This movie is one of my favorites!

Just a bit of trivia for you here, it was originally shot in black and white because the color video of the time faded easily and didn’t have the saturated colors the director wanted. In the 1990s it was restored to color, so essentially every screen has been colored over black and white footage, which is what makes the colors so vibrant and a bit unnatural at times.

I love that movie! I’d probably watch anything with Catherine Deneuve. Another visually stunning French musical (starring Mme. Deneuve) is 8 Femmes (8 Women).
If only I could wallpaper my apartment!

Love it. It’s on instant Netflix if you want to watch it.

I’ve seen this! It might be time to watch it again :)

I’ve never seen nor heard of this film, but this post has peeked my interest.
Love the bed and bike.

One of my all-time favorite movies, and one I turn to repeatedly when I’m feeling stuck (in fact, I once wrote a blog post about inspiration that focused exclusively on this film!). The colors, the patterns…I just LOVE it.

I’ve never seen this movie – perhaps it’s time to grab it off of Netflix (o:

omg I DIE for that yellow-striped wallpaper. Love that movie, too.

i’m forever & ever thankful to my high school french teacher for introducing me to this film.

A very gorgeous movie. I was lucky to come across it in the library a couple of years ago.

So happy to know other folks adore this movie. I mention it, and no one knows what I’m talking about. My husband also enjoys the movie and found the original vinyl lp for me about 10 years ago…such a treasure. :)

I’ve never seen THIS movie, but I love the notion…of plotting a decorating scheme based on a movie. Rather a bit like Domino used to style a room from a particular outfit of clothing. Do more, please.

as i have referenced this movie countless times for inspiration, i could not be MORE excited to see it here! such a visual feast! xo

I LOVE THIS MOVIE, mostly for the score and colors. I love the purple wallpaper in one of the rooms.

Thankyou my dear I’m always on the lookout for a lovely rainy day movie to sit and sketch by. looks crazy inspirational. Big hugs from afar.

great post! have you seen Les Demoiselles de Rochefort? it’s an other Jaques Demy musical with Catherine Deneuve and Gene Kelly. The costumes and decor are so simple but very beautiful.

J’adore cette film!

Wow, totally deja vu! From your description, I swear I’ve seen bits and pieces of this movie from flipping through the channels, and I remember being intrigued by the decor in the store. Definitely going to go look for it in the library and make my husband watch it with me!

I love the colors. The wallpapers are beautiful. I would definetely use de yelow rose lamp!
thanks for the great post

Ditto Victoria M. about the fun in finding like-minded Parapluies-lovers! It was actually the first movie I thought of when this “Living In” column started on d*s, so I’m thrilled to see it featured.

I love this feature! Please do “Penelope.” I watched it last weekend and was drooling over Christina Ricci’s room and clothes.

I just love this ‘Living in’ series!
Umbrellas is a perfect choice for Technicolor movies.

Speaking of Technicolor, have you seen Pillow Talk, where Doris Day plays an interior designer? I’d love to see the d*s take on that!

Nice post, but oh that flashing ad!

Gorgeous visuals in the post here! and I second the recommendation for “Les Demoiselles de Rochefort”, which continues in the same vein of mid-60′s color use and art direction.

Such a fabulous movie! Especially the bike-on-a-moveable-track scenes! :)

“Ne me quitte pas…”

This movie is perfection, and you’ve done a truly wonderful job of drawing inspiration from it. Thank you!

This movie is one of my favorites! I refer to it as the most visually stunning movie I’ve ever seen. I had no idea it was shot in black and white though… what an amazing job they did coloring it in.

I second the request for a Pillow Talk piece!

I write as a husband (and father) who loves this film. I think I introduced it to my wife. And, yes, it might have a little something to do with Catherine Deneuve.

Jessica is only half-correct about the color of the film. It was shot originally in color, but with cheap stock that faded rather quickly. The director, foreseeing this technical problem, made three high-quality b+w prints of the film and those were used for the restoration of the color to its original, intense palette. “Cherbourg” was a color-feast from the get-go.

My favorite element is the way the women’s dresses were so carefully matched to the vibrant wallpaper (e.g., the prostitute Jenny wears a sleek red dress against the red walls of the brothel; Madeline wears an orange dress and headband that fit perfectly with the orange painted exterior of a cafe): it’s marvelous.

You can say, “chic”, but please, for love of all things righteous, never, ever say “bespoke”. Gag…

A good movie if you put it on mute. I couldn’t take the singing after 30 minutes!

This is pretty much my favorite movie ever!

Divine color palette! Lots of classic colors, made new. Great idea.

I have never seen the film, but I have and love the soundtrack! After reading this post, I see that it’s about time I watch the movie.

Watching “Umbrellas” again and again is a GREAT way to learn conversational French. The sing-songy phrasing is an awesome mnemonic device. Try it!

that yellow rose lamp is fabulous!!! We love all of these great items! thanks for sharing

Just love this movie! I remember seen it for so many times when I was a teen and want to learn how to be a french girl because all of them ( on movies) seams to be elegant, fresh, confident, all the time…

These roundups are totally killing me. Every week, I want to redecorate! And all those beautiful umbrellas almost make me wish for another rainy spell!

Jeff,
It’s not just the colors, check out the patterns. People who have strong thoughts stand against wide stripes. People with confused thoughts have spirals.
I recommend this movie to all my interns. Once you’ve been bonked over the head by this movie, you can begin to more easily decode the dressing of other films.

Great post. I love this idea of living in a movie. Can’t wait to see more of these kind of posts. Will have to go find the movie now to watch.

i love this movie! so silly, but so cute and pretty.

