Recreating Celebrity Homes on a Budget: Dakota Johnson’s Cozy Mid-Century Modern

Trista - October 9, 2020
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Recreating Celebrity Homes on a Budget: Dakota Johnson’s Cozy Mid-Century Modern

Dakota Johnson has been one of the biggest rising stars over the last few years; she’s made the most of her earnings from Hollywood, and it’s all very evident in her incredible Los Angeles home. Have you seen it? We are obsessed with every detail. Her style is unique and quirky – just like her. Dakota’s home is truly a reflection of her personality, and she found herself being drawn to this mid-century modern home. It’s in the midst of a heavy tree area in Los Angeles, which is just one of the many amazing features of this spectacular celebrity home.

Dakota Johnson says her favorite thing about her house is that it feels like a tree house… on a boat.

Her home feels like a treehouse on a boat since it looks out over a lap pool in the yard. Credit: Simon Upton

This actress says one of her favorite things about it is that it feels like a treehouse but on a boat. We’re not quite sure what that means, but we’ll take her word for it – but it certainly is the apex of style this year. Carl Maston built this exquisite home, and Dakota seized the opportunity to get her hands on this property about four years ago. She went on a day of viewings with her realtor, and it was the second one on their list. 

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Dakota’s house stood out to her because it had the perfect balance of clean and cozy.

It had a particular style that she instantly connected to, and loved the backstory that came with the house. Credit: Simon Upton

Was there something that drew her to it instantly? Dakota said that she loved that it felt clean but also had a coziness about it. When the actress saw it, she felt like if she bought it. The rising star claims that she would never want to sell it. The house also came with a backstory that intrigued Dakota. It was all about the love affair between the architect and a hostess he fell in love with. Dakota felt like this certainly added to the energy and character of the house. 

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Dakota decided to move from a nomadic existence to a permanent one.

Dakota wanted a place to plant her roots; where better than a home that feels like a treehouse? Credit: Simon Upton

Dakota comes from an exciting romance herself, which is why she felt a deeper connection to the home. She’d always lived a “gypsy lifestyle” because her parents were still on movie sets instead of at home. When she got her Fifty Shades of Grey check, she wanted most to set down roots. She’d had her fun with flitting around, but she decided that it would be a healthy choice for her to have a home base. 

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Dakota delighted in having an assigned location for all of her favorite things.

Dakota has so many fun items scattered around her home that show her engaging personality to anyone who visits. Credit: Simon Upton

Dakota wanted a place for her stuff instead of having it scattered around in an assortment of locations. Does she have many things even though she loved the “clean” look of this home? She certainly does, and she says this surprises her since she’s only just turned 30. This Hollywood star has many fun memorabilia that will go with her to any home she chooses to live in after this very stylish and fantastic house.

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She takes style to the next level by finding special and unique pieces of art.

Ms. Johnson has collected artwork from friends and family in her celebrity home. They are all around her home to accentuate her quirky style. Credit: Simon Upton

What makes this home special and stylish is her fantastic way of incorporating her items among the things that are considered to be trendy. She’s got amazing pictures and also paintings. She has a large Harmony Korine painting, and the thing that makes this more special is that she is friends with the artist. She describes the image as scary creatures who need love, and it’s entirely something to look at! 

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Forget the typical celebrity “showhouse”, Dakota opted for a cozy and artistic feel.

Thanks to her remarkable collection of pieces over the years, her home has an eclectic and stylish vibe. Credit: Simon Upton

Most Hollywood homes these days look like a showhouse instead of looking like a home. Dakota has struck the perfect medium between these two by using pieces like this painting to insert personality, sentiment, and design.She also has a beautiful David Hockney painting in her master bedroom, a gift from her mother. Her home is a collection of items she’s accumulated throughout her life, and they are styled with a lot of thought and consideration. 

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Dakota had help with interior design from Emily Ward, co-founder of Pierce & Ward.

Her right-hand woman was designer Emily Ward who helped her bring her vision for this space together cohesively. Credit: Simon Upton

So, who helped Dakota to design this masterpiece of a home? It was thanks to Emily Ward, a co-founder of design company Pierce & Ward. They became friends and had a lot of fun working on the vision for the home. They used a variety of mood boards and chose fabrics together. It wasn’t just a design project but a little bit of a renovation challenge, especially on the second story. Why was this project such a feat?

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Dakota decided to switch from the original cork flooring to wood and concrete.

The home’s entire upstairs flooring needed to be redone, but it still brings in warmth and coolness. Credit: Simon Upton

The upstairs floor was made of a fascinating substance – cork! They both thought that this material was a cool and exciting idea, but it just wasn’t in the best of conditions, and they were unable to save it. Instead, they decided to install beautiful wood flooring in the master suite bedroom and wardrobe. The flooring of the bathroom is a stunning concrete substance that adds that cool and stylish factor. 

