If you were to list your favorite Christmas movies, there’s a very good chance that 1990’s “Home Alone” will be among them. Starring a young Macaulay Culkin and “Schitt’s Creek” star Catherine O’Hara, the cast isn’t the only highlight of the festive film.
Realtor.com notes that “over the years, another star has emerged from the movie classic: the stunning Chicago area mansion in which [Culkin’s character] Kevin is left behind.”
Indeed, “[t]he property has become the stuff of legend over the years—particularly its iconic green-and-red Christmas decor that has prompted some to hail it the perfect festive house.”
However, that changed when the home was drastically redecorated.
The House Was Given a Modern Makeover
Those who like to remember the “Home Alone” house as it was in the movie were apparently “met with disappointment after learning that the incredible festive decor depicted on screens was never a part of the home’s aesthetic at all, but rather an image conjured up by the film’s creators to depict the perfect holiday home,” according to Realtor.com.
Beyond that, fans were more than a little shocked by what they saw in May 2024, when the home hit the market for the first time in 12 years.
People were reportedly upset when “listing images reveal[ed] that the dwelling had a complete overhaul that saw the entire interior gray-washed, removing any trace of the lasting cinematic charm.”
Indeed, on Instagram, one person wrote, “[In] 1990, there was warmth and the house had a heart and character. Now it’s just cold and without any soul.”
Someone else left a comment, saying, “The inside looks like a dental office, but hey… at least they didn’t paint the exterior white. That’s their one mercy point.”
The House Will Now Feature a Festive Vibe
Those who adored the festive vibe of the film and aren’t impressed with the modern décor can rest easy knowing that “its new owner—who purchased the property for $5.5 million in January—hopes to right those holiday wrongs by renovating the five-bedroom, six-bathroom abode to turn it into a real-life version of the house depicted in the ‘Home Alone’ movies,” per Realtor.com.
Project manager Scott Price will lead the endeavor, telling NBC affiliate Chicago 5, “Our vision is to bring back the warmth and just the love from the movie.”
Price also noted, “There was so many great colors and it just made you feel like family and like home and we want to bring that magic back.”
