How TV judge Tanya Acker shortened her commute
My Favorite Room | Tanya Acker
When sizing up the Beverly Hills house that she and her husband were thinking about renting, TV judge Tanya Acker saw the home office and needed nothing further.
“It jumped out at me,” she said of the bright, high-ceilinged space. “I liked the idea of waking up, walking down the hallway and coming in here to work.”
In addition to serving on the daytime court show “Hot Bench,” syndicated by CBS Television Distribution, Acker juggles multiple projects when she’s not on set. She’s working on a book, developing a podcast, looking at some producing opportunities and is involved with a number of philanthropic causes.
Since she moved into the 4,000-square-foot house last summer, the office has become her favorite place to hang out — more so because she gets to gaze out at vistas that elicit fond memories.
What do you love most about this room?
I love a room that gives me such a good vantage from which to see so much of my hometown. I grew up in L.A. I was born right off the 101 in what used to be the Queen of Angels hospital. I can sit at this desk and see some of Hollywood, downtown and Santa Monica. This view reminds me of all the great things that are here.
There’s a lot of natural light in here.
One of the neat things about the house is that [former NBA great] Kareem Abdul-Jabbar lived here years ago. He remodeled it, hence these huge ceilings. It’s one of the things that makes it magical.
Did you have to do a lot of work on it?
The landlord takes such good care of the house that all we had to do was move in. This room had a mirror on the wall, and this beautiful lighting fixture that looks like it’s made from white daisies. There was nothing to do except put up some things to make this feel like home.
Such as?
I love this French 18th century desk. We found it years ago in Connecticut. I didn’t want my desk to be everybody’s desk and I felt that this was special. It’s functional, too. It has drawers. It’s not just old and pretty.
And the artwork?
I have a painting of an American flag that I picked up in Jackson, Wyo. I love the flag, and I love a good painting of one. There are a couple of pieces painted by an artist in Haiti. I work with an organization called Love Takes Root, which operates an orphanage and clinic in Haiti. I went there with two of my nieces and bought these paintings.
Where did the typewriter come from?
I picked it up at a silent auction. I’m on the board of the Western Justice Center, which promotes alternative dispute resolution. Tom Hanks donated the typewriter; he’d just done a movie about typewriters. It was an opportunity to support the center while being a good reminder about writing.
There seem to be a lot of special mementos in here.
There’s a plaque from some legislators in Alabama before the last election; I went around with my mom to do a get-out-the-vote tour and wrote and executive-produced some PSAs to get people to come out and vote. There’s a photo with my parents aboard the battleship USS Iowa; I’m a trustee of the board. It’s harbored here in San Pedro. Having a photo of my parents near me reminds me to watch my Ps and Qs.
How much did being a judge factor into how you decorated the space?
On the show we adjudicate disputes between landlords and tenants. So I knew not to get into a situation where I’m remodeling someone else’s home and then paying to redo things. Always make sure your landlord is OK before you put stuff on your wall.
