This Dwell Home Gets a Breakout Role in Netflix’s “Leave the World Behind”
Partner Story
The opening scene of Netflix’s new thriller "Leave the World Behind" finds Amanda Sanford (Julia Roberts) lamenting to her husband Clay (Ethan Hawke) about their unrelenting life in New York City. Taking matters into her own hands, the overworked mom of two impulsively books an impromptu getaway for their busy family. "I went online this morning and I rented us a beautiful house out by the beach," she announces to her unwitting husband. "‘Leave the world behind’—that’s what it said on the rental listing at least." Trading their Brooklyn brownstone for an idyllic retreat away from it all, the family steps inside the luxe Long Island estate, and the story unfolds.
Designed by The Up Studio, this newly constructed home on the North Shore of Long Island is the setting for Netflix’s "Leave the World Behind." Based on the bestselling novel by Rumaan Alam, the film stars Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Mahershala Ali, Myha’la, and Kevin Bacon.
The dramatic stair with a two-story backdrop of Marvin Signature Ultimate Casement Narrow Frame windows is a focal point of the home—and the film. "The custom steel stair we designed in the foyer is the first thing guests see when they enter," says Jeffrey Ramirez, partner at The Up Studio. Those guests, of course, include Ethan Hawke and Julia Roberts’ characters, who are immediately impressed when they set foot inside the home.
"Leave the World Behind," based on the 2020 novel of the same name, is a timely thriller written and directed by Sam Esmail ("Mr. Robot," "Homecoming") and produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions. The film follows a New York couple (Roberts, Hawke) whose family vacation on Long Island is interrupted when a catastrophic event brings uninvited house guests (Mahershala Ali, Myha’la) to their front doorstep—forcing the two families to weather a mysterious disaster in unexpectedly close quarters.
The home’s kitchen—an important gathering space for any family, fictional or not—is featured prominently in the film. As Ramirez explains, the home’s interior architecture was preserved in the making of the film, but there were instances where slight modifications were made to fixtures, finishes, and furnishings for visual effect.
The movie kitchen—with modified upper cabinets and light fixtures—sets the scene for a tense encounter.
A need to balance the farmhouse-inspired front facade—a nod to the region’s local vernacular—with the more modern rear led Ramirez and The Up Studio team to select Marvin Signature Ultimate windows for the entire home, seamlessly unifying traditional and modern.
The home’s rear corner is wrapped with windows and Marvin Signature Ultimate French doors to embrace views and natural light. "By designing the architecture and interiors simultaneously, The Up Studio was able to create a design that blurs the lines between interior and exterior spaces," says Ramirez.
The vacation home that plays host to the fictional Sanfords, Amanda and Clay, is the very real residence of homeowners Roula and Fotis, designed by architecture, interior, and brand design firm The Up Studio. The Long Island property was showcased in a 2019 Dwell Home Tour—a feature that would later catch the attention of a Netflix location scout. Jeffrey Ramirez, partner at The Up Studio, recalls the moment he got the call from Netflix. "Designing a home for a fictitious Hollywood family was never something that was on our ‘design bucket list,’ but I was thrilled to get that initial call from the Netflix location scout who had seen the home online," he recalls. "Once I read the novel that the film is based on, it became immediately clear to me why the scout had selected this home to be the primary location for the film. The house that Rumaan Alam had described was eerily similar to the home we had designed a few years prior."
A behind-the-scenes shot pictures Hawke, Roberts, and Ali, along with director Sam Esmail. "Capturing the essence of a home isn't easy," says Ramirez. A typical photoshoot, for example, attempts with just a few images to summarize what it feels like to live in a home—an experience often better suited to film. "I can't think of a better way to portray that, than by letting one of the greatest directors loose inside the home for several months!" Ramirez says.
The sprawling 5,200-square-foot residence is sited in a fairly secluded and densely-wooded area of Old Westbury, New York, surrounded by mature oak and maple trees. The home’s front facade—with undulating gables and long, winding entry—is undeniably cinematic. In contrast to the traditionally-influenced front, the rear of the home embraces a more modern design sensibility. Rotated perpendicularly, the L-shaped configuration and wall of windows from Marvin maximizes natural light flowing into the home, and encourages unobstructed sightlines from the interior to the lush landscape outside. "This design concept is shown beautifully in the film," says Ramirez. "In a single shot, Julia Roberts’ character first enters the house and gives herself a tour. Bathed in natural light the entire time, the camera follows her throughout as she takes in the views."
The light-filled dining room—the anchor point of the "L" on the home’s first floor—overlooks lush greenery in the front yard.
"We created intentional sightlines from the most private areas of the home that face the most densely wooded areas of the property," explains Ramirez.
The family room was positioned "to look out over the incredible mature oak and maple trees that surround the property without sacrificing privacy from any neighboring homes," says Ramirez.
The home’s interior got the Hollywood treatment, with rooms decorated to play the part of the Sanfords’ home-away-from-home. "Many of the furnishings, art, and accessories were replaced to match the fictional family’s aesthetic preferences," shares Ramirez.
Since much of the film takes place at home, the house itself plays just as big a role as its A-list counterparts. "Ultimately, the shape and design of the existing house and landscape architecture informed many of the shots, angles, and blocking used to create the film’s narrative," shares Ramirez. Filming took place, in large part, at the actual residence—but the home was also meticulously recreated on a Hollywood soundstage in order to pull off some of the cutting-edge visual effects seen in the movie. Ramirez and The Up Studio team worked hand-in-hand with the film’s art director to help bring the movie set to life, providing design documents, construction drawings, and materials specifications to facilitate the expert recreation of the actual home on the remote soundstage.
The home’s primary bedroom is dramatically cantilevered over the rear yard. "The colors of the wooded property are constantly changing throughout the year, and that shifting color palette becomes the main focal point," says Ramirez of the site’s seasonality. "As the homeowner eloquently put it, ‘The views from our bedroom are like an ever-changing piece of art.’"
Aptly named "The Open Corner House," the rear of the home is rotated 90 degrees, with each perpendicular exposure opening up to views of mature trees, and the all-important patio and pool area. "This is seen over and over again in the film, as the characters are often shown gazing into nature, playing outside, or gathering in covered outdoor areas," says Ramirez.
Drenched in light, the home is an indoor/outdoor oasis. Not only do windows and doors from Marvin marry two architectural styles, they anchor the connection between inside and out. In the film, the home is an important source of shelter as the characters navigate an unfolding catastrophe—but its true significance goes even deeper. "In the last few years, it has become obvious to all of us how valuable a safe, comfortable, and functional home is in times of tragedy," reflects Ramirez. "The film depicts the home as a refuge from chaos, but it also makes it clear that a home is a place to bring people together, to create new memories, and to unite friends and families."
Bringing the purpose full circle, Ramirez underscores the home’s role, first and foremost, as a family sanctuary. "We are constantly thinking about the way the family will move around the home, how they will grow and evolve inside of it, and how it connects them to nature and each other," he says. "While it’s certainly been fun for us to see our design on the big screen in a fictional story, this home was absolutely designed for a real family first."
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Project Credits:
Architect: THE UP STUDIO / @theupstudio
Window and Door Manufacturer: Marvin / @TheMarvinBrand
Landscape Architect: Bayview Landscape Architecture
Site & Civil Engineer: Northcoast Civil
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