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DESIGNERS DISH ON THE WILD WORLD OF CELEBRITY HOMES
Celebrity homes are known for their extravagance and style, but what’s it really like to design these spaces?
From over-the-top client requests
to surprisingly down-to-earth needs, six top interior designers share their firsthand experiences crafting
sanctuaries for the rich and famous.
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“I don’t view or treat clients any differently, even if they’re well-known... The journey is an honest one, no matter who the client is.” |
BRIGETTE ROMANEK
Clients: Gwyneth Paltrow, Beyoncé, Demi Moore
This L.A.-based interior designer, an Ellen’s Next Great Designer judge, has a star-studded list of clients. However, she insists that designing for celebrities is no different than for anyone else. “I have the same honest conversations with all my clients and give them my true opinions,” she says, noting she’ll never become a “yes-person” just because a client is famous. Romanek focuses on listening and personalizing each project to reflect the client’s individuality. The process, she emphasizes, must be honest and collaborative for every client – “no matter who the client is.”
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| “A lot of my clients are not going to want 26 disco balls in their living room, but RuPaul loved it.” |
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MARTYN LAWRENCE BULLARD
Clients: Cher, Elton John, the Kardashians, RuPaul
A Los Angeles-based interior designer celebrated for his opulent, theatrical style, Bullard has notably decorated the home of fashion and celebrity icon RuPaul. In a People interview, Bullard shared the above lighthearted anecdote to illustrate the over-the-top requests he sometimes gets from A-list clients. He also revealed transforming multiple bedrooms into a 5,000 sq. ft. closet for RuPaul’s gowns, proving that in celebrity homes, it's exciting to design “extraordinary things that other people wouldn’t necessarily have." |
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“We work with a lot of actors who know what it feels like to want creative freedom, so they’re good at giving it to us,” noted Louisa Pierce. “They like to be involved without necessarily dominating things.” |
EMILY WARD & LOUISA PIERCE
Clients: Dakota Johnson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Taylor Swift
Co-founders of the celebrated design firm Pierce & Ward, these two recently brought their signature style to actress Emma Roberts’s Los Angeles home. Ward described the project as a deeply collaborative effort, creating a “grown-up dollhouse” that feels both lived-in and elegant. The design features warm ivory walls, collected antiques, and playful yet personal touches that reflect Roberts’s personality. With a growing list of celebrity clients, Ward and Pierce find that projects are most rewarding when clients, like Roberts, are actively involved and bring their own creative vision to the table.
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| "They want a sanctuary. Not to be ostentatious. No one would come to me for a blinged-out house. … It’s not the 90's when it was all ‘the bigger, the better.’ Houses now are about quality, warmth and richness." |
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JAKE ARNOLD
Clients: John Legend & Chrissy Teigen, Dan Levy, Rashida Jones
Jake Arnold is a British-born interior designer in Hollywood and the co-founder of The Expert design platform. John Legend and Chrissy Teigen are among his most high profile clientele. In an interview, Arnold comments that today’s celebrity homeowners crave comfort over flash; his high-profile clients ask for homes that feel like sanctuaries, prioritizing quality, warmth and a sense of calm rather than ostentatious “blinged-out” décor. |
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