Table Of Content
- Practical Magic House: The Magical Victorian Home
- Coupeville- The Home to”Practical Magic”
- Dismantling the “Practical Magic” House After Filming:
- Real-life Stranger Things houses & how much they’re worth
- How To Decorate Your Home Like The Aunts' House In Practical Magic
- £6.95 Million Grade II Listed Georgian Country House with Views Over Arthington Viaduct

Part of the reason why "Practical Magic" has gained a cult classic status is what some critics say is its ability to balance a multitude of tones and themes, both dark and light. Though initially marketed to be a romantic comedy, one could go so far as to say there are at least four genres present in the movie, says Collider. And just like its main characters, the Owens home contains dark and light throughout its interior design, and it marvelously balances the two.
Practical Magic House: The Magical Victorian Home
Just as everyone has different sides, your own witch-inspired house could also use some nautical design elements to bring the style full circle. The iconic Practical Magic house, featured in the movie as the Owens sisters’ bewitching home, was specially built on San Juan Islands for the film’s exterior shots. The interior scenes of the movie were actually filmed on a sound stage. Spooky season is just around the corner, and with that comes a yearly event celebrating the release of Practical Magic, starring Sandra Bullock (as Sally Owens) and Nicole Kidman (as Gillian Owens).
Coupeville- The Home to”Practical Magic”
At least one other business, the now-defunct Penn Cove Antique Mall, decided to retain its new paint job. An editorial cartoon in the Coupeville Times mocked the high hand of the studio bosses, showing a set director paying off local contractors while the historical society and the National Park Service protested. Big-budget filmmaking was a mixed blessing for the small Whidbey Island and San Juan Island communities.
The Aunts in 'Practical Magic' Are a Queer Couple - The Mary Sue
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Dismantling the “Practical Magic” House After Filming:

Not to mention important sprigs of lavender and rosemary that every Owens woman needs in her garden. Botanicals, in general, play an important role in this witchy household, and no matter where you live, you can include them in your home as well — through design. If you ever spotted a bell jar in the kitchen, there are actually a lot of these bell jars around the house. The bell jars could be found in almost every room, even in the conservatory and the garden.
The Practical Magic Kitchen

These areas, like the conservatory, kitchen, and nooks, provide a retreat for intimate conversations, tea sessions, and family rituals, underlining the importance of community and support in the film. Ideal Home recommends several ideas to best fit the room with this design element, including matching wallpaper with complementary tile, paneling, and decor. To better go with the "Practical Magic" home theme, stick with dark neutral tones, florals, or warm/white tiles, ensuring that the balance of the light and dark in the space remains. Many rooms in the Owens' home have at least one accent wall, and these walls don't stray away from color or prints. Examples from the film include the beautiful warm yellow tiled wall behind the stove in the kitchen or the floral print wallpaper in the living area where the coven performs the ritual. For accent walls specifically, make sure to choose the right wall, which is one that you won't mind getting a lot of attention, as per Arizona Painting Company.
Decades later, the waterfront village of Coupeville maintains the magical tradition. Of celebrating the anniversary of when the witching film hit the cinemas. Twice in the movie, Bullock takes a trail that appears to connect the Owens' home and the stores along Front Street. In reality, the actress used a trail in Coupeville Town Park, just a few minutes walk from any of the other filming locations. In the present, Sally and Gillian Owens are taken in by their aunts Frances and Jet after both their parents succumb to the Owens curse. As children, Sally and Gillian are frequently ridiculed by the town's schoolchildren.
Fort Casey State Park: Whidbey Island’s Hidden Gem
As grown-ups, both hit several snags on the road and soon realize that they have to reverse the family curse. They are bullied by other school children and essentially grow up as outcasts. Sally casts a spell willing herself to never fall in love unless it’s with a man who meets a series of impossible standards. On the other hand, her sister looks forward to meeting her proverbial knight in shining armor.
When Witches Run in the Family - The New York Times
When Witches Run in the Family.
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It doesn’t help that the town has always ostracized the family because of their connection to the occult. In the end, they join forces with the townswomen to vanquish Gillian’s dead boyfriend’s spirit that has been baying for their blood. The newly formed coven also allows the Owens women to break their centuries-old curse. Another Practical Magic prop that remains in Coupeville hangs outside Kapaws Iskreme. Filmmakers created the hanging ice cream sign over their walk-up window for the movie, and it remains there today. It can be seen briefly in the background toward the end of the film.
I wonder if anyone has done that–build a house based on the Practical Magic house. At the least, we can incorporate some of the features we see in the movie house into our own home. The kitchen in Practical Magic has been copied quite a few times since the release of this movie. Unfortunately for the sisters, being a member of the Owens family carries a curse.
It also cost the movie budget $80,000 to rent the location for the duration of building and filming. That brings us to one of the film’s other iconic scenes when Sally falls in love again. After losing her husband, she wasn’t exactly looking for love when it found her. Gary Hallet (Aidan Quinn), an investigator from Tucson looking into the disappearance of Gilly’s abusive boyfriend, ends up being the man who wins her heart. The aunts being nature lovers inspired the set designers to go for a design depicting birds entangled in vines. Given that the Practical Magic film set on San Juan Island was just an empty shell, the production team shot the interior scenes on a soundstage in Los Angeles.
Both Quinn and Cruise appear to have whiled away much of their free time playing pool. Quinn charmed the locals at Toby's Tavern in Coupeville, while Cruise was spotted at Herb's Tavern in Friday Harbor. Matt Iverson went kayaking with Quinn off Coupeville one day -- a jaunt that ended with the actor flipping his kayak.
It’s a story that highlights romance, family curses, and the power of sisterhood. The film follows Sally and Gillian Owens, who are born into a magical family but avoid using magic themselves. However, their family is also plagued by a generations-long curse that saw the men in their lives meet untimely deaths. Things get complicated when Gillian’s dead ex-boyfriend Angelov becomes possessed by an evil spirit.
With its winding staircases, usable fireplaces, greenhouse, and cottage core aesthetic, it’s no wonder fans over the years have fallen in love with the Practical Magic house. The idea was that the house should look like generations of witches have lived there since Maria Owens survived her execution 300 years ago. Evidence of the design’s success is the feeling that at any moment, Stevie Nicks might show up for midnight margaritas. Practical Magic production designer Robin Standerfer is responsible for creating all the interiors based on the descriptions he found in the book.
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