Inside Malin Akerman’s Eclectic Hollywood Retreat

Malin Akerman (pictured here in an Rachel Comey dress) was born in Sweden and raised in Toronto before moving west for her acting career. And judging by the amount of love she’s put into her colorful and eclectic 1940s house in the hills of Hollywood—which she started renting in her 20s, eventually bought, and has been building out and changing ever since—her roots are now firmly in California.

One of Akerman’s first home improvement projects was building a pool and creating a large stone patio and seating area, both inspired by landscaping ideas from her grandfather’s house in the French countryside. “He and his wife took an old shepherd’s hut, which they bought in the ’70s, and kept adding on and building it out over the years. That’s sort of what’s happening here.”

A rustic wooden gate and walkway paved in fieldstone hint at the wood and other natural materials Akerman added to the interiors. Boots, Hunter Boots; shirt, M.i.h Jeans; denim shorts, Citizens of Humanity; cardigan, Michael Stars.

A bit of texture from the light teal Moroccan screen doors goes a long way in Akerman’s serene master bedroom. “I don’t experiment too much with color in my wardrobe, unless someone else is dressing me; then I’m game,” she says. “But at home, I use it to set a mood. That blue-green in my room is calming. That’s what feels right to me.”

Akerman’s tastes are bohemian, and somewhat unexpected, given her Scandinavian heritage. “I wanted to create warmth, which is the opposite of the Swedish way, where everything is pale and kind of stark,” she says. Untitled #12 (right) by John Parot; photograph (left) by Joni Noe; Louwie duvet by Pom Pom; threshold silver task lamps from Target.

“Life is a vacation here in L.A., and I really, royally enjoy it,” Akerman says. “I was just in New York for a long time for work, and it took me a minute to adjust to living there with a small child. I love the vibe of that city, but I don’t mind the calm of Los Angeles. You get grounded here.” Dress, Nicholas.

Akerman re-covered her patio chair cushions in vintage textiles. Chairs from Cost Plus World Market; pillows and throw from Nickey Kehoe.

Akerman scoured L.A.’s Moroccan interiors shops, such as Badia Design in North Hollywood and Mosaik Interiors on Beverly Blvd., for accessories with global flair. Terra-cotta vessel by John Parot.

Akerman had a tailor turn a piece of hand-dyed silk into valances for the kitchen. “They’re falling apart, but I still love them,” she says. “I wanted to make the house cozy and rustic with reclaimed barn wood and slabs of concrete in the kitchen and Moroccan details that are one of a kind.”

Akerman’s not a minimalist and she has the open shelves in her kitchen to prove it. The grab and go nature of the shelves make it easy for her to pull quick meals together for her toddler son, Sebastian.

Pops of red, orange, and blue appear throughout the house in art, textiles, and pieces of vintage pottery she’s collected on her travels to places such as Mexico, Finland, and Nicaragua.

Prop Styling by Joni Noe

Fashion Styling by Caley Rinker / The Wall Group

Hair by Clariss Rubenstein / The Wall Group

Makeup by Kathy Jueng / Forward Artists