We've already established that Susan Kelechi Watson, who plays Beth Pearson on NBC's This Is Us, is actually the queen of the hit series, but we recently had a chance to chat with the actress over the phone, and it only strengthened our love for her. The success of the show prompted the Brooklyn native to relocate to the West Coast while filming, and she's now the proud owner of an apartment in LA. Watson has teamed up with HomeGoods to revamp her new digs and shared with us her design tips and why she believes creating a stable home is the reason Beth and Randall will never get a divorce. Check out our exclusive interview ahead.
POPSUGAR: The This Is Us finale just aired. What was your reaction when you read the script and saw that Jack Pearson would appear as an older man? Susan Kelechi Watson: I was able to see Milo [Ventimiglia] in the old age makeup, and it was bananas! There's something so heartwarming about imagining, 'What if Jack made it as an older man?' That tugged at all of my heartstrings. Who doesn't want to imagine a world where Jack lived?
PS: Would you like to see Beth as an older women? SKW: Sure! I would be down. It's a long process [though], so I would really have to buckle in. I've seen the [cast] do it enough times. Mandy Moore is the queen of it. It was a five-hour process that they have gotten down to about three. I've seen Sterling [K. Brown] and Jon [Huertas] do it too, so it feels a little less daunting.
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Image Source: Harry Van Gorkum for HomeGoods
PS: Randall and Beth have gone through a lot of ups and downs on the show lately. What do you think is the one thing that keeps them from getting a divorce? SKW: I think that a good home environment can do that. When you create a home, you want it to be a place where you have a sense of peace and you get energy from it. Home should be where your team is. And [Randall and Beth] have that. It's the kind of [marriage] that we all want.
PS: How is your West Coast home aesthetically different from Beth and Randall's home on the show? SKW: It's smaller. [Laughs] Mine definitely has more of an Afrocentric feel. That's something that's very important to me. I like feeling my culture and vibe in my home. I am of Jamaican descent, and I like having a bit of a Caribbean feel to it. There's a painting by Jamaican artist Kitwana Robinson that is very near and dear to me, and I wanted to design everything sort of around that. All the little Afrocentric touches are different from my home on This Is Us. Now mind you, from season one to season two, there have been some slight changes that have been brought in, things that more reflect black culture on set. For me, I definitely wanted that to be a part of my home aesthetic.
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Image Source: Harry Van Gorkum for HomeGoods
PS: What was the most fun part of the remodeling process since moving to LA? SKW: It has been truly amazing. Just to have the opportunity to run free in HomeGoods and find those treasures that I wanted. It was just a dream. Partnering with HomeGoods was the perfect storm because I had the opportunity to furnish my place when I didn't have the time to do it. Also, the quality and luxury of the items at such great value . . . I feel like HomeGoods is a place that most anyone can walk into and find something that they can take away with them and they don't feel like they broke the bank and it's [pieces] that can last a really long time.
PS: Is there a specific home trend you've always been afraid to try that you took a risk on when redesigning your apartment this time around? SKW: There's a thing going on in my dining area with two different rugs. I always wanted to do something like that, but I never did it because I was always afraid that it was going to clash or it was going to be weird or I'm not going to find two rugs that I like, but they did it and it really does separate the space! It's not super matchy. It just feels like this is the dining room area, this is the living room area. And it's inspiring the room in a really great way.
PS: Is there a piece of home decor you feel every cozy home should have? SKW: Throw pillows. You gotta have your throw pillows. If you don't have more than 15 throw pillows, you don't have enough! [Laughs] I'm a candle girl. I just love having them around, especially scented candles. A beautiful warm scent makes the home so much more cozy and zen and relaxing. And then flowers and plants. They give [every home] life. Those are good little additions that make the place feel like home.
![POPSUGAR: The This Is Us finale just aired. What was your reaction when you read the script and saw that Jack Pearson would appear as an older man?
Susan Kelechi Watson: I was able to see Milo [Ventimiglia] in the old age makeup, and it was bananas! There's something so heartwarming about imagining, 'What if Jack made it as an older man?' That tugged at all of my heartstrings. Who doesn't want to imagine a world where Jack lived?
PS: Would you like to see Beth as an older women?
SKW: Sure! I would be down. It's a long process [though], so I would really have to buckle in. I've seen the [cast] do it enough times. Mandy Moore is the queen of it. It was a five-hour process that they have gotten down to about three. I've seen Sterling [K. Brown] and Jon [Huertas] do it too, so it feels a little less daunting.](https://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/thumbor/kCe1SnY_nirREMfY7CenZzM8_wQ/fit-in/1024x1024/filters:format_auto-!!-:strip_icc-!!-/2018/03/09/920/n/1922398/38c1db725aa2f6fa80ca30.89882437_SKW_Portrait_8_/i/POPSUGAR-Us-finale-just-aired.jpg "POPSUGAR: The This Is Us finale just aired. What was your reaction when you read the script and saw that Jack Pearson would appear as an older man?
Susan Kelechi Watson: I was able to see Milo [Ventimiglia] in the old age makeup, and it was bananas! There's something so heartwarming about imagining, 'What if Jack made it as an older man?' That tugged at all of my heartstrings. Who doesn't want to imagine a world where Jack lived?
PS: Would you like to see Beth as an older women?
SKW: Sure! I would be down. It's a long process [though], so I would really have to buckle in. I've seen the [cast] do it enough times. Mandy Moore is the queen of it. It was a five-hour process that they have gotten down to about three. I've seen Sterling [K. Brown] and Jon [Huertas] do it too, so it feels a little less daunting.")
