Shadowing Practice: Inside Nina Dobrev's 1920's Spanish-Style Home | Open Door | Architectural Digest - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Well hello AD, I'm Nina.
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181 sentences
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Well hello AD, I'm Nina.
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Welcome to my home.
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Hey Maverick!
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Say hi to everyone at home watching.
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This is my puppy Maverick and this is my Spanish style home.
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So it was really important to me because the houses from the 1920s I wanted to pay respect to the original architecture and the Spanish style influence and even though we were redoing certain things I wanted to use materials that were organic and felt like they could have belonged in the home before while still refreshing and giving the house a facelift.
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So I've had this home for about five years and the house used to actually be like a yellowy mustard color which was very typical for a lot of spanish style homes but i i'd always wanted to paint it white and for the first time i found myself having no excuse and my boyfriend and i painted the whole exterior of the house ourselves and it took forever let's just say on day one or two we were really excited and then by day three or four and then into the first month i was like what have i gotten myself into But it turned out beautiful, so I'm happy I did it.
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The fireplace, it had like a detail underneath here, and I wanted to preserve the detail, but I really wanted the fireplace to be a statement and stick out and kind of contrast everything else.
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Because everything else in the in the whole house, for the most part, is light and airy, and there's lots of fabrics with linens and the carpets and everything is just has like a light airiness to it.
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But I wanted there to be bold statements that also contrasted the lightness so that there's a lot of texture and feeling and sort of moodiness as well.
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This photograph is really near and dear to my heart because right before the pandemic, I went I was shooting a movie in South Africa and I was on safari and I was taking we saw these tiny these like baby little Simbas, little lions.
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I call this a Simba photograph.
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So we saw these Simbas.
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I was taking photos on my iPhone thinking I got the best shot ever.
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I thought it was so cool.
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I was so happy.
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And then I looked over to my right and there was a professional photographer who took the exact same photo from the same vantage point.
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And let's just say his picture was a lot more beautiful and Ross Cooper is a photographer and a dear friend now.
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And so he sent me a print and I blew it up and made it my centerpiece.
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When I first bought the home there was a wall that divided the dining room space from the kitchen but I really really really wanted to have an open concept space so last year we knocked down the wall that used to actually be right here there's a huge wall we knocked it down and I really wanted to have an island space that I can entertain at I love having people over for dinner.
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I love cooking.
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I love sharing a glass of wine.
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And so I wanted to be able to cook while still participating in the conversation with my friends.
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I like to switch it up.
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My favorite thing to do is go to one of my cookbooks, close my eyes, open it and sort of just like land on a page.
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And then whatever it is, I have to make it.
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It's more challenging that way.
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And it's more fun when it turns out well, but it doesn't turn out well, you know, just Postmates or Uber eat something.
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So we got these reclaimed terracotta tiles from Europe that are all unique.
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They're textured.
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Some have a lot of imperfections, which I kind of love.
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Like it's been lived in and it feels, it feels European.
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And I'm from Europe, so I wanted to have that kind.
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I wanted to also bring in my heritage a little bit.
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And then the backsplash.
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So I wanted to mix the materials again and get something that looked like a subway tile but had these imperfections.
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Each tile's different.
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They don't lay perfectly flat on each other.
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There's edges and it feels textured and yummy against this really smooth butcher block.
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I love mixing materials.
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So the floors being terracotta and being reclaimed and then having the butcher block counters on one side and then having this slab.
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And I wanted to be able to have something sturdy and yet have something that is aesthetically beautiful.
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So we went with a Dolomite.
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It's very textured.
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It's not smooth.
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It's not super polished.
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It's got a honed finish on top.
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So that allows for it to feel like yummy and kind of, oh, I don't know.
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Sometimes I like to just lay on it.
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It's really nice to lay on.
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Oh, it feels so good.
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And it's also kind of like cryo, because it stays very cold.
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I went with green cabinets.
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I think I saw it on Instagram somewhere.
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There's this beautiful French kitchen in the south of France that was featured somewhere, and I just became obsessed.
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All the hardware from the faucet to the knobs even, which are a little bit more modern, they're unlacquered, so with time, they will age and get more beautiful.
