She opens the door with a huge welcoming smile and wearing a crisp white Prada shirt paired with a bouncy calf length playful skirt by Dior; and that was the perfect glimpse into Kerry Washington’s home on the Hudson River in New York City — cozy, muted and classy.
She was giving a home tour to Architectural Digest for their program Open Door: Inside Celebrity Homes. And we simply had to take you for a ride to see Kerry Washington’s gorgeous NYC apartment, even if just to freshen up your “dream home” material. Watch the full video here:
Let There be Light!
As you enter the house, you’re welcomed by earthy design elements, hues of black, white and grey, and LOTS of sunlight! The entrance hall is decorated with a huge wooden console table adorned with a large sculpted décor piece and coffee books — something you’d find all around the house.
Kerry Washington’s hallway opens into a stunning living room that is covered mostly with large windows on two of her high-ceilinged walls. No wonder the room is so bright despite the charcoal grey walls. Washington admits to having designed the house with the help of the California-based design house Restoration Hardware, and you can see that they have taken her personality and soul into great consideration when designing the pieces.
The living room is divided into two identical sitting areas with black and grey accent cushions sitting on sharp white sofas (no idea how she keeps them clean and stain-free though).
Despite the abundance of monotones around the apartment, the place looks cozy thanks to huge green planters in various corners of the room and earthy rugs spread around the house.
The World Lies Under Her Feet
As Kerry Washington walks to one of the windows to boast of the glorious view of the Hudson River and the unobstructed view of the George Washington Bridge, she muses talking about the Lincoln Center that was clearly visible from her bedroom window: “My kids could watch me walk to work also.”
At first glance, there aren’t a lot of personal touches around the house; but when you look a little deeper you find the little elements that have been added keeping in mind her personality and life.
Having grown up in the Bronx, Washington pays ode to her roots with wall arts designed by her friend and famous celebrity Portia de Rossi. The wall art, a 3D printed painting with elements of graffiti art remind her of the simpler times of her childhood.
A huge mirror hangs over one of the walls of the dining area that throws the light from the windows back across the room. The highlight of this room has to be the super comfortable and revolving dining chairs, something Miss Washington mused that the family plays around often before bedtime. But they only occasionally dine in the formal dining area, “only when we are feeling fancy,’ she tells the AD team.
Where All the Action Happens
Mostly the family’s day starts and ends in the kitchen and breakfast area next door to the dining. As you enter the room, your attention goes to the colorful paper hearts glued to the large window panes.
These pieces that burst with color in the otherwise muted décor have been made by the family. The round breakfast table is where the family usually eats, except for Miss Washington — she prefers to sit on one of the stools in the kitchen.
She then walks us to one of her most prized possessions in the kitchen — her Vitamix that she uses to prepare her favorite smoothie every morning. As a bonus, she also shares the recipe (you’d have to watch the video for this if nothing else).
The kitchen, dining and living areas don’t have any doors in between, making the apartment look even bigger and expansive.
Hidden behind one of the doors is the den or the ‘media room’ as Kerry calls it. This room is comfort personified with an L-shaped cloud sofa, a faux fur poof, a dark wood coffee table and yes, some more coffee books.
Crystals, Crystals Everywhere
Lastly, Kerry Washington ends her apartment tour by showing off her room and the view through the massive windows that adorn two of her bedroom’s walls.
She talks about her love for crystals — that sit stylishly on her little coffee table and on walls above her bed for positive energy (yes! She has slices of agave fixed and framed up).
Though Kerry Washington’s home in the Big Apple is temporary, it has been furnished and decorated to feel like home. I personally loved the toned-down accessories and the fact that the home felt warm and welcoming despite the use of such sharp colors like monotones and greys.
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