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She took the master bathroom to the next level with concrete flooring and a… difficult paint swatch.

The master bathroom was redone entirely because of the poor design choices of previous tenants. Credit: Simon Upton

The master bathroom got a complete makeover, so Dakota inserted her style into this space. She decided everything from the cabinets’ color to the requirements of what needed to be in the bathroom. She opted for a beautiful dusty-rose camel color for the cabinets. Her designer couldn’t find this color; Dakota took one of her sweaters with the perfect hue and got a special paint made to these color specifications. 

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Dakota insisted on making her dream master bath for her time off.

All she wanted to be able to do was to enjoy reading her book while sitting in the tub for some real R&R. Credit: Simon Upton

What were her other master bathroom requirements? She wanted to have a beautiful big tub to soak in when she needed time to relax, and she also wanted two separate vanity areas. Her dream is to have candles, a book, and a salt bath whenever her schedule allows her. Style isn’t just about keeping up with the trends, but also knowing what you need out of a space and making this a reality. She even joked by saying that the house should have double sinks in a bathroom for a healthy relationship to proposer. 

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Diving into how to get Dakota’s style

Find things in your home that you have forgotten about and bring them back to life. Credit: Simon Upton

Now that we’ve had a peek into Dakota’s oh-so-stylish home, you probably are dying to start researching how you can achieve this look as well. It’s all about creating the backyard oasis – or indoors if that’s what you have. It’s also about finding the beauty in things we have collected over the years and make them feel like fancy Hollywood heirlooms. Oh, and don’t forget about the Persian rugs, which seem to be an essential part of her aesthetic. 

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Getting this cozy look can be affordable as long as you stick to the 1970s influences.

Bring in the 1970s coziness to your home in the way Dakota Johnson has with dark woods and royal colors. Credit: Shutterstock.

The great news is that there are plenty of affordable options and ways to get this look in your home. It’s all about creating an interesting space that feels modern, clean but still has that special coziness to it. The cozy aspect comes from the 1970s influence that is seen throughout her home. She has been able to achieve this with lots of dark wood in the decor and mix in some royal hues to make it elegant. 

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Dark woods and velvet can be the perfect affordable solution to getting that 70s vibe.

Redecorate your bedroom by adding a velvet bedhead or bed frame to amp up your home style. Credit: Shutterstock.

One way to do this in your bedroom is to incorporate dark woods and also some velvet. What about picking out a new bedhead? If you are going to do this, you should seriously consider a velvet bed frame. Velvet has become so trendy and seems to be a fabric that will come back into fashion once it has been through the inevitable trend cycle – so, we’re naming it as a timeless fabric that will make any room feel rich and fancy. 

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Time to switch up the kitchen and ditch marbles and whites.

Add a carpet to your kitchen to instantly bring a sense of warmth to a space that is usually for stiff fabrics only. Credit: Simon Upton

You might have noticed something interesting about Dakota’s kitchen – it’s not the usual cold and marble filled kitchen; her kitchen continues the coziness found in the rest of the home. So, how did she do it? It all comes down to the incredible Persian rug that can be seen on the floor. There’s something so different about this look and is something we aren’t used to in everyday kitchens – and that’s precisely why we love it. 

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It’s important to make the kitchen an inviting space and add the perfect rug.

Try new things in spaces instead of conforming to the typical style that everyone else has in their homes. Credit: Shutterstock.

A kitchen shouldn’t feel like a cold space; it should be warm and inviting. Adding a carpet to this space instantly softens up the tiles beneath it and adds an aspect of coziness that is central to Dakota’s style success. Don’t be afraid of trying this decor. If you don’t end up liking it, you can simply move the carpet elsewhere in your home. Suppose you don’t want the rug in the center like Dakota has it, you can put it just as you enter the kitchen, and it will have a similar effect. 

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Using bold colors for cabinets such as greens, blues and nice reds can set your home apart.

Go bold or go home – pick a beautiful and rich color to repaint your kitchen cabinets as Dakota’s kitchen inspires you. Credit: Shutterstock.

While we’re talking about Dakota’s stylish kitchen, don’t you just love the bold color she has chosen for the cabinetry? It’s not the usual color people go for, but it works perfectly in this space and home. Green might not work in your home, but there could be a color that will fill the space correctly. Try out some paint swatches and see what brings you joy in that space. Jewel-tone works very well to create this type of feeling. 

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Finish your kitchen with chrome or gold-colored hardware.

It’s all about the small finishes in the kitchen like the handles on the cabinets – this is the perfect way to make it look expensive. Credit: Shutterstock.

