Julia Child’s “Little House in Cambridge”

by HOOKEDONHOUSES on AUGUST 5, 2009

With the movie “Julie & Julia” set to open this week, it got me wondering about Julia Child’s home, which she referred to in her memoir, My Life in France, as “My little house in Cambridge.” Here’s what her house looks like today (via Centers & Squares):

Architectural Digest published photos of Julia’s home in 1979. Here’s what it looked like then:

Did you know her house is across the street from the poet e.e. cummings’ birthplace? Well, it is! And as a former English major, I feel compelled to tell you things like that.

Here’s her famous kitchen, where so many of her cooking shows were taped over the years, and which she called “the most loved and most used room in the house.”

According to the blog Centers & Squares:

The Childs’ home was like many wonderful old houses we see in Cambridge – little changed in decades. And like so many others it was purchased by a developer and transformed.

A sleek and stylish kitchen was designed, six new bathrooms installed, central air conditioning, central vac – all the bells and whistles that are popular with buyers today in the price range.

The newly renovated house was sold in 2004 for $3,755,000. It has since changed hands again for $3,700,000.

Here’s what the kitchen looked like when Julia lived there, and then after it was renovated (viaBoston.com). It’s hard to believe it’s the same space!

I saw the trailer for the movie “Julie & Julia,” and it looks like a lot of fun. It tells the true story of Julie Powell (Amy Adams), whose blog makes her so famous, she gets a book deal, and then they turn her story into a movie. (Sounds good to me!)

Country Living has a fun article about how Child’s kitchen was recreated for the film “Julie & Julia.” Here’s what it looks like in the movie:

After retiring, Julia sold her Cambridge house and moved to California. The kitchen was donated to the Smithsonian museum, which I think is just so cool (below). You can see it and read more about her amazing life here. (Photo via Mae’s Food Blog.)

Love peeking inside famous houses? Then visit my Celebrity Houses page for links to all the others I’ve featured, from Dolly Parton to Coco Chanel.