite...and I did not originally know what to expect. To think that the kitchens had to have played a part in that.

[@EvlNabiki]

I adore this so much!!! You're doing for Nancy Myers kitchens on video what i do for Nora Ephron kitchens in my head ☺️☺️☺️ also, funnily enough, the only Nancy Myers movie I've actually watched is father of the bride 🙈 I love the kitchen series, I'm simply obsessed with kitchens, especially when you talk about them 💕💕💕

[@Mobri]

I'm glad to finally put a name and a face to this style! Between her and Joanna Gaines there is very little room left for creativity in the kitchen design field. Admittedly, seeing these kitchens and the spreadsheet was a bit triggering. I cannot tell you how many people (pretty much everybody) wants these elements in their kitchens without even knowing why!

[@colinneagle4495]

I love this video, but especially appreciate your message at the end to put things in our homes that make us happy! I worry sometimes that my apartment might look too much like a thrift store, but friends who have visited have told me that my space looks like me and I need to focus on that instead.

[@susielecompte2017]

This video hit home for me! I LOVED the Something’s Gotta Give” kitchen as well as all the other NM kitchens! I watched SGT over and over just to see the house and kitchen, however, I also LOVE the movie as well as all her other movies so I feel the house/kitchens don’t overshadow the movies they simply add to their charm!

[@erinbrown9080]

Such a good point about the Nancy Meyers sets helping to build the character. That's why I always loved seeing how personal the bedrooms would be in coming of age movies. Would love you to do a video on teenage bedrooms in media

[@dianelee1299]

Yaaay. I was waiting for your next video and enjoyed it totally!

[@Meredith36]

This is so good! Keep up the amazing work 🎉

[@michellesellsvc]

Highly entertaining and I am inspired to rewatch all her movies. Brava!!!

[@Yngvolkayno]

Okay, the video is amazing, but I *NEEDED* to leave a comment for you referencing The Fairy's Mistake. That book had me scared to make wishes for years, on the off chance I would be spitting up gems for the rest of my life. Glad to know I'm not the only one who remembers it.

[@jenwilson9638]

I love watching your videos! Very interesting and funny, and you have a great voice. I've decorated my rental in the way I like with lots of art I like, and some vintage furniture mixed with my own custom wood pieces like shelves and cabinets. I love to show people my space and have them feel like they're getting to know me just by being in it. Always have good lighting and good music playing too! The space we live in is so intricately linked to our health. And I'm mainly talking about esthetics, not materials. That's a whole other thing.

[@zoinomiko]

@14:06 what a touching and evocative statement, thank you! Having recently re-married in my 40s, creating an "us" house with my wife and seeing how well our styles mesh and compliment has been such a joyful experience.

[@seanbirdsell]

Brilliant! This is the content I'm here for.

[@kathleenkalt3852]

Nancy Meyers just knew what we wanted in kitchens before we did. Her living rooms aren't too shabby, either.

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

Thank you for the video. Love the Streep kitchen.

[@choff14]

This was fantastic! Great job.

[@kristencurtis4729]

Love your videos! And Nancy Meyers kitchens.

[@EM-ul1gu]

I really enjoyed your video. So smart and funny! Great job!

[@willardprenfrew4303]

You crushed it again, Kendra!

[@kleerude]

You were right! My answers did find their way into an upcoming video!

[@jesswoodhere]

Great video! Love the spreadsheet lol 🙌

[@christophernoto]

Well done! 😂😂😂 I love your gentle sarcasm! ❤❤❤ Carry on! 🎉🎉🎉

[@JohnSmith-qz1zp]

Also ridiculous is the way they portray New York apartments of people like the show "FRIENDS." Those people could never have afforded those apartments with the jobs they had. They would have been living in a basement closet.

[@johnqpublic407]

Kitchen-smtichen... those tomato trellises in Somethings got to give, still haunt my dreams! As a green finger in a very northern climate, i can only dream of cultivating such a wonder!!

[@londekandukuda3422]

loved this! thank you

[@juliamar2372]

omg loved the Fairy's Mistake mention Gail Carson Levine Hive

[@NWH56]

Gosh I adore you and what you create!

