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which is “grandmother” in Swedish; and a portrait with Zack
Gottsagen, the actor she costarred with in last year’s The Peanut
Butter Falcon, which tells the story of a young man with Down
syndrome who runs away from home to be a pro wrestler. The
most surreal memento: a photograph from her appearance
on Saturday Night Live’s 40th-anniversary show in 2015, where
she’s surrounded by Taylor Swift, Derek Jeter, Sarah Palin,
Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and 50 Cent. “Isn’t that the
craziest photo of all time?” Actually, yes.
Tucked around the house are additional personal effects,
including a large Harmony Korine painting in the dining room.
She’s a friend of the artist and director, who’s best known for
filming sordid stories, and she was taken by this work because
of its sensitive figures. “They’re scary creatures, but they still
need love,” she says of the hand-holding monsters in the fore-
ground of the painting. The David Hockney piece in the master
bedroom was a gift from Griffith, and in a cabinet in her living
room is a vinyl record collection, which she sheepishly admits
to having recently alphabetized.
THE DESIGN FIRM PIERCE & WARD, which has offices in L.A.
and Nashville, helped execute Johnson’s wish list. Emily Ward,
cofounder of the company with Louisa Pierce, met Johnson
when she was living in Nashville, and they became pals before
the design firm was founded. “Dakota was extremely fun to
work with because she had a very clear vision of what she
wanted,” Ward says. “We basically made mood boards and came
over for fabric-selecting. And wine.” The biggest renovation
challenge was the second story. “The upstairs floor was made
entirely of cork, which was really cool but wasn’t salvageable,”
Ward says. They installed wood flooring in the master suite,
which includes the bedroom and wardrobe, and for the
bathroom, the same concrete as downstairs.
A previous owner had installed a urinal, which gave
Johnson reason to redo the entire master bathroom. She was
particular about what color she wanted the cabinets to be
painted: “a dusty-rose camel.” And when Pierce & Ward couldn’t
find a swatch that captured that hue, she provided a beloved
The Row sweater to duplicate. Her other two requirements for
the master bath were a big tub and two separate vanities.
“Candle, book, and a salt bath, every night I can,” she says of the
former. “Also, I think the key to a healthy relationship is
double sinks.”
Johnson says her roots are still growing. Whether she’s
away on a film set or spending time in Malibu, where Martin
has a home, she’s thinking about her tree house. “With my
job and the velocity at which my schedule can change, it’s
important for me to have a place to go to and it be mine,” she
says. “Psychologically, I’m moored somewhere. This place
is my anchor.”
IN THE MASTER BEDROOM, CUSTOM THROW PILLOWS AND A GUCCI BLANKET DECORATE
THE VINTAGE BED. VINTAGE SCONCE AND RATTAN CHAIR; ARTWORK BY DAVID HOCKNEY.
