The iconic ‘Home Alone’ house in Winnetka, Illinois, is undergoing a heartfelt restoration to recapture its vibrant 1990s movie magic, according to a New York Post report.
The home featured in the 1990 beloved Christmas movie, starring Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, and was purchased by its new owners for approximately $5.5 million earlier this year.
The 9,100-square-foot red-brick Colonial had faced fan outrage over prior modern makeovers that stripped away its warm, colourful charm, according to ABC7 News.
Project manager Scott Price is leading the effort, and has committed to revive the “warmth and love” from the film, including bold patterns, lively hues, and that nostalgic family feel.
Home Alone house renovation: What’s the goal of the restoration?
Price has emphasised on bringing back the house’s cinematic splendour, where young Kevin defended it against the Wet Bandits.
“We love this movie; it was a really important movie in our childhood and that’s true for the family that owns the house too,” Price told NBC news, adding that the current owners were bearing the cost of the renovation.
Interior upgrades from previous owners had expanded living space, nearly doubling it with additions like a sports court and modern suite, but erased the festive vibe fans cherished. Now, with the front door and windows boarded up, crews are transforming both inside and out to mirror the 1990 look, though no completion date has been set as yet, Good.is reported.
The owners were also criticised for stripping the house of its vintage look and replacing it with white walls.
One user took to X to call the home a “soulless space”.
Historical context behind the house
Built in 1921, the real house’s foyer matched film shots, but most interiors were recreated in a high school gym for filming. News of the renovations come on the heels of “Home but Alone No More,” a memoir released this year by John Abendshien, the previous owner who recounted living inside with his family during filming.
“We had a large master bedroom suite that we converted into an apartment,” Abendshien had earlier told ABC. “As long as we kept out of the camera eye, we were free to roam and watch scenes as they were being filmed,” he further said.