The Best Home in 'Barbieland' According to an Interior Design Editor
Barbie’s dream house seemingly has it all. But hear me out: Weird Barbie’s house in the new movie Barbie is actually the best home in Barbie Land. Although it may not have essentials, like a kitchen, or fun amenities, like a spiral slide, certain elements cement it as a desirable piece of toy real estate.
Like Weird Barbie (played by Kate McKinnon) herself, the house has gone through the wringer. “The premise of the Weird Barbie house is that it’s grown out of a Barbie dream house,” production designer Sarah Greenwood tells House Beautiful, noting that the home has similar proportions to the Barbie dream houses and features the same pinks.
With not a single right angle built into the architecture, Weird Barbie’s house is designed to look a bit squashed. Its aura is reminiscent of Boo Radley’s house in To Kill a Mockingbird; You don’t want to go near it, but you’re still curious about it, Greenwood says. The structure was also influenced by Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film Psycho with its hilltop location and winding stair-clad path. Swirls of color, groovy lights, and interior screen block walls ensure the home retains a lively atmosphere rather than a sinister one.
Marked by a funky gated entrance, the home undoubtedly offers the most privacy in Barbie Land. The journey to the secluded structure is daily step count goal-friendly and allows visitors time to admire the surrounding landscaping. Tall trees hide the sides and back of the house while giving the home an immersed-in-nature feel. The abode is open at the front in typical Barbie doll house fashion, meaning it has completely unobstructed views of everything from the pink sand Malibu beach to the Barbie dream houses inspired by iconic Palm Springs architecture below.
The home may not be equipped with a furnished bedroom or a kitchen, but it has two dining rooms with vibrant, marbleized furniture. Colorful bubble chandeliers made of Murano glass from Simone Cenedese add a whimsical touch. At the heart of the home, the living room comes with a plush rug (specifically, this one from Sahrai) resembling a puddle of melted rainbow ice cream—perfect for lying down on during an existential crisis or taking a nap. That room even has a pop-out, 3-D map of Barbie Land (which is real, not CGI!). It could, in reality, act as a space-saving table for meals or board games.
Outside, there’s an off-kilter pool with floating furniture and drinks at the ready. A pool shark and an odd cat statue nearby amplify the home’s strange playfulness. “She had a vulture as a mailbox because a vulture is also slightly alien,” set decorator Katie Spencer tells House Beautiful.
Apart from its straightforward elements, the home acts as a safe haven for discontinued toys in the movie. (The production team replicated Barbie’s pooping dog Tanner and Ken’s little white dog Sugar!) Better yet, the home serves as a headquarters for our heroes following the Barbie Land takeover led by the Kens. That’s also where Weird Barbie’s vehicle comes into play for rescuing the Barbies.
The ambulance is designed to look like a mobile version of her house, which Greenwood says was based on the Creepy Coupe in the 1968 Wacky Races cartoon series. “Weird Barbie is going out in armor, like a snail or a turtle,” Spencer says of the vehicle. “She has her own protection because she's vulnerable, and you see that at the end.”
While Weird Barbie's house may lack a few necessities, I'd put my Monopoly money down on it. The wacky home is a color-loving minimalist and extroverted introvert’s paradise with unbeatable views and matching transportation.
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