Mark Ruffalo uses this ornament to elevate his curb appeal

The actor's upstate hideaway has a vegetable garden, barn, and a front porch – the latter comes with an unexpected twist

Following his roles in 13 Going on 30, Now You See Me, and, most recently, She-Hulk, Wisconsin-born Mark Ruffalo is naturally associated with Hollywood glamor – as is his actress wife, Sunrise Coigney.

However, despite their Los Angeles connections, the award-winning actors live a rural life on a 50-acre plot in New York's Sullivan County.

And on the couple's front porch? A carved bear.

In an interview with NOWNESS, in which the keen environmentalist introduced readers to the objects that decorate his front porch – Mark Ruffalo shared that his friend Forest Myers made the carved bear that stands as a talking point outside his home.

'He lives in the area, and he's a fairly significant American modern sculptor in his 60s who was basically our first friend up here,' the actor says. 'Eventually, it found its way into one of Sunrise's little "living collages", which is what you see on the front porch.'

Myers is most known for his pieces Moon Museum (1969) and The Wall (1973), the latter of the two is a monumental wall sculpture in SoHo, New York City.

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Next to the bear, Mark describes a 'root chair,' also designed by a local artist who makes furniture out of found wood and other objects that may have otherwise gone to waste.

'There's an old-fashioned milk canister that's filled with walking sticks that Sunny got at a garage sale,' Mark adds. 'We [also] have turkey feathers and deer bones the kids have found on the property.'

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Beyond the porch and the front yard, Ruffalo's estate comes with a vegetable garden, more carved wooden animal sculptures, and an eco house suitable for guests.

The actor chose to live in a small space, almost completely influenced by the natural world around the family, surrounded by the Catskill Mountains. 'There's a lot of quiet in the country, and there's a lot of quietness in my children,' the actor says. In this case, we think the bear sculpture is entirely fitting.

Megan is the News and Trends Editor at Homes & Gardens. She first joined Future Plc as a News Writer across their interiors titles, including Livingetc and Real Homes. As the News Editor, she often focuses on emerging microtrends, sleep and wellbeing stories, and celebrity-focused pieces. Before joining Future, Megan worked as a News Explainer at The Telegraph, following her MA in International Journalism at the University of Leeds. During her BA in English Literature and Creative Writing, she gained writing experience in the US while studying in New York. Megan also focused on travel writing during her time living in Paris, where she produced content for a French travel site. She currently lives in London with her antique typewriter and an expansive collection of houseplants.

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