Are you ready for your close-up? No, not with bright lights and camera lenses—with the plantation shutters of Hollywood films. Strickland’s Home is offering a once-in-a-lifetime imagined tour of the homes from some of your favorite movies, with particular emphasis on the e . So please sit back, keep your legs and arms inside the pretend tour bus, and prepare to learn a thing or two.
 On your left, you’ll see Tara, the fictional plantation at the heart of the 1939 film Gone with the Wind. If Tara looks familiar to any fellow southerners on board, it’s because it was modeled after Georgian plantations from the Civil War era. The aesthetic of a white exterior contrasted with dark plantation shutters can be found all over the South, including in the city Strickland’s calls home, Wilmington, NC. Keep in mind, if your home isn’t Tara or the Bellamy Mansion, you can still recreate the effect on your own shutters with the right paint or varnish. And if you really want to capture the Gone with the Wind experience you could also take a cue from Scarlet O’Hara’s curtain dress and have Strickland’s Home help you with some custom drapery. |
 Moving right along to another southern classic, the home you see on your right is from Steel Magnolias. Unlike the home from Gone with the Wind, which was actually constructed on a backlot in Culver City, California the stately house seen in Steel Magnolias is a real residence along the Cane River in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Here, the exterior shutters are painted white—which not only enhances the home’s clean look but also seems appropriate for a film that references magnolias. Little known fact: the real Steel Magnolia home was built by Italian architects and the surviving interior furnishings include Italian antiques—though there are no Roman shades, as far as we know. |
 Keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming house. Recognize that colonial style? How about the picket fence? The Father of the Bride house may be most well known for having the perfect backyard for a wedding, but it’s also characterized by its distinct plantation shutters. Now, there were actually two homes used in the filming of Father of the Bride—one for the interior and front exterior and one for the backyard and side yard—but in both cases, the homes had equally beautiful shutters. |
 We think the younger members of our tour group will be particularly interested in this next house. Located in a Chicago suburb, this is the home that served as one giant booby trap in Home Alone—and in 2012 it sold for $1.5 million. We happen to think that the house shutters and unpainted brick exterior set the mood for this location, but let’s not forget that curtains were another window treatment that played a key role in the movie. |
 As we approach our final house on this tour, please note that we’ve provided tissues for your convenience, should you find yourself tearing up. Yes, this is the home that Noah fixed up for Allie in The Notebook. Fans of the movie will remember that the color of the plantation shutters isn’t just a pretty pop of blue—it’s also the color Allie requested. Say it with me now: “I want a white house with blue shutters and a room overlooking the river.” |
So there you have it folks, a brief tour of some of Hollywood’s most iconic plantation shutters. Please exit carefully and remember to check that you have all your belongings. And if you have further questions about house shutters or how to recreate your favorite plantation shutter trend, please speak with a Strickland’s Home representative on your way out.