The wildfire that destroyed Lorraine Toussaint’s home in Malibu, Calif., in November 2018 didn’t leave her vulnerable — she had a rented apartment in midtown Manhattan — but it didn’t leave her stranded.
“Home always means dirt for my daughter and me. There’s gotta be dirt and plants at home,” said Trinidad and Tobago-born Ms. Toussaint, 63, a regular on CBS crime series The Equalizer, who spends her summers playing Gertrude on Shakespeare in the Park Production of “Hamlet”. (The performances run until August 6.)
Almost exactly a year after this loss of signal, Ms. Toussaint was filming an indie film in and around Rhinebeck, NY and began exploring. “I was really desperate for a place to escape New York,” she said. “I love everything the city has to offer, but for me it’s a lot.”
She’d looked at a number of potential New Jersey hideaways, but was now intrigued by the charm of the Hudson Valley.
“I didn’t know anyone,” said Ms. Toussaint. “But after being in the area for two months, at least I knew where the grocery store and the dry cleaners were, and I was like, ‘You know, that’s enough.’ That’s enough for me to buy a house here.’”
Lorraine Toussaint, 63
Profession: Actor
What is the neighborhood for? “I became part of the community at the lowest level. People have said to me, ‘You’re this actress, but you seem very nice.'”
As a prime example of a motivated client, she quickly focused on an early 19th-century farmhouse and settled on it within weeks.
“She’s kind of an old girl,” Mrs. Toussaint said affectionately of the house. “It’s a bit crooked and nothing is quite level. But she’s cute and quaint and welcoming.”
There was “a wonderful screened-in porch that I fell in love with,” she said, as well as “kind of expansive, expansive country for a city girl.”
More specifically, it’s a 17-acre tract that includes a large red barn, a few ponds, a creek, a trail with a sign that reads “Appaloosa Way,” and an extensive wildlife population. More about the fauna soon.
“It was what my daughter and I needed,” Ms. Toussaint said, “a home that felt like it was going to put its arms around us.”
Admittedly, the new owners had to look away during the wrap-up: the rooms were painted green, blue, and mustard. And the exterior was a repulsive “somewhat yellowish yellow,” as Ms. Toussaint described it.
“We were like, ‘This isn’t for us,'” said her daughter Samara Toussaint, 18, a dance student. “My mother only wears white, and every house I’ve ever lived in with her has had white walls.”
There is no violation of morals here. A team armed with brushes and cans of paint was hastily assembled to remedy the situation. “I had an internal clock,” Ms. Toussaint said. “I was determined that my daughter and I would spend the holidays there. I wanted us to light a fire and make Christmas dinner.” Mission accomplished.
The previous owner left three pieces of furniture: a pine stable, which Mrs. Toussaint did not particularly like at first but now quite likes; a long dining table; and a couch.
The Corona lockdown that she spent indoors gave her a lot of time to take care of the facility. Maintaining a palette of white and earth tones, Ms Toussaint ignited her love of flat-woven rugs with geometric patterns, Regency-style sofas, and lamps, chandeliers and tables that mixed wood and metal, and began bidding at online auctions. The very charming result: updated shabby chic.
“My theory on decorating is high-low,” she said. “You spend money on a few things and don’t spend it on a lot of things.”
Ms Toussaint refused to pay more than $250 in an auction purchase and generally prevailed with a far lower price. The piano in the dining room: hers for $1.18 (yes, you read that right). A large piece of Persian tile: $5. The rattan chair that Alfred, the family dog, loved so much fetched her $40, as did the generous credenza in the kitchen.
“I could have gotten another one, but I didn’t have space,” she said. “I really regretted that. But I was like, ‘Lorraine, you don’t need two of these.'”
Shops include Ballard Designs (the 1920s-style desk in her office) and Anthropologie (the twins of the barrel chair and tasseled ottoman she admired on the set of The Equalizer). She bought the brass-studded pedestal table in her bedroom from the estate of Diahann Carroll.
“I was supposed to be a doctor or a lawyer, and when I said I wanted to be an actress, my aunt asked, ‘What black actresses have you seen?'” recalls Ms. Toussaint.
“And I said ‘Diahann Carroll,’ because growing up in Trinidad, ‘Julia’ was one of the few shows on TV,” she continued, referring to the 1960s sitcom, the first series that a black woman starring played a non-stereotypical role.
“I can’t say that Diahann became a close friend, but she was a friend,” Ms Toussaint said. “And every time I saw her, I thanked her for being the face that made me believe I could do what I’m doing now.”
About a year ago, the long-desired southern-style porch with swing and skylights was installed. “It was difficult for her,” Ms. Toussaint said of the house. “She was like, ‘What are they nailing in me?'”
A large terrace will be added this summer outside the kitchen (which will also be redesigned). “I want the outside and the inside to flow effortlessly,” she said.
Ms Toussaint, who describes herself as a secret landscaper – and owns a tractor to back that claim – has planted a flower and vegetable garden and recently persimmon trees.
“When I’m in town, my mom sends me videos and says, ‘The blackberries are growing!’ The tomatoes are coming in!” said Samara.
Mrs. Toussaint wanted to live in the country; She lived in the country. It shares its territory with many members of the animal kingdom – some winged, some antlers, some twisted. As for the last category, she has adopted the policy of live and let yourself slide.
“You have to be mindful in nature,” said Ms Toussaint, who has hired specialists to deal with ever-increasing bat, beaver and woodchuck populations, but described the sight of deer eating apples from her tree as “quite” describes beautifully.”
Yes, she admits, she’s hosting a Bambi buffet: “But I have to say, there’s enough for everyone.”
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