[@maeleenhurley5858]

Mahalo! You are so observant. Love this.

[@kayelle8005]

Am I the only person that has a visceral reaction to a double island in a kitchen? I loathe them.

[@zvezdoblyat]

It totally makes sense to me. That is, it makes sense if you have 10 or more kitchen staff, a live in chef and sous chef in a manor or a castle. Otherwise it's so unnecessary

[@PasCorrect]

I sort of get it if one of them is for cooking and one is for eating while chatting with the person cooking. But it has to be done well. Sometimes it's just too equally large cooking surfaces that turn the kitchen into a science lab, and I hate it.

[@soniashapiro4827]

Love this. Make your space full of what you like.

[@halir4408]

Watching this lovely video while side eyeing my own kitchen… realizing that it’s totally a Nancy Myers kitchen 😂. Only one island… But yeah, two sinks and all of the other criteria 😉

[@robynwells8249]

Love the kitchens in all the movies. I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who wasn’t a fan of Erica and Harry. Loved everything and everyone else.

[@chelseashurmantine8153]

Oh my gosh you are so funny! I had no idea these movies were all by the same person but as you listed them I was like “DAMN! She makes good movies!”

[@StateofKait]

Omg I just re-watched It’s Complicated, great timing

[@dotnothing5620]

Thanks! I love your channel.

[@kSchmidt583]

highly recommend the talking pictures podcast where shes inviterviewed. love her takes on the kitchens

[@anne-mariep.5767]

another great video but I must say that what I want most is the bathtub from the english cottage (short girl dream)... I might also want the whole damn cottage if I could!

[@katemerrill7308]

My favorite movie kitchen is still Katie's (Streisand) tiny, red kitchen in "The Way We Were".

[@tslilbearshoppe9870]

all of my fav movies and now I know why lol I think they should feel very lucky to have anything in one of their movies be "a thing" because it only draws more attention to their movies :) Some of it reminds me of Studio McGee.

[@lsamoa]

Aaaah, that's where this aesthetics comes from! I haven't watched a lot of Nancy Meyers movies (probably just one I think) so I didn't know this was a thing. I actually really dislike this kind of kitchens. I don't get the appeal. Too big, over-the-top bourgeois aesthetics, unpractical, most likely a pain to cook in. Noone needs two sinks or two kitchen islands. I hate it. My dream kitchen is small, understated, practical and condusive to cooking. I'm obsessing over Japanese and Korean vloggers showing how they organize their tiny kitchens in the most efficient way possible, and cook super yummy dishes in them, using both traditional and IKEA utensils. Literally drool over those videos haha.

[@LilyLewis771]

I recently bought a new apartment and my first big plan is to re-do the kitchen… to have white marble countertops (or something that looks like it) and subway tiles. I haven’t even heard the name Nancy Meyers before this or seen any of her movies but her idea of a nice kitchen has permeated down to me! I want white cabinetry as well and at least one open shelf XD I do however want all my appliances to be pink and the open shelf to display my teacup collection so it’s not quite the same, but it’s fascinating to learn where these ideas of what makes a fancy kitchen have originated (at least in part).

[@annieoakley9207]

Do not use marble (especially white marble) for kitchen counters! Marble is porous and stains very easily. It also needs a lot of maintenance. Quartz countertops are much more practical and are made in various patterns (including some resembling marble.) Quartz countertops can be easily cleaned and do not need sealing (like granite and marble.) The one caution is to always use trivets or hot pads under hot pans/dishes because heat can scorch the resin (which binds the quartz particles) and leave scorch marks. Also, open shelves require constant cleaning. The dishes/shelves will get coated with oil particles which vaporize in the cooking process and dust will stick to the oily residue so you will have to clean off the oily grime. (I am an architect.)

