How do you like them apples?
English actress Minnie Driver, known for her role in "Good Will Hunting" and the current ABC show "Speechless," recently purchased a 1940s ranch home in the Hollywood Hills. We're getting a look inside — and the stunning interior is all inspired by her roots.
“The English have always had a fascination with other cultures, whether Mediterranean, Far Eastern or African,” Dunham explains in a feature on the home, which she decorated with interior designer Peter Dunham, in the April issue of Elle Decor. “We brought all these different influences back with us when we returned from the colonies.”
And you’ll see these influences throughout Driver’s home in the form of spirited and colorful fabrics (many of which are adorned with paisley patterns), Indian florals and tribal motifs.
Driver says that the style is English in that “it’s not scared of being odd.”
“You wouldn’t necessarily put a chintz chair with a suzani in a living room and expect it to work, but I grew up in houses like that, and that’s what I’ve done here.”
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In the dining room, Dunham encouraged Driver to rehabilitate the chairs her late dogs had chewed on when they were puppies. They decided to re-cover the seats with mismatched Islamic and African fabrics.
Driver calls the home “multipurpose,” adding that it has to be. “I have an 8-year-old son, which means there are often kids running around,” she tells the magazine. “The playroom is in the garage, and they’re not allowed in my lovely grown-up living room with sticky fingers.”
While there are plenty of communal areas in the house for everyone to hang out in, there are also places one can go to find some peace and quiet. One of which is the master bathroom, which features a large soaking tub surrounded by rich and eclectic pieces including a Venetian mirror, 1950s bar cart and bold vintage rug.
To see more of Driver’s gorgeous home, pick up the latest issue of Elle Decor, on newsstands March 7.