'Shane's New Crib'
From the set of his new movie, A Walk to Remember, to the set of his TV show, Once and Again, actor Shane West takes a day to hang with Teen in his new party pad. Now grab a soda and take a seat. Shane is about to play you a song on his guitar.
Teen: When you were in high school and pictured your own place, is this the house you imagined?
Shane: My dream back then was to have a gigantic house. I wanted a pool inside the living room, with a bathroom on the side so you could walk into the house, change immediately, then get into a sunken pool. I also wanted a firepole so I could just slide down. I think that was the extent of my teenage home fantasies.
T: Interesting. Is that stuff still on your wish list?
SW: I'm always going to be a kid at heart, so I could see myself having the firepole. And I still love toys.
T: Now that your own place is a reality, what's your most important "grown-up Shane" decorating priority?
SW: I think a nice, big, comfortable bed is important.
T: Should we finish this interview there? Totally kidding. What else is key in the Shane School of Decor?
SW: I like things that make a room more comfortable but are interesting as well. I'm a fan of having a photo wall because I'm out of control with how many pictures I have of all my friends. I want to make a wall of photos, not necessarily framing them, but putting them on a poster, like a collage. I'm into knick-knacks and vintage movie posters, too. And I plan on getting a full-size arcade video game for my room. I'm a big Galaga fan -- that's a classic arcade game.
T: Galaga rules. What are all these other little toys?
SW: The toys are from when I was being raised. There are not many toys from the year 2000 and on. I was a big Masters of the Universe and He-Man fan, so I have a ton of those all over the place. I like stuff from the early '80s because I thought those were the best cartoons. I don't think any of the cartoons now are anywhere near as cool.
T: Yet no Strawberry Shortcake dolls. Baffling!
SW: [smiles] No, but I actually like that stuff. My sister had it all: Rainbow Brite, My Little Pony.
T: My Little Pony was stupid. All there was to do was comb Pony's hair with My Little Comb.
SW: That's cool for some girls. Even as a guy I think that stuff is much cooler than what girls have now. Back then, the guys were playing with He-Man, Transformers, GI Joe and Thunder Cats. It was much simpler. Toys are so elaborate nowadays that I'd be afraid to buy one if I had a kid. I'd be worried that it would break in five seconds.
T: Do you worry visitors will think the toys are childish?
SW: Yeah, that is a problem. During the teen years it's kind of hard to do your own thing, and I know I was a little worried back then. Even now, I still get teased about it. But I don't care. I tell people to stick to what they want. If a girl wants toys around, do it. You might get teased sometimes, but usually people will look at you and think how cool it is. They probably think about doing the same thing but they just don't.
T: Got it. Any decor strategies to balance the toys?
SW: I'm into heavy, dark oak [furniture]. It may look dark and manly or whatever, but it's got a warm feel to it. I like to mix the oak furniture with vintage stuff.
T: Is this your first pad?
SW: This is actually my fourth place. I moved out when I was 18, and I'm 23 now.
T: What are the big plans for the space?
SW: I have a band called Average Jo, so one of the rooms is going to be a band room. We play music much in the same vein as New Found Glory and blink-182. I sing and play guitar. We'll jam here but I'm not sure these walls can handle it. I'll probably sound-proof it. Even though I bought the place I could still get in trouble.
T: Awesome. What's not here now that you want to buy?
SW: I don't mind shopping -- I'm probably one of the few guys that are that way. The living room is where I keep the stereo and TV, so I just sit on my couch, eat there, watch TV there, I do everything there. I'll eventually add a pool table in the living room and make it a fun place.
T: Is this going to turn into a guy's party house?
SW: I guess it could be. I'll definitely have parties here.
T: When you were working with Mandy Moore on A Walk to Remember, was it lonely living on location?
SW: I have no problem being alone. I need it sometimes. I think everyone needs alone time. But I got really close to Mandy Moore and the rest of the cast. It's funny, this film crew was very much like a family, and none of us wanted to leave North Carolina.
T: Why will teens want to go see this movie?
SW: I play a guy who's basically the rebel popular guy. He meets a girl, Mandy, and she's the "nerd" that was made fun of most of her life. She helps me, and we fall in love. There's a big ending, which I won't tell you about.
T: It sounds like you're the type of person who makes a home for yourself wherever you are.
SW: Maybe it's because of my upbringing. We moved all over the place. It didn't matter what city we were in, we just always had to get a new place. And being from Louisiana, I'm a very meat-and-potatoes type of guy, so I take whatever I grew up with along with me.
T: Is there something that symbolizes home?
SW: Actually, it's my dresser. It was my uncle's dresser when he was 12, and now it's mine. It's managed to survive all this time. It's not anything special-looking, but it's special to me because he had it forever and now I've had it forever, since I was 9. I thought I might get rid of it at my last place, but I couldn't. It feels like home.
T: Last question: Are you a homebody?
SW: I'm about 50/50 on that. When I was a teen, I hung out in my room a lot. I had my little TV, a nice warm bed, my music and comic books and baseball cards. That was all I needed. Now I love being at home, but I'm also a nightbird, so I love to sleep all day and go out at night.