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The Most Beautiful Homes From TV Shows That You Can Actually Stay In
From 'The Undoing' to 'Normal People'
With the chance for travel firmly snatched away from the majority of us in 2020, television shows have provided some much-needed travel escapism.
While we watched Connell and Marianne fall in love, we also fell in love with the Italian villa they stayed in during the eighth episode of Normal People. While growing with envy over Jodie Comer's wardrobe for her Killing Eve character Villanelle, we simultaneously grew jealous of that beautiful Barcelona apartment her character was living in.
And, recently, when our minds were running through potential suspects in crime thriller The Undoing, we paused to admire the beach house where Nicole Kidman's character Grace flees to escape New York City.
What makes these daydreams even more inspiring are that a some of these properties are actually available to rent on platforms like Airbnb. And, with all our fingers crossed that 2021 will provide more opportunity for travel than this year, there could actually be potential to stay in one of the properties we've been daydreaming about from our sofa, accompanied by wine and chocolate, in 2020 (not that there is anything wrong with that either, mind you).
Scroll through for a list of some of the most dazzling TV homes available to rent, below:
Sex and The City
Mark this date in your diaries because, for the first time ever, Airbnb has announced that fans of Sex and the City will finally be able to book an overnight stay in Carrie Bradshaw's apartment.
Ahead of the release of HBO Max Original's And Just Like That… fans of SATC will be able to book a one-night stay from Sarah Jessica Parker herself, for up to two guests in a recreation of Carrie’s brownstone on November 12 and 13 for just £16 ($23) in honour of the 23rd anniversary of the TV show.
Whether you want to type up an email from Carrie's desk in front of that window or sip on Cosmos while looking through her walk-in wardrobe, the choice is yours.
The Undoing
If you've just about recovered from the final episode of Hugh Grant and Nicole Kidman's The Undoing then prepare for this. The beach house - where Grace flees after her husband's lies begin to unravel - is actually a rental property.
Listed on Airbnb, the six-bedroom house is a former life-saving station located on Long Island. Boasting a swimming pool, access to the rock beach (where Grace wanders down to reflect on her life crashing before her eyes) and a spacious kitchen, the house has also featured on Lena Dunham's Girls.
Killing Eve
To match Villanelle's enviable luxury wardrobe (like this Vampire's Wife dress), luxury accommodation is needed for the assassin too. Fans of the drama will recall Jodie Comer's character's decadent, art nouveau-style Barcelona apartment from season three, which is also available to rent on Airbnb.
Normal People
While we marvelled over Marianne's fringe and Connell's chain, another reason Normal People kept us occupied in those dreary early days of lockdown were the episodes filmed in Italy. Connell and Niall head to Italy during their European backpacking trip, where they visit and stay at Marianne's family's holiday home.
The real life villa is also in Italy - found on the outskirts of Rome - and that beautiful swimming pool complete with mountainous views is oh-so real, too.
Big Little Lies
The picturesque California town of Monteray provides a beautiful, tranquil backdrop against all the drama of Big Little Lies. With stunning ocean views, mountainous roads and legions of impressive cars the characters drive, it's not surprising the houses of the likes of Renata and Celeste are equally as impressive.
One beachfront house in particular, belonging to Reese Witherspoon's character Madeline is actually a Malibu mansion available for rent. According to Today, the seven-bedroom house costs between $3 - 5,000 per night (£2,200 - £3,700) and also has eight bathrooms, a jacuzzi and a private balcony connected to the master bedroom with an outdoor fire place.
The Crown
Recreating royal palaces and stately homes is no easy feat, so it's understandable that The Crown's crew use various locations across the country to bring the story of the royal family to life.
One such place is Ardverikie Estate in Scotland (about an hour north of Ben Nevis) which serves as the exterior shots for Balmoral, the Queen's residence in Scotland. The 19th Century gothic house has a range of cottage accommodation available for holidays for the perfect Scottish retreat.
Other popular filming locations for The Crown include wedding venues Hedsor House in Buckinghamshire and Somerly House in Dorset.
Succession
A drama about a family of multi-millionaires is bound to have some impressive sets and Succession really does. The hit show has shot in a Hamptons mansion, a super yacht (which is also available to rent by the way if you have a $1 million a week to spare), a castle in New York State which doubled up as a Hungarian manor house and a stunning castle in the UK.
For the penultimate and final episodes of the first season of the show, where Shiv Roy ties the knot with Tom this was filmed at Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire, where you can stay.
Sex Education
While Moordale high school and the surrounding areas might sometimes seem like the UK and at other times like the US, Sex Education is actually filmed in Wales and the west of England.
And, Otis and Jean's iconic house - which Otis and Eric cycle up rolling hills to reach after school, held a pretty big party in season two and sits in the mountains - now doubles up as a rental.
The Chalet, as it's called, is found near the stunning Wye Valley, (which explains the picturesque views on the show) on the English and Welsh border.
Olivia Blair is Entertainment Editor (Luxury) at Hearst UK, working across ELLE, Esquire and Harper's Bazaar. Olivia covers all things entertainment and has interviewed the likes of Margot Robbie, Emma Stone, Michaela Coel and Ryan Gosling over the years.
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