Compliment the color you choose with the handles of the cabinetry. Opt for chrome, gold, or silver to stand out. The choice of a metal handle will add elegance to the room and makes it feel expensive. Finish your styling off with some beautiful ceramic pieces and put your dinnerware on display. If you have great dinnerware, do something with it instead of hiding it away in a cupboard when guests come over. 

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Matching sets of furniture are a thing of the past. Opt for pairing interesting pieces with a mix of leather and fabric.

Bring in various furniture to add texture and interest to a space instead of buying a matching set. Credit:

When trying to emulate Dakota’s stylish home in your living area, there are some great ways to do this. First, mix and match your furniture. It doesn’t all have to belong to the same set, which helps the space feel “lived in.” It also works if you don’t have pieces that feel like antiques, unique, or different. The mix-match of items will create this for you. Find a velvet lounge set and mix it in with a few attractive shaped chairs that are comfortable. 

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Mid-Century Modern pieces can play a key role in achieving the chic, yet cozy feel.

Glass coffee tables are inspired by the interior design style of the 1970s. Credit:

You will also want to find contemporary pieces and some that are mid-century modern. A glass table would work correctly to serve as the mid-century piece in the home and creates a centerpiece for the room. Finish this off with wooden side tables that once again bring in that warmth that is synonymous with Dakota’s style of home. Add a few plants, thought-provoking books to your coffee table, and a sculpture or two. 

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One of Dakota’s best home features is her home office. With more working from home, this may be a good time to make this a priority.

Make an office space in your home where you can get your work done and also feel relaxed in that space. Credit: Simon Upton

Let’s move into the home office – one of the most popular rooms in 2020! Everyone needs a space in their home that can be used for getting things done and ticked off your to-do list. It doesn’t even need to be a whole room. We are in love with Dakota’s office because it still feels just as inviting as the rest of her home. It doesn’t feel corporate; instead it feels cozy. She even has some exciting art on the walls that intrigues you. 

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Follow Dakota’s lead with a feature wall and floating shelves.

A feature wall is a lovely wall to bring interest into a room; a wooden wall is quite impressive and is why Dakota’s office is stylish. Credit: Shutterstock.

Upon the walls, she has floating shelves that match the wooden feature wall. It is all just so harmonious. The shelves are filled with books she loves, instead of books that are only there for show. You can do this too. Instead of only putting out beautiful books, put books that you have loved reading and mean a lot to you. Surrounding yourself with personal items like this make your home so stylish and a lot more interesting to visitors as they’ll get an insight into who you are. 

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Make a comfortable and stylish office chair a top priority.

Just because you want something beautiful for a chair doesn’t mean you need to get something uncomfortable. Credit: Shutterstock.

Dakota has also chosen to move away from the typical office chair and has gone for something beautiful and comfortable looking. You’re most likely going to spend a few hours in that chair, so make it comfortable. Her desk is finished with a beautiful ceramic vase filled with a mix of bright flowers and an ornate lamp with a beautifully patterned lamp shade. The desk, on the other hand, has modern touches with the lines and the metal legs. 

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At the end of the day, this is a home where people live. Not a museum.

Let your home fill up with personal touches so that people feel like they can get to know you when they visit. Credit: Simon Upton

You’ll notice that her personal touches are all around her home and not just in her office or private spaces like her bedroom. As you enter Ms. Johnson’s property or leave it, there is a console table with a beautiful picture of her dog. She also has a stack of books here – clearly showing her love of reading and knowledge. Find a way to do something similar in your home. Perhaps you love collecting things, put them on show, and this will be the perfect talking point for your next set of visitors. 

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Create intimate and cozy spaces within rooms by having designated corners.

Place a few statement chairs in your home’s strategic areas to create individual sitting areas for those who want them. Credit:

Dakota also has created a lot of smaller spaces within rooms for her to enjoy. It can be as simple as a beautiful chair in a corner where you can sit and enjoy a coffee or read your favorite book. This chair is a beautiful wooden chair that resembles a cocoon. Even though this actress already has much wood within the room, mixing different textures of wood and different colors makes a place look extraordinary. 

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Another heart of home and entertainment is the dining room. Don’t neglect the dining room!

Bring your dining room to life with one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture and finishes like pendant lights above the table. Credit: Simon Upton

Speaking of seating options – have you seen her beautiful dining room? This room is fantastic for entertaining, and yet it continues to have the incredible and intimate feeling that the rest of Dakota’s home has. She has once again gone for a beautiful glass table – like in the living room. We know glass tables are beautiful, but they’re also quite practical. Wooden tables can get stained, and it can be hard to repair that. 

