Lucy Cohen Blatter of Barron’s writes…
Javicia Leslie recently spent several months in Vancouver, shooting her groundbreaking role as the first Black Batwoman in the new CW Batwoman series. But the 33-year-old actress, who also starred on BET’s The Family Business and Netflix’s Always a Bridesmaid, recently bought a two-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles, which she had gut renovated.
Leslie, who also started the Chandler Foundation, where she focuses on giving back to children in need, describes her interior design style as “modern, modern, modern; clean and simple.”
Floor-to-Ceiling Windows (1)
Lighting strongly affects her mood, so finding a home that had a lot of natural light was key. “In the living room, I can see all of downtown L.A. The light is amazing. We had to get shades to watch TV in the daytime,” Leslie says.
A Very Comfy Couch (2)
“This was based off a Restoration Hardware couch,” she says. “I love that it’s big, but not bulky. The whole family can be on it at the same time.”
A Balcony Fit for Gardening (3)
“I’m huge into gardening,” Leslie says. Even her temporary Vancouver home is filled with plants (she has 12 there alone). In L.A., she has a balcony big enough for her potted plants, fruits, and vegetables, including cherry tomatoes, jalapeños, green bell peppers, blueberries, and blackberries. She also built a bench out of four-by-fours and concrete bricks, something she learned to do via a YouTube tutorial.
Indoor Plants Get Love, Too (4)
While she has “tons” of plants, one particular favorite is a banana tree plant in her bedroom that doesn’t need a lot of light. “She’s big, beautiful, and her name is Gloria, ” Leslie says. Her mom’s been watering and caring for Gloria in her absence, she says. “I’m a huge researcher so I started doing my research and learning everything I could about plants.”
