See Inside Malin Akerman's Moroccan-Inspired Family Home in L.A.: 'I Feel Like a Queen'

Malin Akerman is kicking off the new year with a whole new vibe for her Los Angeles home.

The Billions actress brightened up the house she shares with husband Jack Donnelly, 33, and her 6-year-old son Sebastian, filling the space with pops of color and chic organizers to prepare for the year ahead.

“The start of the year is a perfect time to hit refresh on your home,” Akerman tells PEOPLE.

The Swedish actress, 41, who partnered with HomeGoods on the design, describes her style as “Moroccan and rustic with a bit of modern elegance,” adding, “I love to mix and match various styles to form one cohesive look in my home.”

After falling in love with a pair of blue velvet chairs with brass frames on a recent trip to the affordable decor store, Akerman knew they’d make the perfect statement piece for her entertainment room. “Not only are they super comfortable, they served as the main style inspiration for the space and helped bring my vision to life,” she explains. “Sitting in those, I feel like a queen in my own house.”

The entertaining room, BEFORE (above) and AFTER (below)

Building off of the chairs, Akerman added “lots of throws and pillows” to the room, making sure the vibe “felt cozy and sophisticated” while still keeping with the “earthy” tones of the rest of her house.

Now, she and Donnelly — whom she married in Tulum, Mexico, in December 2018 — are so smitten with the space that “it’s almost like a fight” over who gets to use it, as it’s part movie-theatre and part home-office. “We’ve gotta time it out now,” she laughs.

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“We actually removed our television from the living room upstairs because now all we want to do is watch TV and movies down there, which is great. It just feels like we actually have a livable space that we all want to be in,” she adds of the cozy updates to the room, which include a popcorn machine and “snack station” atop her new credenza.

Using affordable storage units from the celebrity-favorite home décor destination, Akerman also transformed her son’s room into a space that allows him to explore his creative side while staying organized.

Sebastian’s room, BEFORE

“Sebastian thinks he’s an inventor and a scientist,” Akerman gushes of her son, whom she shares with ex-husband Roberto Zincone. The 6-year-old’s environmental interests have created something of a clutter problem for his mom: “I’m not allowed to throw away anything and his room is just full of recyclables,” she explains with a laugh.

“He accumulates so much stuff,” she continues, revealing that her “biggest obstacle in life is organization,” which becomes more difficult “when you have a kid — it’s hard to keep up with them and pick up after them.”

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With the help of colorful and durable new storage cubes (which she points out start at just $15 each), “all of a sudden we know where everything is,” she laughs. “I knew they’d make it easy for him to organize his toys on his own, and bonus, they still look stylish on his shelves.”

Sebastian’s room, after

Sebastian is delighted with his new room too, which also features wizard-themed bedding as he and his mom are currently reading the Harry Potter series together. “He walked in and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so excited in my life,” she says, proudly noting that he remembered to thank everyone who helped his dream room become a reality. “He spent hours in his room that day and he thanked everyone from HomeGoods that was there.”

When it comes to revamping your own place, the 27 Dresses actress has a few tips to keep in mind: “You don’t have to do it all in one day,” she tells PEOPLE. “Start with the key pieces and build outward.”