Okay, so yesterday I got this wild hair to try and recreate some of those iconic photos of Marilyn Monroe’s house. You know, the ones that give you a peek into her life? It sounded like a fun little project, and I figured I’d document the whole thing.
First thing’s first: research. I spent a solid hour just digging up as many photos of the house as I could find online. Google Images was my best friend. I was looking for angles, details, anything that would help me get a feel for the place. I even watched a few documentaries just to see if they had any footage inside.
Next up, I needed to figure out the layout. It was like a puzzle! I used the photos and some floor plans I found (after a lot of searching) to try and piece together where everything was. This was the trickiest part because a lot of the pictures are from different eras, and things changed over time.
After I felt like I had a decent grasp on the rooms, I started thinking about the details. What kind of furniture did she have? What colors were the walls? This is where I had to get creative. I looked for similar furniture styles in online stores and even checked out some vintage shops to see if I could find anything close.
I ended up focusing on recreating a few specific shots: the living room with the fireplace, the kitchen, and the bedroom. For the living room, I found a similar-looking couch online (it was blue, not white, but close enough!), and I already had a coffee table that worked. I spent a while arranging things to match the photos as closely as possible.
The kitchen was a bit easier because it was mostly about the appliances and the overall vibe. I didn’t have a vintage stove, but I did find some retro-looking canisters and a few other accessories that helped sell the look.
The bedroom was the most challenging. I wanted to capture that sense of glamour and intimacy, but I also wanted to make it my own. I used a similar color palette, focused on soft lighting, and added a few personal touches that I thought Marilyn would have appreciated.
Finally, it was time to take the photos. I played around with different angles, lighting, and filters to try and mimic the style of the original images. It was a lot of trial and error, but I had a blast doing it.
Overall, it was a really fun project. It gave me a chance to be creative, learn a little bit about Marilyn Monroe’s life, and flex my photography muscles. Would I do it again? Absolutely! Maybe next time, I’ll tackle another iconic location.
