The 2025 Real Simple Home is almost here, and we’ve got the inside scoop on this year’s extra special guest designer: Drew Barrymore! Barrymore has done it all as an actress and TV host, but she’s also taken her love for interior design to new heights with a cozy wellness room. The star personally curated the dreamy space for the eight annual home showcase, hoping it could feel like a lavish spa waiting room.
“I wanted it to be enveloping, calming, and soothing,” Barrymore said in a press release. “Almost like your eyelids could relax in this space.”
The movie star, TV host, and lifestyle personality is among many talented designers and DIYers who transformed a penthouse suite and two-bedroom apartment for Real Simple in a lovely, newly constructed building in New York City.
The full reveal of the stunning two units will take place in the magazine and online in September, but here’s a preview of Barrymore’s peaceful wellness room that feels like a hug.
A Color Palette That Feels Like a Hug
Real Simple
When it came to choosing colors for the tranquil space, Barrymore went with terracotta hues.
“To me, that’s very grounding and very calming,” Barrymore said. “It immediately puts me at ease, and it has enough light in it that it feels bright without the typical white or cream or yellows.”
And that reddish-brown inspiration is clearly reflected in a preview photo of the space, which has a terracotta wall, a wood tray, and a blue and black polka dot pillow on a striped couch from her Walmart collection, which she designed the room around.
She stayed true to her moodboard for the 2025 Real Simple project, which contains hues like light brown, tan, gold, and mauve. Of course, the final colors of the room will be revealed later this year.
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Aesthetics Collide in a Calming Space
Barrymore doesn’t narrow it down when asked about the space’s aesthetic and embraces several different types during the design process.
“I think I’m too greedy to settle on any particular style,” she said. “I want to be able to have every type of art and every type of color. I want to have mid-century that works with the florals, that works with the Moroccan, that works with the antiques.”
No matter the style combo, Barrymore wants the room to give you motivation to “lower your eyelids, calm your nerves,” and inspire self-care.
“[Don’t] think about this morning or this afternoon, but just be,” she said. “I know maybe something good is around the corner, something just for you. And you did it for yourself. You carved it out for yourself. You somehow didn’t forget yourself today.”
See Drew Barrymore’s Wellness Room for Yourself
Not only will the full reveal of the room happen in September, but if you’re in New York City, you’ll be able to tour it in person as part of the 2025 Real Simple Home.
And that means you can experience all the relaxing vibes Barrymore intended in this space and perhaps even get inspired to take a self-care moment for yourself.
“I think the invitation to take care of ourselves is something that we, I believe, lose constant sight of, and so could this room be that invitation,” she says. “What does wellness mean to me? It means remembering to even put yourself in the mix, let alone first.”
You can view the 2025 Real Simple Home at Realsimple.com.