In Mason Gooding’s 650-Square-Foot “Tree House” Apartment, Bold Colors Bring the Outdoors In

Growing up in Los Angeles and often traveling to visit his father, actor Cuba Gooding Jr., on film sets, Mason Gooding says he “didn’t necessarily have” one home base as a kid. When he embarked on his own acting career, appearing in the HBO hit Ballers, Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut Booksmart, and multiple installments of the Scream franchise, he found himself transient once again. Maybe it has something to do with his approaching 30th birthday, but Gooding recently decided it was time to put down some roots and purchase his first home. When he thought about where he wanted to spend this chapter of his life, it wasn’t the City of Angels that called to him; it was Manhattan.The vintage Danish 1940s chair from 1stDibs was reupholstered in a chocolate brown shearling, which Gooding says “conjures up ideas of comfort as well as deliciousness.” The ottoman was custom-made to match. The mirror is Soho Home. Seth CaplanFielding Clay Works Katuk VaseAntique Tamegroute Candlestick Holder“It coincided with my love of culture and the way I engage with it now in my burgeoning 30s. I wanted a community that was accessible just outside my door,” says Gooding, who got his first taste of life in the Big Apple while attending NYU. The I Want Your Sex star hit Zillow, and a few weeks later, his manager sent him a listing that seemed “too good to be true.” The roughly 650-square-foot apartment was in need of a renovation, but it was surrounded by greenery from a neighboring courtyard; Gooding jumped on the opportunity to invest in the charming urban “tree house.”Underneath it all is a rug from Ernesta to tie together the masculine but cozy palette of browns and greens in the living room. The fireplace tiles are from Clé. Seth CaplanAlfred Christensen Sheepskin Danish ArmchairLuke Shalan Torn Nub BowlThe 72 Hours star says he is “ignorant to design in a lot of ways” and enlisted AD PRO Directory designer Claudia Roth of Claudia Allegra Interiors early on in the process. Roth, however, gives him much more credit. “If you saw the initial photos, you would have to see a lot of potential in it,” she says. “The way the previous owners had it—it was clearly untouched for years—wasn’t optimizing the space well at all, especially in the bathroom and the kitchen. And luckily, Mason really saw that there was potential.”Gooding enjoys having coffee on his fire escape, where he can hear the bells from a nearby church. “I’m a romantic,” he says. All rights reservedMaiden Home’s Dune sofa sits under artwork by Jason Trotter. The exit sign painting near the kitchen is by Hugh Clemons. Seth CaplanMaiden Home Dune SofaMermelada Estudio Taza Travertine Dining TableIn their first design meeting, Gooding referenced the Ralph Lauren store in SoHo, saying he wanted a space that was “comfortable as well as compelling.” Roth took this as permission to go bold with color and pattern, and Gooding proved himself to be anything but a risk-averse client. “He was never afraid of color. Sometimes we’d show him something more neutral, and he was like, ‘Let’s push it. Let’s go dark brown. Let’s go green on the fireplace,’” recalls Roth.House of Leon Ingresso Accent ChairChris Loves Julia x Loloi Judy Jute-Blend RugThe tiny wood-clad kitchen became a more spacious aubergine jewel box; the bathroom became a moody sanctuary. The oversized living room fireplace was pared back to save space, though its green tiles make a bold statement. Millwork was added to cover radiators and air conditioners and to add ample shelving to the second bedroom, which Gooding uses as a den.“I wasn’t willing to take a lot of what I had before into this new space,” says Gooding. The one exception? His record collection. All rights reservedCB2 Macron Oak Entryway CabinetThe Citizenry Araz Bed BlanketOne thing that did not change was the diamond-pattern living room windows, despite, to Roth’s horror, a real estate broker suggesting they’d have to be replaced. “Those windows with the diamond pattern were just so special to the apartment. It’s one of those things where if someone was to recreate a modern version, it just wouldn’t feel the same,” she says. Roth kept the character where she could, choosing to leave the original glass and brass doorknobs throughout the space. “They are quite dainty and unexpected,” she says.For Gooding, the home feels like a fresh start, but he appreciates its ties to the past as well. “A lot of what I love about this house is encapsulated in the idea of the past making its way or reinventing itself into the future,” he says. As a reminder of this, he saved a little souvenir of his home’s former life. “I think someone who maybe lived here before was a painter of some sort, and they painted bowls of fruit and teddy bears on the kitchen tiles. I took one of the tiles that had lemons on it, and I put it in a storage unit just to hang on to, just to preserve what had been.”Though Gooding spends ample time traveling for work or visiting his girlfriend, Emilia Tosta, who lives in Austin, he loves knowing he has a place all his own to come back to. “I have a physical manifestation of [myself], and that means a lot to me,” he says. All rights reservedHe also has a little analog nook under the historic windows in the dining area. Roth assumed it would be the perfect spot for a bar, until Gooding explained that he doesn’t drink much. What he did need, he said, was a place to display his rare Frank Ocean records and store the rest of his collection. “I’m a big record collector, and there was a time when I moved and I was trying to get rid of as many as I could or give them to friends so that they had something to remember me by,” says Gooding. But now, with his own space dedicated to music, “I don’t plan on giving up [collecting records] anytime soon. I like having a relationship to the past or to the analog, and I feel like a record player is a great signifier of that.”When Roth began sending Gooding photos of aubergine kitchens, he didn’t shy away. “He was fearless,” she says. “He was really fun to work with because he was just ready to do anything bold.” The cabinets, painted in Farrow & Ball’s Brinjal No. 222, are paired with a backsplash of Clé zellige tiles, viola marble countertops, and hardware from MG & CO. Seth CaplanMG & Co. Aged Brass Star BackplateGevi 20Bar Espresso MachinePre-renovation, only one person could fit in the kitchen at a time. Now, Gooding and his girlfriend share the kitchen. “Cooking is something me and my lady love to do together,” he says. “Mostly she’s cooking and I’m cleaning up, trying my best to be helpful.” The oven is BlueStar. Seth CaplanRoth initially envisioned a green plaid wallpaper for the bedroom, but says “it almost felt too expected.” She was delighted when Gooding was game for Pierre Frey’s Toile De Nantes Intisse instead. The overhead light is from Urban Electric, and the bed is RH. All rights reservedSoho Home Todd Wall MirrorGiancarclo Valle x Nordic Knots Loops Rug“For his bedroom, we really wanted to bring the outdoors inside and lean into that green surrounding,” explains Roth. Seth CaplanPortola Paints’ Cigarro creates a cozy feeling in the bathroom, which was completed with an RH vanity, Rejuvenation medicine cabinet, and Ethnik Living sconce. Seth CaplanOne of Gooding’s requests was a sleeper sofa for guests, so Roth added one from American Leather in the den. The built-in shelving can double as nightstands, Roth explains. Seth Caplan