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even like when we're gone these guys will just get more and more beautiful with time i'm going to show you my favorite part of the kitchen it's the tiniest little thing but to me it makes me really feel like an adult like a passage of some sort introducing the spice rack yep Yep.
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My mom would be proud.
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This stove is also really special.
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It's called Ileve, and it is an Italian stove that we had shipped in from Italy.
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They're manufactured there, and what I loved about it is that it's a new stove, it's a new construction stove, but it feels vintage.
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Like, it feels all the details with the brass and all the knobs.
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Like, it has an aesthetic look that it's an art piece itself in the kitchen and it kind of it adds value without distracting too much which i love when we knocked the wall down there had to be some sort of a hood for the range and i didn't want to compromise the space because the whole point was to open up the space and be able to see everyone and a hood would have been down to about here probably it would have come down so we did a lot of research and we found this company called zephyr out of canada and i'm canadian so it was important to me to support Canadian brands and it's flush to the wall and it pulls up all the all the smells and all the fumes that come out when you're cooking and it doesn't obscure the view which is really important to me I love this fridge it was such a big like great find for me because it's very high-tech If you notice right here, there's a little button on the floor that says door open.
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Hold on.
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Hold on.
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There we go.
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So when you have all the groceries, you just, damn it.
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And it'll knock you out of the way.
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It works every other time.
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Boom.
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And then another space is the nook.
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I love waking up in the morning and having breakfast right here.
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The sunlight comes in and it's so pretty.
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And you just kind of lounge, whether you're reading the newspaper, which I've never done, so I shouldn't say that.
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But it's a great little space and there's a lot of room.
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I used to have a nook here before, but it was small and a much smaller table.
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So when we did the renovation, I wanted to add a second bench, get more pillows, get a bigger table.
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And now I can sit about 10 people, whereas before it was probably about four or five.
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So this sculptural piece is actually a plant, but it looks like a piece of art.
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It's called Ikebana, and one of my friends, Myla, comes in and makes them for me every now and then.
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They're really, really, really beautiful.
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And add a centerpiece to a table that speaks for itself so that you don't have to have all the clutter.
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It is everything you need and the only thing you need on a table, in my opinion.
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I opted to go for these chairs, which were actually one of my friends' chairs that I reclaimed and I stole them from Marpley, I paid for them.
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And we mixed it with the leather tops and also the oak bench over here that matches those chairs over there.
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So we had a lot of wood influence and organic materials.
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I wanted the table to look good from all angles.
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This is a custom piece that we had built from solid oak that is very finished and very detailed with the round edges.
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And it's an indoor-outdoor space.
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It's really important to me.
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The weather is great here in California.
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so having the flow of air, seeing the table from outside in the courtyard area, and every other angle, even the rounded legs on the table, everything was very, very, very detailed and beautiful, and I wanted it to be aesthetically pleasing from any angle, no matter where you are in the house.
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And then another thing about this room is the crown molding that is the original from 1929.
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So come on back so you can see the rest of the house.
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So this guest bedroom is kind of like the rest of the home.
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I wanted it to be inviting and feel welcoming and have someone feel like they were in their own home.
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So we put a lot of time and effort into getting fun pillows and having a wonderful ambiance with open windows and just kind of making it homey and fresh.
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As you can hear, all the floors are very creaky.
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It's squeaking a lot, and that's mainly because all the wood floors in the home are also original from the 1920s.
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And, you know, it's good for when someone tries to break in because then I can hear them and I can grab my bat.
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Very helpful for that, but someday when I have kids, they're really going to hate it because, you know, they won't be able to sneak out of the house as easily as I did when I was growing up.
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So my room is similar to the other room.
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It's open, light, airy, and I wanted it to feel very inviting, very jumpable.
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Oh, so cozy and inviting.
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I have this Longhorn that I actually got on a road trip a couple years back.
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I fell in love with it.
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I saw it on the side of the road, someone was selling it, and I got a sick deal on it.
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And it's been the centerpiece of my bed for a really long time.
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I should give it a name.
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It doesn't have a name.
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Looks like a Gerald to me.
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Feels like a Gerald because of the Jade.
