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.

“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 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.”

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.”

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.

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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This Dwell Home Gets a Breakout Role in Netflix’s “Leave the World Behind”