SNEAK PEAK: Marisa Tomei's Apartment in Elle Decor

Academy Award winner and Empire actress Marisa Tomei covers the March issue of ELLE DECOR, hitting newsstands tomorrow February 9, welcoming the magazine inside her Greenwich Village condo.

From movies from the 90's such as "My Cousin Vinny" and "Only You" and more recent movies on the big screen "The Big Short" and "The Wrestler", Tomei is one of my favorite actresses.. with her lovable style and recognizable voice, she is always such a pleasure to watch. So I guess it is no surprise that her home is just as casually stylish and effortlessly chic as she is on the red carpet.

In the interview, Tomei talks about getting together with her ‘huge’ family, her dream home, her addiction to art and furniture shopping, how she winds down after a long day on set, and more. 

One day, almost a NY Miracle in itself, Tomei's neighbors slipped a note under her door that said, “We’re moving. Do you want to buy our place?”: So she was finally able to expand her “snug and lovely” but small space in the 1931 high-rise in New York’s Greenwich Village.

“My family is huge, including over 25 cousins, aunts, and uncles, as well as my parents, who lie around the corner, and my brother. And we like to get together.”

Combining her love of old Hollywood-style glamour and her internet surfing for design finds on eBay, Live Auctioneers and other sites after long hours on set, the culmination of which is clear in the interiors with the eclectic mix of patterns, art and furniture. 

The other side of the living room holds mid-century Brazilian rosewood chairs, stools purchased at auction, armchairs found on eBay, and a sofa by Classic Sofa upholstered in a Manuel Canovas fabric; the side tables are from Prime Gallery in Palm Springs, California, paintings by José Parlà flank a South African wall hanging made from cowrie-shell-embellished aprons, and the rug is Moroccan.

Chairs from HousingWorks surround a vintage marble-topped dining table found on eBay;
the chandelier is by Lindsey Edelman, and the curtains are of a Pollack fabric.

Marisa on her love of vintage furniture, art, and objects: 

“It has to do with being an actress. What are the details of another person’s life? What’s the history of an object?”

The living room sofa is upholstered in a Kuba textile, the Milo Baughman swivel chair is covered in a fabric by Christopher Hyland, the floor cushions are covered in a Dedar velvet and an Edelman leather, the cocktail table is custom made, and the sconces are by O'Lampia; the floor lamp was found on Etsy, the painting, by an unknown midcentury artist, was found on eBay, the walls are painted in Farrow & Ball's Dove Tale, and the rug is Moroccan.

What a fabulous combination of styles and comfort - the end result is certainly one that will inspire and be welcoming for those family gatherings.




Make sure to grab your copy this month!

*Photo credit is Douglas Friedman for ELLE DECOR. Interview by Ingrid Abramovitch