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It's extremely heavy.
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It's so, so, so, so heavy.
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So it is a bit of a flight risk to hang above your bed.
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I was really scared and I had I think three or four guys come and build something behind the wall to make sure that it's secure enough so that while I'm sleeping it doesn't fall on my head and kill me.
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Another original historical moment in the house that I haven't really done much to because I wanted to keep it like you'll even see some of the tiles in this bathroom because they're from the 1920s and they're one of a kind and you can't get them anymore there's little cracks on the floor and there's little cracks in certain things but something about it the charm of it.
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I just fell in love with it.
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I didn't even want to redo it.
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I wanted to keep it like it is.
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It's really, really, really gorgeous.
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Now we're in the room that I spend a lot of time in.
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This is my little movie room.
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It's not a screening room by any means, but it's where I spend a lot of hours watching Netflix and HBO Max and all the things.
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This painting is actually charcoal.
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So my mom made this.
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I'm an actor.
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I'm in the film industry and this is my movie room.
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So I asked her, I sent her what I wanted and she lives in France.
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She's a painter.
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She hand made this with her fingers and charcoal and it's a painting of a picture of an x-ray of an old film camera.
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So I thought it'd be perfect for my little movie room.
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And yeah, it's just the cloud couch is super, oh, it's dangerous actually to be in this room.
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Especially during COVID.
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This is where I spent like a year of my life in this room.
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You just sink into these cushions and feel so alive.
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But again, more Buddha, more candles, more plants in this room too.
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Crystals, of course.
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When you take these down, it really gets really dark and it's like a real movie room.
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Now if you'll follow me outside.
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This is my little slice of heaven.
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When I bought the house originally, it reminded me of not California.
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Like it didn't feel like I was in a busy city.
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Plants in the Bougainvillea.
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There's another entertaining area here.
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We wanna have outdoor hangs with the girls, more wine nights.
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So I should mention, I started a wine company.
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It's called Fresh Fine Wine, and it's a low calorie, low carb, low sugar, keto, vegan friendly, and gluten-free wine from California.
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So welcome to my home.
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Mm, so refreshing.
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Actually, I wanna hold on to this.
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Let's go.
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So this was a pool house at the beginning of the pandemic.
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And I don't know, I got really antsy and I started ordering all this gym equipment because I needed to work out somehow.
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So I converted this whole space into a gym and I've actually been using it a lot more than I did when it was a pool house.
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I've got these amazing weights.
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I don't know if you've ever heard of this company, but it's called Pent Fitness.
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They're almost too pretty to work out because you don't want to mess them up, but they're made of solid oak and have this like metal detail and they're so pretty.
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This is what we do at Fresh Fried Wine.
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We work out while we drink.
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Jesus, that's heavy.
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Okay, so these little details are, a few years ago I had a Coachella themed birthday party and that was from the party they gave it to me afterwards.
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We created these like neon signs for the artist area and then up here I've got the Neonachella sign also hanging.
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So it feels like you're in a nightclub while at the gym.
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Not really, but sometimes when the music's blasting, it gets pretty intense.
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And then this big old snack fridge.
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She's my favorite.
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We keep all the good stuff in here, which is fun.
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She's a pop of color and continues that sort of retro energy and vibe in the home.
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Yeah.
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Not a lot of people come back here.
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And then finally we have the pool area.
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It's a small and modest pool but it does exactly what it needs to do in the summers.
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I actually don't heat it on purpose because it gets so hot.
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I sometimes run into the sauna and then use the pool as a cryo to cool off.
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Occasionally we'll put the hot tub on but honestly it's just this is a great little zen zone with Buddha in the corner.
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And it feels like you're not in the city.
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All right, A.D., thank you so much for coming.
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This has been real fun, but wine night is starting in about 20 minutes, and I've got some girlfriends coming over, so I'm going to have to say goodbye.
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Toodaloo!
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Thank you.
16:52.57 – 16:53.26 (0.7s)

