No film says 'Christmas' quite like Home Alone. Not just because it was set during the holiday season, but also because of the overwhelmingly festive décor that adorned the McAllister home.
Every inch of the iconic home was decked out in red and green, with plaid detailing, chintzy wallpaper, twinkling lights and stockings galore. Nutcrackers and poinsettias adorned surfaces too, with meticulous attention paid to detail to create the holiday vibe.
So, it's understandable that fans of the classic film are devastated to see that the property has been totally overhauled. Gone are the personality-filled rooms and jazzy prints in favour of a totally white and grey look, with wood flooring replacing the colourful carpets and plain, minimalistic walls in place of the riot of patterns - and fans didn't hold back on sharing their horror at the makeover.
"This is incredibly depressing," one fan commented on Instagram, while another said it was "despicable" and "a tragedy". A third said: "Everything has zero personality now."
Indeed, the home in Winnetka, Illinois, certainly looks different from how we remember – and the minimalist aesthetic might not have been the best choice, as furniture designer and colour consultant Emma Diaz explains: "Some people may feel a monochrome home is strong, powerful and calm, it can feel clean but also sterile if we are not careful.
"A lack of colour within our homes could at first feel calming, but the longer you are surrounded by it, this lack of colour may leave you feeling tired and drained," she continues.
© Collection Christophel / Alamy Stock PhotoHELLO!'s Homes Editor Rachel Avery notes that the trend for pared-back interiors is on the way out, explaining: "I think 'millennial grey' has had its time and we are now seeing a colour revival. I follow lots of interior inspiration accounts on Instagram, and I'm constantly seeing colour drenching in rich greens and burgundies - a real departure from play-it-safe shades.
"That being said, in general, the world does appear to have less colour now and it's not as loud as it was in the 1980s/1990s, for example. I think we'll eventually settle on a balance where we say goodbye to fifty shades of beige but also we won't see everyone braving kaleidoscope colours. I know personally when decorating my home, I got more playful with colour as time went on - I think my next round of renovations will be bolder than ever."
Who owns the Home Alone house?
The infamous property was owned by the Abendshien family from 1998 until 2012, when they sold it for a reported $1.585 million. It's not publicly known who bought the house from the Abendshien family, though the new owners rented it out as an Air BnB until it was sold again in January 2025 for $5.5 million, sold by real estate agents the Dawn McKenna Group. Watch the video below to see their tour of the house as it is now.
Almost a year on from purchase, we wonder what the buyer has done with the house – and how they've decorated for Christmas…
