Top 10+ Reasons Why You Should Make the Original “Parent Trap” Movie Your Summer Style Mood Board
Given our enduring love of knotty pine walls, outdoor fire pits, and the easy-breezy lake house aesthetic, it likely comes as no surprise that we have a serious soft spot for summer camp style around these parts—and no film serves up inspiration quite like the 1961 cult classic The Parent Trap. Whether it’s the vintage luggage that Sharon hauls to camp or the crisp green paint colors of the Camp Inch cabins, this 64-year-old film starring Hayley Mills remains rich with design fodder.
Here’s how to channel the setting’s nostalgic charm into new ideas worth writing home about:
ADIRONDACK FRAMES
cozy bedroom design ideas kay stanley north carolina
Camp-inspired aesthetic inspiration starts as early as the film’s opening credits, in which stick-style tramp art frames showcase the “Bless Our Broken Home” embroidery sampler, which is soon followed by the names of the cast. In this North Carolina mountain cabin (pictured), similar frames lend rustic charm—and interesting shape variation—to a bedroom wall.
VINTAGE LUGGAGE
Cozy Michigan Lake Cabin Staircase
“Here are your allergy pills...and your insect repellent...and your poetry book...” says Sharon’s driver when he drops her off with her (many) camp essentials—most of which are packed in a striking set of green luggage. (The crowded skies of the early ’60s—when The Parent Trap hit theaters and air travel soared—ushered in the era of colorful hard-case packers.) These days, a stacked set of luggage, like this one shown here in a collected Michigan cottage, makes for a smart stealth storage solution, but for more of an arts-and- crafts project, you can also add hairpin legs and turn a suitcase into a traditional table.
CRAFT STICK LAMPS
stacks of vintage suitcases in front of desk with a popsicle stick lamp
When Susan leaves camp for Boston with a handcrafted ice-pop-stick birdcage, it elicits a, “Thank you, dear. What is it?” from the less-than-enthusiastic grandmother. Like Susan’s under-appreciated creation, wooden stick folk art can be impressively intricate and brings unique charm and visual texture to a side table or nightstand. (Fun fact: The film’s original stick birdcage, along with its Disney letter of provenance, was appraised on a 2018 episode of Antiques Roadshow for $5,000 to $8,000!)
TWIN BEDS (OF COURSE)
Cozy Michigan Lake Cabin Lofted Bunk Room
After a “disgusting display of hooliganism” at a dance, Susan and Sharon begrudgingly bunk together in the Serendipity Cabin. Sharing a room isn’t much of a hard sell when the beds are outfitted with cozy camp blankets, canvas stools, and pennant pillows. (The trunks-turned-nightstand are pretty cute to boot.)
LEAF MOTIFS
bedroom with fern stencils on the wall
The leafy logo of Camp Inch, which is seen on the twins’ uniforms, will always leave us pining for forest-inspired prints, whether it’s in the form of an artful wall stencil, a faux bois wallcovering, or a display of botanicals.
TWO-SEATER TABLES
Game Table
While the two-seater “Isolation Table” was in fact a form of punishment in the film, its compact stature plays well in more space-starved settings, à la porches and patios. The petite size also makes it an ideal spot to play cards or tackle a puzzle.
BANDANA BUNTING
tie dye bandanas tied together in a bunting hung on a white wall in front of a table
When tied together, neckerchiefs can make for nostalgic summer decor indoors or out. For another camp-inspired twist, consider giving your garb the reverse tie-dye treatment.
CRISP GREEN PAINT
Georgia Lake House Green Exterior
There’s just something about a classic green cabin. Not only does this Georgia lake house feature a green on the exterior (Night Watch by Glidden), the homeowner leaned on an old trick of painting indoor and outdoor furnishings such as the porch’s wicker, the same shade as the house’s exterior. The result is a through-line that unites the indoors with the out.
CANOE PADDLES
wisconsin northwoods cabin primary bedroom
The outdoor recreation staple can make for a striking wall art installation, as shown here in a 1929 Wisconsin cabin that took inspiration from the movie. For similar paddles, check out Sanborn Canoe Co.
PICTURES & POSTCARDS
wisconsin northwoods cabin guest bedroom dresser
Remember when Susan plastered pictures of teen crush Ricky Nelson all over her cabin? Here, a similarly casual assortment of vintage and sentimental postcards gives walls a playfully nostalgic spirit.
