Viola Davis‘ portrayal of Nanisca, an Agojie general, in The Woman King and the experiences of shooting the movie in South Africa brought a different meaning in the actress’ life. So much so that she and her husband, Julius Tennon, decided to renovate their home in honor of the film.
The couple, who have been married since 2003, purchased their Los Angeles estate in 2016 for a reported $5.7 million. The property is about 7,545 square feet and has five bedrooms, eight bathrooms, and a wine closet.
Davis, Tennon, and their designer Michaela Cadiz, opened up about the entire renovation process, which occurred when the star was filming
The Woman King, in the February issue of Architectural Digest.Before the changes, their interior designer, Cadiz, considered Davis and Tennon’s home minimal because of the residence’s various gray-colored walls. Cadiz told the publication that after meeting the couple and seeing how “vibrant” they were, she felt they needed to liven up the place. She said:
“Viola and Julius have such vibrant personalities, but their house was
very minimal — 50 shades of gray. 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.”In the article, Davis agreed with Cadiz’s remarks, despite living in her home with Tennon and their daughter Genesis Tennon for five years before making a mutual decision to change anything.
The 57-year-old explained, “I always want to go big and bold, but not too bold, not garish. We were working in South Africa…and we were inspired by the incredible color and culture there.”
This understanding led to the previous dull colors being amplified with various wallpapers, including a dragonfly pattern on the ceiling of their main closet, clouds on their living room walls, and a blue couch. The other changes included images of Muhammad Ali plastered throughout Davis and Tennon’s home gym. As for their daughter Genesis’ room, the 12-year-old had an animal print wall covering on one side, while the others were filled with posters of her favorite shows, including The Umbrella Academy and Stranger Things
At the same time, each room in the house had a specific color, consisting of yellow, pink, and green. Lastly, one of the ways that Davis and Tennon decided to pay tribute to
The Woman King, besides adding similar colors they saw in South Africa, was by bringing back a Agojie warrior sculpture and placing it in the doorway.To learn more about the other changes Davis and Tennon made to their home, check their Architectural Digest cover story, out now.