I absolutely love this movie not just for the story line but for the set (of course, it doesn’t hurt that Catherine Denueve stars in it). My favorite interiors in the movie has to be the umbrella shop.

I’ve just ordered the film from my Library!

i just borrowed this and im so excited to watch it especially after this post!

I’m ashamed to confess that I have never seen this movie! I promise to rectify this as soon as possible. Wonderful, wonderful colours.

I really love love love this series and hope you keep it going! It is so fun to see ‘older’ movies listed and not just something new (but I was hoping you would do a Mamma Mia one after you reviewed the movie back when it came out!).

awesome awesome!

Nice nice ncie, I’ll buy them all :) But i don’t know the movie yet. Time to watch it.

I love the colors. The wallpapers are beautiful.

Just found this site via Twitter. I love umbrellas (especially old umbrella handles) and will have to see the movie.

It has a Mary Poppins feel.. I love the lemon yellow color.. I am currently going through that color phase.

Umbrellas came out at the independent theatre I worked at in the 90s. I can’t stand musicals & really loved this one.

I didn’t know there was a soundtrack! We play a lot of french music at work. That’ll be fun to look up.

Thanks to those of you who recommended other movies with C.D. in them.

I love this post. Umbrellas is one of my favorite movies and reminds me of the huge crush I had on the independent video store clerk that recommended it to me. Thanks, Robert. :~D

Amy – This is one of my all time favorite movies! In fact – I was thinking just yesterday that I should write you and request that you do a post on it…so thanks!

(btw – my next requests are “In the Mood for Love”, “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” , and a couple more frenchies: “Jean de Florette” and its sequel “Manon of the Spring”:)

I started watching the movie maybe a month ago and inspired by this post I watched the rest of it. And I think I’ll have to watch it many many times more. I love the colors and the wallpapers and started thinking if we have a spare wall for some super colorful wallpaper :)

But my husband fell asleep both times. Maybe Catherine Deneuve is not his type.. :)

I love this film because it just drips with colour.

It was the stage set inspiration for Quebecite, a “jazz opera” for which I did digital backdrops.

Check it out here: http://www.rna.ca/digital_art/quebecite

I used screen shots to recreate the blue wallpaper with oranges and made it into an animation.

What a great post! This movie and In the Mood for Love have had such a profound effect on my sense of style. My home and closet are exploding with pattern, color and feminine touches because of them! :)

No, no Grace, I know you didn’t say “bespoke”. I was just teasing.

I don’t know why, but I hear/read “bespoke” everywhere lately. My mama just called me last week and asked me why all of her design magazines use “bespoke” to explain everything.

I love the colors and look of the Jane Austin movies: Pride and Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility …the blues and browns, etc. I’ve looked for a place where the style of the movies (which are similar) was broken down, but no luck. Please consider doing one of these.

I hate to be a style bummer, but I hope that all the decor enthusiasts make a point of “wearing their rain boots” as well as carrying umbrellas when they are newly goo goo gaa gaa about the new dude at the garage!!!!

Sincerely

Mom

Another crazy color-fest is the Young Girls of Rochefort. I watched it as a child with my mom on TV way back around the time it came out and never forgot it. Then along came the miracle of DVD and I got to see it again. It’s nuts, but you will never forget the colors, setting, clothes!

I’ve always loved Jaques Demi’s habit of seemingly choosing wardrobe & wallpaper together. Can you please please please do a living in Young Girls of Rochefort next. I actually think it’s better than Parapluies.

Anyway, LOVED this post! Thanks!

i watched this movie in my french class, junior year in high school. thank god for my fabulous teacher, dr. houston. ;) love it!!

these are all very beautiful, i love the simple white lamp. can I please request S&TC the movie? Carrie redecorates her apartment when she moves back and it looks lovely.

This is wonderful! Thank you for bringing to light a wonderful movie that I thought had only been seen by French film students! Just to nitpick, though–it’s a bit inaccurate to call it a musical. Might give people the wrong idea about it. :-)

Perhaps you’re right, it’s more of an opera than a musical because every last word is sung. I think the word “opera” is much more intimidating, though!

French love is in the air! How funny, I posted an interview on the 27th with Dave Cuzner of Grain Edit and he picked this movie as one his two favorites for design amazingness. Check out the opening scene with the umbrellas against the paving stones. (http://paigeandmodern.com/2009/08/27/meet-the-maker-grain-edits-dave-cuzner/). Just gorgeous! Nice post Grace!

Oh my gosh. I went on vacation and missed this post! I so love this movie!! Catherine D.? Gorgeous! Although, this movie is really beautiful, but Belle du Jour is my favorite CD movie. This is the bestest Living In yet!

Have you any idea how I can find the wallpaper from this movie- I am looking for the especially brightly colored wallpaper that was blue and the pink one as well.

Thanks Amy for the link!

still looking for a link to get the wallpaper in still number 5 above-the photo with the blue wallpaper with pink flowers – the one where Catherine Deneuve is crying into her pillow and Mom is comforting her

i was literally just watching this and then came across this post. one of my all-time favorite movies!!

may i also suggest “jacquot de nantes” by agnes varda. a film that describes how jacques demy gathered inspiration throughout his childhood to create the era’s most vibrant masterpieces. looove it all!

I’ve seen this film many times since 1965. To my horror in 1979 I watched it in a theater in Montreal as the audience laughed and ridiculed the film. But no one can ruin that last scene whe nthe lovers meet and cannot say what they feel. The musical score constantly runs through my mind.

*swoon.*