There may never be as big a fight in Kristen Bell’s household as the one she had with husband Dax Shepard over the placement of a La-Z-Boy. To Bell's displeasure, her spouse moved the recliner into the center of the living room, and the pair had a very public social media debate about it, which even prompted an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. While the situation has since been resolved—the chair is now in the attic—the hilarious interaction attracted the attention of the furniture company. Now, La-Z-Boy has teamed up with the actress to relaunch the “Live Life Comfortably” campaign, highlighting pieces that are entirely customizable (from the fabric down to the nail heads). Architectural Digest was able to catch up with the star of The Good Place to talk about her interesting history with the brand and all the details about her new house, including the fun feature her kids requested.
Architectural Digest: I know that the location of a La-Z-Boy was a point of contention in your home. Is that how this partnership came to be, or is there a deeper love affair?
Kristen Bell: No, ironically, I believe that’s what sparked it. And when they called us I thought they got the wrong Bell Shepherd. But they said we’d like to approach you because we think that you’re not familiar with the entire brand. As I dislike the placement of the chair, I am strong enough to admit that it was the most comfortable thing I’ve ever set my butt cheeks in. So, when they said they make a ton of other furniture (and, by the way, it’s really cute), I said, “Well, I’ll be the judge of that.” Cut to “It is really cute and it’s just as comfortable,” so it’s sort of an everybody-wins situation. And particularly for me, it’s really important when I take on any ambassador or any brand partnership that I really believe in what the heck I’m talking about. They’re born and raised in Michigan, that’s where their headquarters are. They’re manufactured in the USA. It’s a very familial vibe that I really, really like.
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AD: Well, we know you love La-Z-Boy’s styles. But what’s the design style of your home in general?
KB: It’s a bit of a mishmash. It’s a mostly eclectic vibe where it’s about trying to be a little clean California.
AD: Did you work with a designer?
KB: No, I didn’t. But we’re moving at the end of the year, and I hired Amber Interiors. Oh my God, she’s still spectacular. She’s the epitome of that laid-back California style. She has this very effortless clean-but-not-at-all-sterile style that is full and warm and bright. And her designs are something that I’ve tagged on Instagram for years and years. And so when we decided to move, I said, “I’m going to spoil myself and get some advice on what you do.” So I had been working with her for, like, the last six months, and it has been so much fun. It’s so beautiful.
AD: Is there one room in particular that you’re especially excited about?
KB: Yes, our kitchen. Our kitchen and the living room is one big room, which was important to us when we bought a house. Our house was getting tight. But the one thing we love about it is that it the kitchen and living room blend together, and we didn’t want to lose that, since the majority of time is spent there. It’s got a good flow. But I do really like to cook, and Amber convinced me to get a Lacanche stove in bone white. I’m very excited about learning to cook on a French stove. She somehow managed to find the perfect balance between an elegant kitchen [and] one that you can destroy while cooking. That’s the line I like to straddle.
AD: And what style will the house be?
KB: The exterior is a little French Normandy. It was designed by Arthur Kelly, who designed the Playboy Mansion [in L.A.].
AD: Do you and Dax have a similar design style?
KB: No. He doesn’t let me so much as I just do it, because I’ve explained to him how important nesting is to me. I told him I wouldn’t pick anything that he hated. But I am asking for permission to nest. It is in my DNA. It makes me feel very healthy and stable when I can create my space. So I will absolutely compromise, and there are tons of beautiful options everywhere. I won’t do anything that you despise, but can I take the reins? And he said yes.
AD: What would it look like if he had taken the reins?
KB: A lot of wood. A lot of dark, scary wood. And a lot of microsuede. When I moved into our house, everything was microsuede. The dining room chairs, everything. It was like a dark library. But I have brought him to the light side and made him realize that plants can’t live here. I’ve had quite a few arguments, and I think he’s okay with white walls now. He wants to feel like he’s in a cigar shop all day long
AD: Is there one room in the house that he has total control over?
KB: Not anymore. The garage. That’s it.
AD: Is the new house being completely renovated?
KB: We thought we weren’t going to have to soup-to-nuts everything. And with most design projects, you realize something is wrong. So we’ve been dealing with all of that. But we’re doing it with a smile because we’re still really excited to have bought our dream home.
AD: Are your kids able to design their rooms in the new house?
KB: I wanted to because in a dream world if you have dream kids, you say to them, “What would you like in your bedroom?” And then they pick something cute. That is not how it unfolded. I was looking through pictures, and they were trying to explain what they wanted. And I roughly got a sketch in crayon of, like, a slide and a ball pit. I don’t know what you think is happening. We’re not building a Chuck E. Cheese. What kind of curtains do you want? Flowers? Check? What’s your tone? What’s your palette? They didn’t get it.