![PS: Randall and Beth have gone through a lot of ups and downs on the show lately. What do you think is the one thing that keeps them from getting a divorce?
SKW: I think that a good home environment can do that. When you create a home, you want it to be a place where you have a sense of peace and you get energy from it. Home should be where your team is. And [Randall and Beth] have that. It's the kind of [marriage] that we all want.
PS: How is your West Coast home aesthetically different from Beth and Randall's home on the show?
SKW: It's smaller. [Laughs] Mine definitely has more of an Afrocentric feel. That's something that's very important to me. I like feeling my culture and vibe in my home. I am of Jamaican descent, and I like having a bit of a Caribbean feel to it. There's a painting by Jamaican artist Kitwana Robinson that is very near and dear to me, and I wanted to design everything sort of around that. All the little Afrocentric touches are different from my home on This Is Us. Now mind you, from season one to season two, there have been some slight changes that have been brought in, things that more reflect black culture on set. For me, I definitely wanted that to be a part of my home aesthetic.](https://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/thumbor/rzR8RcLEgamUN8t7w09SNSJ4aiw/fit-in/1024x1024/filters:format_auto-!!-:strip_icc-!!-/2018/03/09/920/n/1922398/06f317d15aa2f6fbb6f6f9.09006280_SKW_Portrait_3_/i/PS-Randall-Beth-have-gone-through-lot-ups-downs.jpg "PS: Randall and Beth have gone through a lot of ups and downs on the show lately. What do you think is the one thing that keeps them from getting a divorce?
SKW: I think that a good home environment can do that. When you create a home, you want it to be a place where you have a sense of peace and you get energy from it. Home should be where your team is. And [Randall and Beth] have that. It's the kind of [marriage] that we all want.
PS: How is your West Coast home aesthetically different from Beth and Randall's home on the show?
SKW: It's smaller. [Laughs] Mine definitely has more of an Afrocentric feel. That's something that's very important to me. I like feeling my culture and vibe in my home. I am of Jamaican descent, and I like having a bit of a Caribbean feel to it. There's a painting by Jamaican artist Kitwana Robinson that is very near and dear to me, and I wanted to design everything sort of around that. All the little Afrocentric touches are different from my home on This Is Us. Now mind you, from season one to season two, there have been some slight changes that have been brought in, things that more reflect black culture on set. For me, I definitely wanted that to be a part of my home aesthetic.")
![PS: What was the most fun part of the remodeling process since moving to LA?
SKW: It has been truly amazing. Just to have the opportunity to run free in HomeGoods and find those treasures that I wanted. It was just a dream. Partnering with HomeGoods was the perfect storm because I had the opportunity to furnish my place when I didn't have the time to do it. Also, the quality and luxury of the items at such great value . . . I feel like HomeGoods is a place that most anyone can walk into and find something that they can take away with them and they don't feel like they broke the bank and it's [pieces] that can last a really long time.
PS: Is there a specific home trend you've always been afraid to try that you took a risk on when redesigning your apartment this time around?
SKW: There's a thing going on in my dining area with two different rugs. I always wanted to do something like that, but I never did it because I was always afraid that it was going to clash or it was going to be weird or I'm not going to find two rugs that I like, but they did it and it really does separate the space! It's not super matchy. It just feels like this is the dining room area, this is the living room area. And it's inspiring the room in a really great way.
PS: Is there a piece of home decor you feel every cozy home should have?
SKW: Throw pillows. You gotta have your throw pillows. If you don't have more than 15 throw pillows, you don't have enough! [Laughs] I'm a candle girl. I just love having them around, especially scented candles. A beautiful warm scent makes the home so much more cozy and zen and relaxing. And then flowers and plants. They give [every home] life. Those are good little additions that make the place feel like home.](https://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/thumbor/lHFkYA2JGfW5fW3sTIzW2oOkPag/fit-in/1024x1024/filters:format_auto-!!-:strip_icc-!!-/2018/03/09/801/n/1922398/267735bcbbc39f52_SKW_Portrait_9_/i/PS-What-most-fun-part-remodeling-process-since-moving.jpg "PS: What was the most fun part of the remodeling process since moving to LA?
SKW: It has been truly amazing. Just to have the opportunity to run free in HomeGoods and find those treasures that I wanted. It was just a dream. Partnering with HomeGoods was the perfect storm because I had the opportunity to furnish my place when I didn't have the time to do it. Also, the quality and luxury of the items at such great value . . . I feel like HomeGoods is a place that most anyone can walk into and find something that they can take away with them and they don't feel like they broke the bank and it's [pieces] that can last a really long time.
PS: Is there a specific home trend you've always been afraid to try that you took a risk on when redesigning your apartment this time around?
SKW: There's a thing going on in my dining area with two different rugs. I always wanted to do something like that, but I never did it because I was always afraid that it was going to clash or it was going to be weird or I'm not going to find two rugs that I like, but they did it and it really does separate the space! It's not super matchy. It just feels like this is the dining room area, this is the living room area. And it's inspiring the room in a really great way.
PS: Is there a piece of home decor you feel every cozy home should have?
SKW: Throw pillows. You gotta have your throw pillows. If you don't have more than 15 throw pillows, you don't have enough! [Laughs] I'm a candle girl. I just love having them around, especially scented candles. A beautiful warm scent makes the home so much more cozy and zen and relaxing. And then flowers and plants. They give [every home] life. Those are good little additions that make the place feel like home.")
