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Malin Akerman’s Favorite Things At Home

The Actress On A Family Heirloom, Vases From Sweden, And More

Malin Akerman isn’t a homebody, which is fortunate, since her job as an actress makes living out of a suitcase a necessity. Her coming AMC series Soulmates took her all the way to Milan pre-Covid-19 outbreak, while her Netflix movie, The Sleepover, shot in Boston.

“I’m really excited about it because it’s the first family film I’ve done,” says the star, who at the time, flew back home to Los Angeles every weekend. “My son never gets to see any of my work because none of it is family-friendly.”

Even though Akerman, 42, enjoys travel, she can’t resist the comforts of home. “I need a good balance of being at home and being out in the world,” she says. And after spending the better part of the past three years filming Showtime’s Billions in New York City, the Swedish-Canadian actress is happy to be back in L.A., where she shares a cozy Los Feliz house with her husband, Jack Donnelly, and 7-year-old son, Sebastian. She renovated about a year and a half ago, to give the space more of an indoor/outdoor flow.

“I decided to blow it out and make it a big open space, with sliding glass doors everywhere.” The result is a gorgeous Mediterranean-influenced space, perfect for family living. “When I am home, I do love it,” admits the star.

Below, a list of some of Akerman’s favorite items in her L.A. home.

1. Powder Room Wallpaper

“I did wallpaper in our guest bathroom—it’s the perfect room to get a little creative. I like that this looks like painted gold. The gold paint strokes feel fancy, and everything else in there is gold, which is fun.”

2. Max Decker Painting

“I have a painter friend, Max Decker, and he gave this to me for my 40th birthday. It’s my son and my husband looking over a landscape in England. It hangs in our dining room so we see it every day.”

3. My Great-Grandmother’s Serving Plate

“I have a lidded crystal platter that’s very old school that my great-grandmother gave me. She came to America as a teenager, fell in love with it, but only stayed for a few years before returning to Sweden. She got this platter in America in the early 1900s. I love and cherish it, and I only bring it out on very special occasions.”

4. Handmade Swedish Vases

“These Made by Gotland vases come all the way from a small island in Sweden called Gotland, where my mother lives. The company supports artisans on the island, and they sent me these pieces. I love them so much—they’re all handmade. I use them as vases, and just as decoration. I love the warmth that they bring.”

5. Old-Fashioned Beer Cooler

“I bought this big, old-fashioned cooler at a flea market. It’s the type you’d see at an old grocery store filled with Coca-Cola. We fill it up and with ice so we can have cold drinks outside. I like the rustic look, and it fits the vibe of the rest of the house.”

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