Critically-acclaimed actress Viola Davis and her husband’s home underwent renovations, seizing inspiration from her successful 2022 film, The Woman King.
Davis and her husband, Julius Tennon, spoke with Architectural Digest about how their formerly gray-colored walls received a colorful makeover with help from LA designer Michaela Cadiz. Davis was open to more color in the home she, her husband and their 12-year-old daughter, Genesis, lived in for around five years.
“I always want to go big and bold, but not too bold, not garish,” The Help actress said.
Cadiz’s aimed for the house to portray the couple’s “vibrant” personalities, but the gray wasn’t doing it.
“Viola and Julius have such vibrant personalities, but their house was very minimal—50 shades of gray,” the Hollywood designer said. “They asked for something not too fussy or pretentious, something comfortable, a place to relax and recoup their energy. But they also wanted something special, a feast for the eyes and the spirit. Finding the right mix was the key.”
While the home was being renovated, Davis and her husband, along with their production company, JuVee Productions, were in the middle of shooting The Woman King in South Africa, which a lot of the culture there inspired some of the layouts in their newly renovated $5.7 million mansion.
“We were working in South Africa, shooting The Woman King, while the renovation was unfolding, and we were inspired by the incredible color and culture there,” Davis said.
The outlet gave viewers a small tour of the couple’s home, where they talked about how they were going for a modern touch while maintaining an “ethnic feel,” specifically in their living room, which donned African art.
“We love African art or black art in general,” Tennon said.
“Everything is ethnic-inspired,” Davis expressed. “The pieces in and of themselves tell a story, like the Aboriginal dot art and the African-American art, which very much is rooted in the African-American folktale of our people could fly.”
Tennon added, “In our space, we want to feel like we’re connected to our heritage.”
The 7,545 square-foot home contains five bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a wine closet and a movie theater. Many of the rooms have different wallpapers, adding a different feeling. There’s coral-toned palm frond wallpaper in one guest bedroom, while Genesis’s bedroom contains a calming yellow wall, an animal print wall and another wall with posters of her favorite shows like Stranger Things.
While there are many colors in the house, three colors are consistent in each room, yellow, pink and green. The couple was adamant about everything in their place having meaning. They’ve had their cherry-wood dining room table for over 25 years, something Tennon worked on with a carpenter friend.
“It’s good to have furniture that tells stories, things with history,” Tennon said.
Their story can be found in the outlet’s February 2023 issue.
