Inside Reese Witherspoon’s Technicolor Office

The A-lister’s production studio is all about empowering women.
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You might think that as an Oscar-winning actress who also has an Emmy under her belt for her producing role on HBO’s Big Little Lies, Reese Witherspoon would look to top Hollywood stars for career inspiration. But it turns out, her role models are refreshingly far from the red carpet. “Eleanor Roosevelt has always inspired me. She was so outspoken and astute,” says Witherspoon—who, in 2016, cofounded Hello Sunshine, a cross-platform multimedia company dedicated to telling female-driven narratives. (A true entrepreneur extraordinaire, she also launched the clothing line Draper James in 2015.)

For someone known for portraying headstrong leading ladies in such films as Election, Legally Blonde, Walk the Line, and Wild, the new initiative came out of necessity. “Once I started looking around, I realized there weren’t a lot of interesting stories for women, by women, or about women,” says Witherspoon. “There is so much more to the female experience.”

Black Portrait
Vase, Dining Table, Desk Chair: all Crate & Barrel; MDS Mixed Media on Canvas by Catherine Booker Jones, Anne Irwin Fine Art. On Witherspoon: Blouse, Chloé; Skirt, Roland Mouret; Earrings and Rings, Shylee Rose. Photography by JASON FRANK ROTHENBERG

The first step was to stake out a headquarters, which Witherspoon found in a huge, raw space in Santa Monica with “great natural light” and lots of potential. She knew that in order for Hello Sunshine to thrive, the company needed to eschew a traditional office layout in favor of an “easy environment where everybody feels very comfortable.”

Employees don’t have dedicated desks; instead, people can flow through the sun-drenched rooms and gather wherever they feel most inspired. “We are constantly meeting with actors, writers, and producers,” explains Witherspoon. “The office is really an open space for women to work together. There are famous authors next to 20-year-old pop stars.”

Blue Study
From Crate & Barrel: Grayson Chair, $1,099; Nero Accent Table, $269; Kora Tall Vase, $100; Rati Vase, $25; Circle Stand Large, $70; Circle Stand Small, $50; Hello Light-Up Sign, Land of Nod, $119. Photography by JASON FRANK ROTHENBERG

To conceptualize key areas, Cynthia Rupeka, director of strategy and operations, worked closely with Witherspoon and Crate & Barrel. “Female storytellers and complex female protagonists are at the core of the company,” says Rupeka, who is also in charge of growing Reese’s Book Club by Hello Sunshine, an online community that Witherspoon began in 2016, where she posts her favorite reads on Instagram (Witherspoon’s current faves: Ann Patchett’s Truth and Beauty and Francesca Segal’s The Awkward Age).

“We knew that we wanted a huge bookshelf on one of the big blank walls,” adds Rupeka, an idea they made a reality by turning to Crate & Barrel, which codesigned and outfitted the entire space with furnishings like a mid-century–style credenza and a solid walnut conference table. Witherspoon launched a partnership with the brand (which now carries select Draper James items), and debuted a tabletop and entertaining collection in spring 2018. “It’s full of pieces that elevate hosting and gathering,” the actress explains.

White and Wood Entryway
The hiking boots in Witherspoon’s office is the same pair she wore in Wild, for which she nabbed an Oscar nomination for best actress. From Crate & Barrel: Blake Media Console, $1,499; Mactan Stone Table Lamp, $199; Kiwi Bird, $33; Trystan Rug, $999; Hayes Wine Cooler, $45. Photography by JASON FRANK ROTHENBERG

Always striving to bring people together, Witherspoon champions a collaborative spirit wherever she goes—and literally beams positive vibes from the Hello Sunshine office walls. “We have a neon sign that captures the values of the business: Optimism, humor, curiosity, generosity, honesty,” she says. Another wall is dedicated to the team’s favorite quotes, with words from Beyoncé, Michelle Obama, and Joni Mitchell, among others, typed on pieces of paper and pinned up to create the ultimate literary mood board.

Further channeling a place for bright ideas, a painted triangle of yellow “light” carries over to a potted fern, dipping the leaves in the same sunny hue. The concept came from Pinterest, says Witherspoon, who is “obsessed” with the platform. “It’s where I find a lot of my inspiration,” she notes.

Even the layout of the kitchen encourages constant ideation. “It’s communal,” says Rupeka. “There are small tables and little corner nooks you can escape to. People are always having spontaneous meetings.” 

White and Yellow Vignette
“Women need to be at the forefront of telling their own stories,” says Witherspoon. From Crate & Barrel: Mercer Serving Bowl, $20; French Kitchen Lazy Susan, $100; French Kitchen Wine Cooler, $30; Wood Marble Covered Server, $60; Parsons Dining Table, $989. Photography by JASON FRANK ROTHENBERG

Blue and Red Portrait
On Witherspoon: Louise Sweater Dress, Draper James; Pumps, Christian Louboutin; Earrings and Bracelets, Jennifer Meyer; Ring, EF Collection. Hair by Kylee Heath; Makeup by Molly Stern; Styling by Petra Flannery; Flowers by Velvet Leaf Studio. Photography by JASON FRANK ROTHENBERG

But Witherspoon has no plans to slow down anytime soon. She’s about to star in Apple TV’s much-awaited The Morning Show, alongside Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell. In mid-2018, Hello Sunshine rolled out an OnDemand Channel with an original talk show–style series starring Witherspoon. We’re still waiting on intel for the second season, but we have no doubt she’ll be doing what she does best: embodying female power in all its beauty and complexity.

“At the end of the day, that’s really our focus,” says the actress of her new venture. “Women need to be at the forefront of telling their own stories.”

Blue and White Living room
The team assembled their most gawky photos for a lighter take on a gallery wall. Photography by JASON FRANK ROTHENBERG

Blue and White Living room
From Crate & Barrel: Era Coffee Table, $499; Sisal Almond Rug, $299; Cullen II Apartment Sofa Photography by JASON FRANK ROTHENBERG

This story originally appeared in the Winter 2017 issue of Domino, titled “Here Comes the Sun.”

See more inspiring offices: Outdoor Voices’s New Office Will Make You Want to Work There Inside the Domino Office, Where Good Vibes Rule Rachel Zoe’s Office Is a Wellness-Focused Haven

Kate Berry Avatar

Kate Berry

Chief Creative Officer

Kate Berry is the chief creative officer at Domino, guiding the brand’s visuals, design, and experiential offerings. Finding and capturing inspiring spaces and building Domino into a must-visit digital destination takes her all across the United States, but her home base is New York City, where she lives with her husband, Ian; their daughter, Quinn; and the beloved family cat, Charlie.