Cameron Diaz takes us inside her glamorous New York apartment

This article originally appeared in the October 2013 issue of ELLE DECOR. For more stories from our archives, subscribe to ELLE DECOR All Access.

Cameron Diaz is that rare actress who can rock a skateboard as convincingly as she does on the red carpet. Whether she’s riding a rogue wave or a wave of hype, the towering blonde beauty with blue eyes and a blinding smile oozes charm on and off the screen. So it makes sense that when it came time to rethink the interior design of her apartment in Manhattan’s West Village, Diaz looked to the West Coast’s queen of glamour, Kelly Wearstler, to give the space a healthy dose of Hollywood swagger.

Diaz found a kindred spirit in Wearstler. “I blame my love of shiny things on my Cuban roots,” says the Southern California-born actress, who points to her formative years spent at the beach for her boyish ways. “But I also wanted a place that felt very comfortable and tactile. Kelly’s is unparalleled when it comes to hitting the mix.”

Diaz – whose breakout role was in the 1998 comedy There’s just something about MaryShe owned the 2,400-square-foot pre-war apartment for several years before deciding to respond to the rush she had upon first seeing the place, which featured all-white rooms designed in a vaguely nautical theme.

“I immediately realized that the space needed color,” she says. A design freak — she recently took on the role of art director for fashion accessories brand Pour La Victoire — Diaz spent time compiling sheets for rooms she loved rather than hiring a designer on the spot. “The majority ended up being homes that Kelly did,” Diaz adds. This is not surprising, given Wearstler’s penchant for quietly spinning the color wheel in every room she creates. For Diaz’s apartment, she settled on polished and polished metal colors: malachite, onyx, rose gold, silver, and copper.

The kitchen backsplash, counters, and sink fixtures are made of unpolished brass, the brass-trimmed cabinets are painted a custom color, and the range is from Viking; The wood floors were treated with an ebony stain and then waxed.

“The color palette reflects Cameron herself, naturally exciting without being overly flashy,” says Wearstler, who viewed Diaz as more of a collaborator than a client. “Cameron has excellent taste and understands how colors work together and why quality pieces make rooms special,” the designer adds. In fact, there are few home cooks who would approve of the bold combination of unsealed copper countertops and dramatic emerald green cabinetry in the kitchen. “It’s the first room I see when I walk in the door, and it’s where I spend a lot of time, especially in the morning,” Diaz says. “I like that the counters each display water and lemonade rings. They give the place life.

A lamp by Pierre Chareau on a circa 1960 Drexel dresser in the living room; The fireplace screen is by Charles Edwards, and the panel is by Hunt Slonem.

The kitchen may be her favorite hideaway in the daylight, but at dusk it’s the living room, when the space is at its most seductive and the rose petal-colored custom wallpaper and mirrored walls cast the kind of light that makes everyone look like a movie star. “It’s a bit like living in a silk-lined jewelry box,” Diaz adds.

Tour Cameron Diaz’s glamorous Manhattan apartment

Open gallery

In fact, Wearstler loves fashion and jewelry references — she recently revamped her clothing and accessories lines to include leather, denim, jewelry, and handbags — and makes sure they pop up in every room. Mottled glass lighting fixtures and hammered metal chambers are punctuated by a collection of statement earrings. In a stately bathroom, a dazzling grid of bronze knobs hangs over storage space like beads on a necklace.
A gorgeous brooch could have been the inspiration behind the leaf-shaped glass sconces that flank the dining room table.

The linens in the master bedroom are by Frette, the coverlet is by Yves Delorme, and the silk wall coverings and gilt leaf on the ceiling are by de Gournay; The 1950s chair is French, and the Mansour rug is modern.

Silk linens, a ruffled skirt, and a headboard dress the bed in the master bedroom, where a white chair upholstered in plush mohair recalls 1970s fashion. In the foyer, hand-troweled onyx plaster wallcovering looks like a beautifully weathered leather briefcase. As is the case with the finest haute couture, the rooms are luxurious from the inside out. Drawers are lined with raw black silk, the back sides of doors are clad in hammered metal, and cabinet interiors are covered in custom wallpaper or vibrant paint.

For both women, completing the project was bittersweet. “I learn new things with every client, but Cameron taught me to be more sensitive to fabrics and textures,” says Wearstler. “She was so involved in every step, every choice, and I’m thrilled with how well the place represents her.”

The master bath is tiled by Ann Sacks, the vanity and mirrors are custom-made, and the sink and fixtures are by Waterworks.

For Diaz’s part, if acting doesn’t work out, she can see herself indulging her passion for design professionally. “I will really miss those four-hour meetings with Kelly. I got to look at, touch and talk about beautiful things,” she says.

However, she is currently awaiting the release of her next film, The other woman, directed by Nick Cassavetes. She’s happy to have a place to call home in New York: “I’m surrounded by things that mean something to me. This is home.”

This story originally appeared in the October 2013 issue of ELLE DECOR magazine.