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Glass tables were a big mid-century modern feature and is making a comeback.

These stunning glass tables help create beautiful, modern, and clean lines within a room and are very practical. Credit: Architectural Digest YouTube

With a glass table, especially if you love entertaining, you will clean it very quickly. You don’t need to worry about covering up the table with a tablecloth, which essentially ends up hiding the design’s beauty. Instead of pairing the table with glass Tiffany chairs, she has again brought in a new wood tone. It’s a much lighter wood than in the rest of her home, but it works perfectly in this space with the white chair cushions. 

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Find thrifted or antique pieces to add a bit more character to your decor.

A mix of contemporary art and antique fixtures will make any space feel the perfect balance between old and new. Credit: Shutterstock.

The area is decorated with a stunning pendant lamp, which appears to be another antique piece in her home. Even though the pendant lights are antique, it is offset and made modern by the rest of the room’s decor. Ms. Johnson has exciting and contemporary art on the walls and has also chosen more wooden feature walls, making the space very warm. She’s chosen another beautiful Persian carpet for the floor. 

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Dakota uses hints of yellow and other colors to breathe in some happiness and light.

Bring out the real depth of a subtle color somewhere in the room using the color again in something like a floral centerpiece. Credit: Shutterstock.

There is a hint of yellow in a piece of art. The actress has highlighted this hue by bringing in many yellow wildflowers as the centerpiece for the table. This idea is a great design trick that you can use at home. Pick a color in a painting or cushion in your room and bring it to life with many flowers. Greenery makes a room, and something more laid back like many wildflowers could create a fascinating design aspect in your home. 

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If you have a smaller space and no dining room, a breakfast nook  could add a cozy aspect to meals.

Dakota’s home has so many beautiful seating areas that are all carefully considered and well designed with cozy in mind. Credit: Simon Upton

Aside from this main seating area, she has also created another beautiful eating space in her home. It is the perfect breakfast nook just off to the side of her kitchen. This smaller space is ideal for quiet dinners at home. Her home seems to be iconic for it’s mixing of woods, and it can be seen once again in this spot. The actress has combined a round wooden table that seems to be a bit rough around the edges with woven backed wooden chairs. This decor is all set against another wooden panel feature wall. 

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Lighting can make or break a dining room.

Remember to decorate your informal dining area as well; you can simply add a beautiful carpet and lighting. Credit: Shutterstock.

If you’re looking for a new lighting option for your dining room or eating area, a pendant light is the way to go. They help make the ceilings feel higher and act as a piece of decor within the room. Dakota’s stylish breakfast nook comes with another beautiful blue and gold Persian carpet and more stunning art that is on the wall behind the table. She has also made use of the window sill for more design elements. 

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Be very careful when decorating with unique pieces; you don’t want to have a cluttered look.

Finding the balance between too much and not enough is difficult but looks good when you get it right. Credit: Architectural Digest YouTube

She has managed the unique balance of having lots of little things all around her home without it seeming cluttered. There is a fine line between this, and you might have to try it out a few times before you get the look perfect. Add bits and pieces that you love to empty spaces like window sills and then sit with it for a few days. If it seems too much, take away one or two items and find a different spot for them in your home to refine the look. 

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Fight your instincts and don’t paint small areas white.

Instead of painting a small room white, go for deep colors and tones to make it feel like a warm space. Credit: Shutterstock.

This breakfast nook area in Dakota’s Hollywood home is probably relatively small, but she hasn’t gone for the obvious choice of painting the area all-white to create the illusion of it seeming bigger than it is. Instead, she has chosen the dark wood walls to make it feel cozy and treehouse-like. The space is made to feel bigger with innovative features like the mirror on the wall and a small round table that perfectly fits the space. 

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Don’t neglect the outdoor areas of your home.

Consider the outside areas of your home that are visible from spaces inside your home as well. Credit: Architectural Digest YouTube

Why is her home is the apex of style this year? It’s because she’s paid attention to all aspects of the house instead of just the inside. She has considered the outdoors too, and how this plays a role in home design. This actress’s house has all these beautiful large windows. Out of the entrance of her home, there is a lovely bamboo-like garden. 

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Mixing concrete woods and letting your yard grow around you naturally can strike a cozy balance.

Dakota has also been very successful in using soft and hard styles to reflect her personality. Credit: Architectural Digest YouTube

In the back garden of the home, it has an incredibly romantic feeling to it and slightly overgrown. She’s used a mix of wooden and concrete furniture around the space to create even more welcoming spots. We hope this celebrity home has inspired you to start making your home feel cozier and moving away from the cookie-cutter look that everyone does these days. Allow your house to feel personal, and you will love it just as much as Dakota adores her lovely abode. 

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