Meghan Markle mocked by Netflix viewers for her âbasicâ one-pan pasta dish: âThatâs not food â thatâs punishmentâ
Sheâs stirring up controversy with this pasta dish.
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Get the Montecito look: inside the home used to film With Love, Meghan
We take a look inside the chic farmhouse in five acres of sprawling Santa Barbara countryside
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Thereâs no denying that Meghan Markle knows interior design, as demonstrated by the glimpses weâre getting of the $14.7 million (ÂŁ11.6m) mansion she shares with Prince Harry in her brand-new series on Netflix, streaming from today. Or does she?
The eight-part cooking and entertaining series, With Love, Meghan, is actually filmed at an $8 million (ÂŁ6.3m) farmhouse just two miles down the road from the coupleâs real property they share with children Archie and Lilibet and belongs to renowned philanthropists Tom and Sherrie Cipolla.
Meghan makes no secret of the fact itâs a set, mind, openly saying that sheâs going to pack up the bath salts and bedside snacks she routinely makes for visiting guests so she can take them home.
Interestingly, around the same time as Meghan reappeared on Instagram to promote the show under @meghan, so did the new @montecitoorchard account, seemingly used by the Cipollas to plug their estate for exclusive weddings and events. Indeed, the producers of Meghanâs new series certainly werenât kidding when the voice-over on the teaser said: âLetâs make a show.â
As youâd imagine, everything about the house â set on five acres of sprawling Santa Barbara countryside with spectacular mountain views and comprising 4,500-square-foot of open-plan living space that includes four bedrooms and four bathrooms â has been painstakingly curated to project the perfect image.
âIâve always loved taking something pretty ordinary and elevating it,â Meghan says while building a board of vibrant cruditĂŠs with hummus layered with dragon fruit and topped with edible flowers.
Meghan and Mindy Kaling in the kitchen where highlights include Caesarstone countertops, a butlerâs sink, oversized cooker and chilled flowers in the fridge
Netflix
Rather surprisingly, perhaps, the undisputed star of the show isnât the Duchess herself, but the luxuriously-appointed country kitchen, which has more than a little Martha Stewart-meets-Nancy Meyers about it.
Think cream Shaker-style cabinetry, black hardware, pull-out larder units, sleek Caesarstone countertops, well-stocked pantry, butlerâs sink, oversized Thermador cooker, kitchen island, rustic wooden bowls, butcher blocks, blue-and-white serveware and Le Creuset pots and pans as far as the eye can see.
Thereâs even a double-door fridge that opens to reveal a meticulous âfridgescapeâ complete with staged vases of chilled flowers â you know, just so theyâre to-hand â as well as framed artworks leaning against the tiled splashbacks. Must-have accessories, meanwhile, come in the form of artisanal Japanese knives, glass teapot and mugs, vintage silver cutlery and stovetop kettle.
It's not just about the kitchen, though. As billed on the recently-launched Instagram handle for the gated residence, thereâs a lemon grove and avocado orchard, too, not to mention bee hives from which Meghan (in full beekeeping suit) collects âso much honeyâ, a glasshouse â the Beckhams have a similar Victorian-style design from Alitex UK â vegetable garden and plenty of raised beds spilling over with flowers.
Meghan and Mindy Kaling in an episode of With Love, Meghan
Netflix
A party barn, this summerâs hottest garden trend, also complements the main building to provide ample living and entertaining space for both residents and guests. Crucially, itâs this outbuilding that houses a second kitchen â a super-luxurious trend amongst those with the space and means â for more practical and messier tasks (such as candle-making, which Meghan delights in with makeup artist friend Daniel Martin).
On the sprawling al fresco terrace, featuring a swimming pool accented by outdoor recliners, tree-trunk side tables and rocking chairs, is a further prep area for general homemaking complete with wooden console styled-up with rustic bowls, pots and vases for that âjust-thrown-togetherâ look.
Chef Alice Waters with Meghan in the vegetable garden of the Cipollaâs Montecito home
Netflix
Prior to either estate in Montecito â rental or home â the Sussexes stayed at close friend and filmmaker Tyler Perryâs house in LA as a temporary pitstop, while back in the UK they started married life at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor after renting a Grade II-listed cottage in the Cotswolds.
Could another big move be on the horizon for the Sussexes? The value of Harry and Meghanâs Montecito estate is reported to have skyrocketed since they bought it, and reports suggest Meghan no longer wants to rent a kitchen for the filming of her series.
But how do you get Meghanâs Montecito aesthetic in your own home?
To recreate the look, blend high-end comfort with natural elements to create a serene, stylish and welcoming atmosphere
Birgit Klein
âWhen it comes to interior design, Montecito has become synonymous with understated luxury and effortless sophistication,â says Birgit Klein, the Montecito-based interior designer to the stars.
âTo recreate the look, blend high-end comfort with natural elements to create a serene, stylish and welcoming atmosphere. Think muted tones paired with reclaimed materials; open, flowing spaces, high-quality, comfortable furnishings; and indoor-outdoor living with sliding glass doors, lounge areas, fire pits and expansive seating.â
Luckily, Restoration Hardware â the seriously high-end American brand that opened its first UK outpost in Oxfordshire back in 2023 â has also launched its timely Montecito collection featuring everything from sofas to cabinets and tables in Meghan-approved American white oak. Youâll need to fork out for its expensive designs, but itâs a small price to pay to keep up with the Sussexes, right?
While Meghan goes to great lengths to welcome us into her âhomeâ â and, at times, itâs admittedly cosy and inviting â thereâs something undeniably inauthentic about filming at a rented house just two miles from her real home. A place, we imagine, that isnât less pretty or perfect.
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