[@LilyLewis771]

@@annieoakley9207 Good to know about marble/quartz countertops, thank you! I've definitely discovered the open shelving thing for myself... I have a lot of open shelves in my current place and just store all my cups upside down so they don't get gross all the time lmao. I do still want a little bit in order to display stuff (until I can afford a glass door cabinet) however :)

[@annieoakley9207]

@@LilyLewis771 You’re welcome. Most people do not know about the problems with marble countertops. They get them for the look then discover the maintenance issues.

[@thesewinggeekmiri9029]

0:10...my mom's kitchen. you're describing my mom's kitchen (minus the teapot), aka, my childhood home. we have at least 2 wooden spoons (one for canning, one for mixing things like batter, and one extra that's a litttttle shorter than the others) and she's had the marble-topped island since ~2002. lmao, edit: that's where the similarities end, my bad! XD

[@spencertrusque7966]

First and most important, I love your analysis. Second... am I the only one who hates this kind of kitchen?

[@mariakitaeva708]

thank you! love your vids!~

[@sunshineknight7953]

Your voice and the way you talk remind me sooo much of Caitlin Doughty who does the Ask A mortician on youtube! :)

[@nansiedoodles]

I’ve been watching Help! I wrecked my house lately and all of the kitchens in that show are Nancy Meyers kitchens 🤯

[@blahhhblahhh1829]

Would you consider talking about the home in meet the fackers with dustin Hoffman and Barbara Streisand? I don’t know what it is but there’s something about it that I find so comforting 😊

[@bobi7152]

I knever noticed that these kitchens have two sinks and I would have never thought about having two myself. But I guess it makes sense if you get professional chefs to cook for you with any regularity to have the space and the amenities.

[@nataliekirschner9020]

Oh my gosh-- the It,$ Complicated reference! So meeeeeeee! Something’s Gotta Give

[@olgak506]

father of the bride is my all time favorite, heart warming extremely charming movies hugely thanks to that house of theirs! , its like a fifth character of the movie ❤💔

[@cadkoger]

Amanda Dobbins of The Ringer's Big Picture podcast is also a tres Nancy Meyers Kitchen Afficionado. She'd love this video.

[@johnayalachef]

Id like to add that Nancy uses sets because of the lighting. It looks unrealistic because it is. Even the outside of the windows is a lit set.

[@prettywildnights]

Something’s Gotta Give is a close 2nd to It’s Complicated for me 😊

[@user-iq2yp1dn1q]

Kitchen/dining rooms are central characters in many dramas, and the viewer leaves with the visual image of the kitchen/dining room to memorialize the emotional feeling of the story.

[@rorrt]

I love Nancy Meyer so much. I bought 2 award statuettes featured on the shelves of Darcy MacGuire and Nick Marshall (Hunt and Gibson) from off of on What Women Want. They cost me so much.. Too much.. But I love the film so much, I wanted a piece of it..

[@nancydineen6797]

Reality Show Vanderpump Rules has 2 castmates who are working on opening a little sandwich shop. They hired the set designer of Nancy Myers films to help them design and decorate their cafe.

[@krytolandros1775]

Great video :)

[@fossetti8216]

As Timw Goes By is a deep cut

[@leaaehm1522]

To create a space that shows who you are - Me, mother of two, looking at the kitchen of my rental: Messy, a bit dirty, leaking in places and overall in serious need of a renovation. "Oh yeah, that IS me!"

[@anabelsuyaiteja1361]

I just love your voice ❤️

[@Arphenya]

Didn't expect a turn towards re-thinking why we idolize Nancy Meyer's kitchen and how we might be missing the point and honestly I really appreciate it! How to have a Nancy Meyer inspired kitchen? Get in touch with what YOU like!

[@rickyspeople]

My name is Erica and I'm looooving your pronunciation of it

[@warlacharla]

i feel like i want a Kendra video on the princess diaries houses...her teenage bedroom was my dream growing up and then she became a PRINCESS?! life changing

[@kendragaylord]

You've got me thinking of the requirements of a "princess bedroom"

[@warlacharla]

@@kendragaylord i smell a spreadsheet!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@HarryCopperPot]

The Nickelback reference in your thumbnail for this video had me rolling!

[@kendragaylord]

My original mock up was with the Nickleback screengrab lolll