
Actor surrounds himself with simple reminders of what’s really important.
Whether it’s sand from a beach in Israel or a little Buddha sculpture acquired during a post-tsunami rebuilding effort in Thailand, actor Marque Richardson’s Silver Lake loft brims with simple yet meaningful objects from around the world.
“They all have a common thread of peace, gratitude and oneness,” said Richardson, 32, the star of Netflix’s “Dear White People.” “These are reminders that everything is OK because I have my health, my family and the things that matter to me. If all this stuff was to go, I’d be OK.”
The loft sits atop Richardson’s 800-square-foot apartment and is used mainly as a creative and compact workspace. Traveling around the world, especially in famously space-efficient Tokyo, taught Richardson to be resourceful when decorating a cloistered room. “This place has everything stacked on top of itself, so turning this loft into an office called for creativity and having appropriatesized furniture that fits the space,” he said.
Why is this your favorite room?
Because it’s the highest room; I like to be high. There’s a view of the hills and the Silver Lake situation that almost reminds me of the Bay Area in terms of the vibe, the homes and the hilliness.
How would you describe your design taste?
Clean, modern and crisp.
What inspired the orange, white and blue paint choices up here?
It’s
weird, because this orange color was not the original plan. It was
supposed to be a glossy brown —that’s what it looked like on the little
sample. But all of a sudden we painted the whole thing, and it was
orange! But it was cool, because I do so much work up here that I need
energy, and I feed off of these bright and bold colors. It was a happy
accident.
What is one of your favorite memories in here?
Iwork
out up here like it’s a prison cell, doing push-ups, lifting free
weights, power block weights, sit-ups, and I’ve got my yoga mat and ab
roller.
But whenever I work out in this small space, my dog will come up and start licking my face. He will not leave me alone.
What’s one of your favorite pieces?
My
little gratitude rock from Malibu beach. When I hold it, it keeps me
grounded and focused on what matters. There have been different times in
my life when I didn’t have things, financially and in other ways, but
I’ve been able to build on top of that. This rock is a reminder to stay
grateful.
Tell me about this wall of film posters and photos.
The
signed “True Blood” poster was from when I worked on the show. I was
too nervous to ask any of the actors to sign my poster, so I just forged
their signatures. I never lie about it and just tell people I was too
shy. There’s a photo with the Sheens [Charlie and Martin] from “Anger
Management” and one with the cast of “Dear White People.” This wall is
an acknowledgment of how far I’ve come, a reminder to be grateful as
well as motivation for the many things that I’m looking forward to in
terms of career and life.
hotproperty@latimes.com