Celebrity Homes with Suzanne Sena
"Wild Colors"
First broadcast: November 13, 2000
E! Entertainment Network

Suzanne Sena:  Exploring strange new worlds is all in a day's work for actor Robert Duncan McNeill, who plays Lieutenant Tom Paris in the space epic Star Trek Voyager. Although he travels aboard a spaceship to distant galaxies, the home he shares with his wife and three kids is a little more down to earth.

Robert Duncan McNeill:  When we bought the house, it looked like a Brady Bunch house. It was a split level ranch, the garage, the bedrooms upstairs, very kind of 70's looking. We talked about what we could do to keep some of that family feel, that Brady Bunch feel, but update it and bring some of our own likes to the house.

We decided to renovate the house, make it a little bigger. So we went for a California Cape Cod style -- it's a mish-mash of things. You know, it has a bit of a beach-y feel, sort of a creative gallery, artsy feel. Things are very open, very airy.

SS:  Once the remodeling was complete, Robert turned his attention to the decor which he kept simple and family friendly.

RDM:  We have three kids, so our lives revolve around family activities and we want things that are durable. Everything is kind of country. I wouldn't say too country, but we have a lot of real comfortable, natural pieces.

Follow me to the kitchen. Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?

This is our renovated kitchen. When we bought the house it was kind of a small kitchen and we wanted something that was really open. It's got a breakfast area with stools. And see these beams up here? (Points to beams crossing the ceiling, below a peaked gable with a skylight.) When we were renovating, we started opening up the walls and we saw how these beams looked, kind of cool, really, we liked how the light came through from the skylight. So we decided to leave the beams and we wrapped them in new wood and finished them a little differently.

There used to be a door to the backyard and it was right about here. (Standing at the beginning of the family room area.) We decided to add this room since that's where the door was, so we added the family room here.

We got this piece of furniture (indicates a natural knotty-pine dry kitchen) when we were first married, and it was the perfect holder for all sorts of messy things (opens top cabinet to show a stereo setup.) It holds our tapes, and our TV down here (opens lower cabinet to show TV.) See? So we don't have to have a TV sitting out in the middle of the room, because we hate that look. So we just hide it away. (Closes cabinet doors.) See? No TV!

The playroom -- the kids' room -- was originally the master bedroom. We converted it into this kids' toy area, a play area. (Shows room with massive Brio setup in the middle, lots of toys all around, an electronic piano in the corner.) My daughter loves to sing, so we have an electric piano in there. (Picks up a drum from next to the piano.) This is kinda neat, a fun thing here. This is a bongo drum signed by Ricky Martin. This says, "Good luck, all the best." Okay? We live la vida loca here.

Look what we have here (points to a framed copy of the Hirschfeld drawing of the Star Trek: Voyager cast hanging on the wall above the piano.) This is Star Trek: Voyager. Who's this cute guy right here? Wait a minute -- that looks like me! This is a Hirshfeld drawing. You know, I spent over ten years in New York doing theatre and one of my dreams was to be drawn by Hirshfeld. When I got Star Trek: Voyager, he did this drawing of us, and my dream finally came true.

Come with me... we're in the master bedroom. (Assumes fake British Lord voice.) The Maaaster. That would be me, the Maaaster. I am the master of the house. (Back to normal voice.) Anyway, we added this room here. This is our bed. We had this bed done exactly how we wanted it. We like this country, white-washed feel, so we had this designed just for this room. And we had this piece (indicates an armoire next to the bed) designed just for this room, a matching armoire.

Now we are in the master bathroom. One of the things I like about this is this room right here. Our architect designed this wet room -- I'm going to step inside (opens door to glass-enclosed, tiled area containing a shower and tub.)

This is the wet room. What I love about it is you got your shower up here so you can do your shower, and you got the big oversized bathtub over here. So we take all the kids and throw them in the bath, take a quick shower, and then pull them out. And it's all in this wet room area. You don't have to get anyting wet, you don't have to make a mess, and then you (stops talking, leans over, and makes a smootchy fish kiss on the glass.) My kids love to do that!

Come on in, follow me in here. (Opens door to an office area.) Wait a minute -- what is this? I got E Entertainment on! (Points to small television on the desk.) Always have to have your E Entertainment on!

We're in my office right now. It's one of my favorite spots to be, because it's like a tree house. It's on a corner, and there's windows wrapping around both sides. It's just a comfortable place to spend time.

SS:  After spending so much time renovating the home's interior, Robert decided that the exterior could use a little TLC.

RDM:  We live on an old-fashioned family cul-de-sac, with lots of kids around, and we were always spending time in the front yard. So we added the front porch just to give us a place to hang out. It's got a picket fence around the front porch, and adirondack chairs out there. It's a very East Coast kind of feel.

Every little part of this house was a big decision to us. We conceived it and designed it -- every detail, every color of paint. We didn't just buy it made the way it was. I'm very proud we created this very unique home.

Coda over Credits: (Back in Robbie's office, where's he's picked up a baseball from the desk.) I also have my Greg Maddox signed baseball. "To Robbie, Best Wishes, Mr. Greg Maddox." I'm a huge Braves fan.

I directed Star Trek: Voyager. (Picks up clapper slate imprinted with Star Trek: Voyager and Robbie's name.) See, there's my name. This was my very first episode, production number 40840/143. I made my directing debut on Star Trek: Voyager, and they gave me the slate to keep. (Claps slate.) Action!