Four design lessons from An American in Paris

Sometimes the movies are the best place to go for design inspiration.

For example, watch this two-minute clip from the opening sequence of An American in Paris:

Gene Kelly plays Jerry Mulligan, an American soldier who settles in Paris after World War II to live the life of an artist. His apartment is an ingeneous contraption whose every detail is engineered for his well-being.

What can we learn from Jerry's unique interior?

1. Make breakfast effortless

Jerry's bed is so close to his front door that he can nab his breakfast delivery without getting out of bed. While you don't have to go that far, ensuring that morning sustenance is planned out and within reach is one of the secrets to beginning a day happily.

2. Think like a choreographer

While it's tempting to get bamboozled by Jerry's mechanical inventions – a bed on a pulley, a dresser rigged inside a closet door – the point is how fluidly his space allows him to move. When you organize your environment so that tasks are easy – even fun – to achieve, life becomes a dance.

3. Revise fearlessly

The moment Jerry is dissatisfied with his self-portrait, he smudges it out as a prelude to better drawings in days ahead. Being ready to change what's around you rather than feeling stuck with what you don't like is a surefire pathway to bliss.

4. Enable connection

Jerry's compact pad supports his artistic solitude – and at the same time, his window is a perfect perch for connecting with neighbourhood friends. Creating a home that supports both time apart and time together is one of the keys to a balanced life.

Whether your place is smaller than Jerry's or larger than the Paris Opera, it's possible to achieve a state of harmony at home. Let's invent a new term for it: a "Mulligan Moment."

Guy with an eye is all about the journey to your elusive Mulligan Moment. Let's travel it together.

Ready? Let's go!