Turn your home into a Nancy Meyers movie! From paint shades to shelves, the director's daughter reveals exactly how to recreate the look of your favourite films - including The Holiday

Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn moreThe Nancy Meyers aesthetic (think Kate Winslet’s cottage in The Holiday or Meryl Streep’s kitchen in It’s Complicated) is the gold standard of effortless luxury. Her signature look is all about creamy neutrals, overflowing bookshelves and bedrooms you’ll never want to leave.Nancy’s daughter, interior designer Annie Meyers, has clearly inherited her mother’s taste. That’s if the Oak House, the five-bedroom, 1940s home in California she shares with her husband and their two sons, is anything to go by. Here, she takes us inside her film-set-worthy home and shares her styling tips. Annie favours neutrals offset with rich woods such as mahogany and walnut throughout her home. Perch & Parrow sells similar wooden consoles.The paintWalls must be warm, inviting and elegant. Bold colours and super-bright whites are banned. Think cashmere shades, not cotton.It’s neutral shades or nothingThese are timeless and allow families to grow without needing to rethink paint colours in a few years. I love using warm, earthy shades – favourites include Farrow & Ball’s Dorset Cream and Benjamin Moore’s Swiss Coffee. I’ll then introduce bolder colours through fabrics and accessories.Always test white paintSurprisingly difficult to judge from a small swatch, when white paint covers a large surface it can appear much brighter than expected. Therefore, once you have narrowed down your favourites, paint an entire wall in each white shade before making your final decision. You won’t regret it!Lighten up on the ceilingChoose a shade that’s slightly lighter than your surrounding walls. Most paint retailers will mix your chosen wall colour at 50 per cent strength for the ceiling, creating a softer finish that feels calm and considered. It will also make your space appear bigger.Use a brush for woodworkWhile many decorators prefer spraying or rolling for speed, I prefer a traditional brush-applied finish and have the final coat applied this way wherever possible. I love seeing the brushstrokes – they add texture and character.Adjust your favourite colour to suit any roomFound the perfect shade but need it slightly lighter or darker? Rather than abandoning it altogether, ask your paint supplier to alter the pigment. I’ll often request colours to be adjusted by around 25 per cent, allowing for a unique, tailored finish without losing the character of the original shade. Edward Bulmer Natural Paint offers several options in various depths. Flowers from Annie’s garden are displayed in a mix of vintage vases.The shelvesThese are never left empty – instead books and objects are stacked and displayed as part of the room scheme.Start with a blank canvasIn the Oak House, I fill my shelves with everything from dog-eared books and sculptural finds to the sort of treasures that look as though they have been gathered over decades. To create your display, start by clearing every shelf completely. Group your belongings into categories – books, artwork, decorative objects, trays, vessels and keepsakes – so you can see exactly what you have to work with.Play with the displayMix books stacked horizontally with those displayed vertically, and don’t be afraid to let a few lean naturally. The goal isn’t perfection – you want the shelves to feel relaxed and lived in. No colour-coding allowed!Layer in decorative objectsOnce your book stacks are in place, add decorative objects on top of them, lean framed artwork against the back of the shelves and weave in sculptural pieces such as bowls or vases. These don’t have to be expensive – a flea-market find or a bowl filled with collected matchbooks can add just as much character as an investment piece. The key is to play with height, scale and texture.Aim to create balanceThink about the overall composition rather than styling each shelf in isolation. If one shelf features horizontal stacks of books, balance it with upright books on the shelf above or below. Mixing arrangements throughout gives a more ‘collected’ look.The flowersFresh flowers are pretty much the supporting cast in a Nancy Meyers movie – and one vase is never enough. When it comes to the vibe, think, ‘I just wandered into the garden with a pair of secateurs.’Stick to one variety of flowerRather than mixing multiple blooms together, I prefer to let a single variety take centre stage. Known as a mono-bloom arrangement, this creates a clean, elegant display without looking too try-hard.Arrange in odd numbersThis always looks more organic. Whether you choose three, five or seven stems, the arrangement will feel softer and more natural than an even-numbered display.Choose unexpected vesselsWhile small vases work best, try experimenting with mismatched containers like pitchers and jars. Charity shops and vintage markets are a great place to source one-off pieces.Vary the length of stemsFor a looser, more organic feel, avoid trimming every stem to the same height. As a guide, cut your stems to around one and a half times the height of your vase. You can then make small adjustments to create a relaxed silhouette. The snug has custom-built shelves displaying Annie’s books and treasures. Try The Conran Shop for a similar chair.The bedroomCosy layers are non-negotiable. Think crisp white sheets, cloud-like duvets and enough pillows to make you want to hit the snooze button.Invest in your mattressIf there’s one thing worth splurging on, it’s the mattress. Be sure to try different options in person. Woolroom and Floks do 100-day trials where you can return the mattress at the end if you are not fully satisfied.Upgrade your beddingHigh-thread-count cotton sheets feel luxurious and get softer over time. I love both sateen and percale sheets and often rotate between them. Sateen has a silky finish, giving it a smooth feel, while percale is crisp and cool, like slipping into a well-worn men’s shirt. Try Rise & Fall for a selection of each.Add somewhere to sitIf space allows, include an armchair or chaise longue. It instantly makes the room feel more like a private retreat than simply somewhere to sleep.Edit your bedside tableAvoid cluttering your nightstand. Keep only what you truly need within arm’s reach: a book, carafe of water, small dish for jewellery and maybe a sculptural lamp.This is an edited extract from The Oak House: A Renovation Story With Interiors To Inspire Your Own Home, by Annie Meyers-Shyer which will be published by Chronicle, £35, on 17 September. To order a copy for £29.75, with free UK delivery, until 13 September, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 29375 BUYS TO NAIL THE LOOK