Robert Downey Jr. Jokes He's a 'Fledgling Interior Designer' Who Believes in Sage and Incense (Exclusive)
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"There's two kinds of people and I'm the kind that cares about drapes," the Oscar winner told PEOPLE
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Robert Downey Jr.Robert Downey Jr. is a man of many talents.
On the heels of winning his first Academy Award this month for his performance in Oppenheimer, Downey is revealing a secret passion: interior design.
In PEOPLE’s latest cover story, the 58-year-old actor and his wife, Susan Downey, share how they’ve built a home and life together throughout their nearly two-decade marriage, with some jokes from Robert about his decor sensibilities.
"I love when I can ask her if she thinks we should paint the kitchen a different color or maybe put a new rug in her office," Robert says of his wife and their household.
"I'm not saying that I'm like a fledgling interior designer, but there's two kinds of people and I'm the kind that cares about the drapes," cracks the star, who next tackles four roles in the HBO espionage drama The Sympathizer (out April 14).
That means even the hotel room the couple checked into prior to Robert's big night at the Academy Awards got a quick makeover from the star.
"Even when we just checked into the hotel where we got ready, [Susan] comes in, she puts down her purse, she sits down and she starts,” says Robert. “I have a 85-point process of making the room our own.”
His efforts included an assessment of the room's adjacent patio. "I was outside, I was rearranging furniture," he says. "I mean, it's pretty freaky.”
Robert even added “sage” and “incense," to the mix, Susan, 50, says. "It was a little musty in there," The Avengers actor cracks. "So I feel like I’m in charge of the... “
“Ambiance,” Susan says, finishing her husband’s sentence.
“Yeah, I'm the ambiance guy," Robert quips.
Susan tells PEOPLE their children are the priority when it comes to their home life, where her husband leads dinnertime fun with improv and word games. The couple share daughter Avri Roel, 9, and son Exton Elias, 12. Robert is also dad to son Indio, 30, from a previous marriage.
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Robert Downey Jr.“Whatever we built — and the wonderful cast of characters that we get to have kind of circulating through lunches and dinners and hanging at our house — for the kids, it's just built a really safe space for them to figure out who they are and express themselves,” she says. “And that's the part I love.”
For more on Robert Downey Jr., pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands now.
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Read the original article on People.
