Julianne Moore might take on fake personas in her Oscar-winning acting career, but as soon as she's home after a long day, she seeks a sense of realness.
The actress covers the latest issue of Architectural Digest in which she invites readers into her New York City townhouse—a place that, despite the designer names and renovations attached to it, it still feels like home.
"For years I dreamed about living in a townhouse in the West Village," Moore explained of finding the home 15 years ago. "The first time I walked into this one, I knew this was it—I fell in love. There was enough character left that we could bring the house back to its Greek Revival roots without destroying the soul and texture of the building."
And that's precisely what they did.
Moore's husband, Bart Freundlich, looked to none other than his own brother to help with the perfect renovations.
Oliver Freundlich and his then-partners, Ben Bischoff and Brian Papa, worked in collaboration with Moore to renovate the townhouse for her family—including her two teenage kids, Liv Freundlich and Caleb Freundlich—that perfectly mixed a sense of style with a sense of homey charm.
"It's shocking to me how many townhouses have had the soul renovated out of them," Moore admitted. "You end up with all the inconvenience of vertical living but none of the charm."
As for her knack for decorating, the actress says it's all about the story behind a piece.
"I like things that have real personality and authenticity," Moore said. "I like things that feel human, things that tell a story. If it's coming into my home, it has to have real meaning...I hate a knockoff."
Thus, you won't find an indoor pool or a massive symbols of modernization. Rather, Moore prefers organic forms and warm materials that take on a perfectly proportional and scaled appearance.
For example, when you walk through her home, you'll find things like a George Nakashima cocktail table, lamps by Isamu Noguchi, a Florence Knoll credenza with rattan doors as well as a collection of vintage finds.
But more than the accents, the home itself presents a welcoming feeling.
"We originally put the kitchen downstairs, where it's supposed to be. That's where we always ended up, crammed on a love seat, watching television," Moore explained. "We never gathered in the living room on the parlor floor."
Thus, they decided to move the living room downstairs and brought the kitchen to the higher floor.
"I cannot recommend more strongly putting your kitchen somewhere with lots of natural light," she said. "It changed everything. Now we use the whole house."
But that's about the only traditional thing Moore can suggest when it come to the kitchen as she prefers that space a bit different than most.
"I don't really like traditional kitchen cabinets or islands, so I wanted everything to feel like furniture," she explained. "Ultimately, this is probably not the ideal cook's kitchen, but then again I'm not the ideal cook."
For more details inside the actress' home, make sure to tune into E! News tonight at 7 and 11 p.m.