Naomi Watts’ Hamptons Kitchen Renovation Trades the “80s Vibes” for a Beachy Space That Embraces Natural Light
A kitchen renovation plays a central role in Naomi Watts’ new Netflix series, “The Watcher,” in which the Australian beauty sulks around suburbia while looking stunning in luxurious, minimalist cream-colored clothing. But there’s none of that drama in Watts’ actual Hamptons kitchen, which the actress and entrepreneur showed off in a new behind-the-scenes look for The Spruce.
“My work is my work, and I am able to turn it off at the end of the day,” says Watts, who purchased and renovated the Hamptons home during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I think the pandemic brought on a new passion for our homes. We all wanted our homes to become our safe haven, and we really doubled down on how we appreciated home and invested in it. We wanted to feel comfortable and be surrounded with things that made us feel good.”
But initially, the dated kitchen in Watts’ Hamptons home didn’t make her feel so great. While friends suggested Watts tear it down and start from scratch, she was hesitant to do so, since she just wanted to eliminate “the ’80s vibes” that came with plenty of wood and older appliances. Hoping to create a “beachy kitchen that embraced the home’s natural light,” Watts knew performing the reno during the worst of the pandemic would prove to be a bit of a challenge… and it was. There were significant supply chain issues, so Watts had to do a series of pivots.
“The supply chain stuff right in the middle of COVID was difficult and we had all kinds of, you know, curveballs thrown at us,” she shared. One of those curveballs included deviating from the original plan for stonework and going with a butcher block-style wooden countertop instead in a last-minute decision. Ultimately, she used that same butcher block style for the center island, which is perfect for hanging out with her teenage kids and friends who pop by to visit.
“It’s functional as well as meaningful,” Watts shared. “There’s shelving on the sides as well as drawers on the back and people do always want to hang out in the kitchen at parties, don’t they?”
With the launch of her new beauty and wellness brand, Stripes, which was inspired by her challenging experience with early menopause, Watts is clearly coming into her own. But the initial move into that period proved to be incredibly difficult.
“I came to menopause far too early and was completely ill-prepared,” Watts explains. “And it was very clear to me that there wasn’t enough information or emotional support out there, and the message that was out there is that this is the end or you’re no longer wanted or irrelevant. And I just thought that was ridiculous.”
Now on the other side, Watts says she wanted her kitchen to reflect that transition, which she believes can be “a really vibrant time of one’s life.”
“I like the combination of it being very much a traditional East Coast home mixed with a Sydney vibe,” she says of the completed space. “Modern but not austere.”