About This Lesson

In this lesson, learners will practice speaking and listening skills through the engaging content of Nina Dobrev's home tour video. By focusing on authentic spoken English, learners will enhance their pronunciation and vocabulary related to home design and personal experiences. This lesson is ideal for those preparing for IELTS speaking practice, as it features conversational language and natural phrasing. By shadowing Nina's speech, you can improve your English pronunciation while gaining insights into architectural styles and personal anecdotes.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Spanish-style home: A type of home influenced by Spanish architecture, often featuring distinctive elements like stucco walls and tiled roofs.
  • Organic materials: Natural materials that convey a sense of authenticity and connection to the environment.
  • Open concept: A design layout that combines spaces, typically connecting living areas to encourage interaction.
  • Terracotta tiles: Fired clay tiles known for their durability and rustic aesthetic, often used in Mediterranean-style homes.
  • Backsplash: A protective surface, usually behind a kitchen sink or stove, that adds decorative flair and is easily cleaned.
  • Bold statement: A design feature that stands out and adds dramatic effect to a space.
  • Heritage: The cultural background and traditions that influence personal tastes and home design choices.
  • Texture: The visual and tactile surface quality of materials that adds depth and interest to spaces.

Practice Tips

To effectively improve your English while watching this video, consider using a shadowing app to practice your pronunciation. Start by playing short segments of the video, pausing after each sentence to repeat what you've heard. Nina speaks with a clear, conversational tone, making it easier to mimic her speech patterns.

Shadow the natural rhythm of her speech, paying attention to intonation and emphasis. The pacing is comfortable for English speaking practice, allowing you to build confidence as you repeat phrases. Remember to focus on articulating each word clearly, especially when it comes to vocabulary related to home design and personal storytelling. This technique will be incredibly beneficial for IELTS speaking preparation, as it closely resembles the conversational practice tests.

Lastly, don’t hesitate to pause the video to take notes on new vocabulary and use it in your own sentences. This will deepen your understanding and make the words memorable as you learn English with YouTube content. Happy practicing!

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

How to Practice Effectively on ShadowingEnglish

  1. Choose your video: Pick a YouTube video with clear, natural English speech. TED Talks, BBC News, movie scenes, podcasts, or IELTS sample answers all work great. Paste the URL into the search bar. Start with shorter videos (under 5 minutes) and content you find genuinely interesting — motivation matters.
  2. Listen first, understand the context: On your first pass, keep the speed at 1x and just listen. Don't try to repeat yet. Focus on understanding the meaning, picking up new vocabulary, and noticing how the speaker stresses words, links sounds, and uses pauses.
  3. Set up Shadowing mode:
    • Wait Mode: Choose +3s or +5s — after each sentence plays, the video pauses automatically so you have time to repeat it out loud. Choose Manual if you want full control and press Next yourself after each repetition.
    • Sub Sync: YouTube subtitles sometimes appear slightly ahead or behind the audio. Use ±100ms to align them perfectly so you can follow along accurately.
  4. Shadow out loud (the core practice): This is where the real work happens. As soon as a sentence plays — or during the pause — repeat it out loud, clearly and confidently. Don't just mouth the words: mirror the speaker's exact rhythm, stress, pitch, and connected speech. Aim to sound like a shadow of the speaker, not just a word-by-word recitation. Use the Repeat feature to drill the same sentence multiple times until it feels natural.
  5. Scale up the challenge: Once a passage feels comfortable, push your limits. Increase speed to <code>1.25x</code> or even <code>1.5x</code> to train high-speed language reflexes. Or set Wait Mode to <code>Off</code> for continuous shadowing — the most advanced and rewarding mode. Consistent daily practice of 15–30 minutes will produce noticeable results within weeks.

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