Surprising and Not-So-Surprising Celeb Home Interiors...

A recent Elle Decor photo caught my eye....Who knew that (teen-ish) style icon, Lauren Conrad lived in such a chic, sophisticated abode?  I loved viewing photos from her stylish and colorful Beverly Hills penthouse.  Candidly, I am not typically one to oogle over celeb lifestyle trends simply because a celeb is wearing or endorsing it.  On the contrary, I tend to avoid celeb-crazy trends that are either impractical or unflattering to me personally (seriously shoot me if you ever see me in a spandex dress, Doc Martens with floral sundress, or crop tops (hey, if you have the figure, more power to you!)) But, I do appreciate good design when I see it.

Soon after, I discovered more celeb home design inspiration...Some are from iconic design masters such as Kelly Wearstler, Rachel Zoe, and Ralph Lauren, while others are from more surprising sources (Kourtney Kardashian?) In any case, whether these celebs designed these spaces themselves or employed the service of a professional, each unique style is fun to admire.  AND, although many celebs clearly don't share the same budgets as us regular folk, you can always find inspiration in the design and seek more affordable sources elsewhere...Good design is never out of reach.  Enjoy!

Photos from Elle Decor, In Style, Architectural Digest... 

Lauren Conrad...love the feminine details in the tufted sofa and French chair, and the way the bold colors pop against the neutral backdrop of white walls and potted topiaries. Also, love the interesting mix of artwork.

Love the combo of organic materials and color palette with the exposed brick, leather poufs, fiddle-leaf fig (my favorite indoor plant), mixed with colorful accents in the kelly green garden stool and hot pink floral arrangement.

Her closet? Love the feminine details: brass light fixture, zebra printed hide, Parisian chair, stacked trunks, and bright white and mirrored walls...

How cool is this black lacquered bar area complete with Mid-Century barware and vintage bar accessories?

Her white kitchen with exposed shelves and subway tile is crisp and refreshing...

Of course only Kelly Wearstler would have such a gorgeous gemstone of a kitchen.  A honed marble mecca....so modern and sleek!

Kelly Wearstler's cool (decorative) puzzle design surf boards made from Walnut, Cherry, Koa, Ash, Birch, Douglas Fir, Wenge, White Oak, and South American woods...a mesmerizing accessory adding whimsy, pattern, and texture!

Kourtney Kardashian's black and white kitchen has so many things to love...from the brass hardware and pendants to the cool vintage bar stools to the chevron wallpaper to the black and white check MacKenzie Childs pieces, adore this space!

She is proving to be quite the design renegade!!  I love her cozy and colorful office as well..the color coded bookshelves seem to be a trend growing on me (but seriously, who has enough books in each color to accomplish this?), the funky vintage chairs salvaged from an old Mercedes dealership, and family-hand-me-down-table-repurposed-as-desk, all pulled together with the zebra printed hide and dark moody walls and trim? LOVE.

Apparently this is an 'anything' room with fun, quirky patterns, textures, and styles...from the modern hot pink chaise she acquired from her sister to the traditional armchairs and piano from her parents...love the pops of bold color against the black and white color scheme....and again below...

Again, love the bold, dynamic, graphic black and white patterns on wall stripe and floor, mixed with pops of bold colors and rich fabrics.  The mix of traditional and contemporary styles grounds the space and limits the modern-runaway-train....

Her nursery with adorable Madeline Weinrib rug, pink RL grasscloth wallpaper, and unexpected turquoise blue chandelier...make for a cozy space that is both whimsical and sophisticated!

Love Rachel Zoe's black and white kitchen....this seems to be a popular kitchen color scheme of the moment...very sleek and clean.  Also, note the large banquette with sprawling windows.  Scenic breakfast views!

Rachel Zoe's beautiful outdoor terrace (or could it be a greenhouse!?) is perfect for casual entertaining with an Al fresco vibe!

Love the green and gold dot wallpaper in this bedroom of Jaime King's home...I only wish she used it on all of the walls!

Amber Valletta's quaint office space with dark walls and trim, here in a moody-blue tone.  

Again, the color-coded bookshelves, so fun and colorful!

For good (celeb) measure, I had to include George Clooney's bar in his chic Los Cabos home, conveniently located adjacent to pals Randy Gerber and Cindy Crawford.

Another black and white kitchen in Jessica and Jerry Seinfeld's home...love the crisp clean feel.

As a slight contrast to the black and white ones above, Kenneth Cole's kitchen has more of an old world living room vibe with the warm, Persian rug (how brave in a kitchen!), custom La Glaciere wood refrigerator from France, and hammered copper island...I love this style even more for its unique and cozy vibes!!

Designer Jenni Kayne in her 'rustic chic' CA home...love the fresh white-cotton slipcovered banquette against the warm, organic, wood panel walls.

Beautiful, inviting entrance to her home with the wood beams, large windows, abundant foliage...

I am loving examples such as these, of over-scale art, particularly of enlarged photography of water or painted abstract scene...all the subtle blue tones create such a fantastic pop of 3D color in a space...

And last but certainly not least, for the 'Jack-of-all-design-trades,'  Ralph Lauren.  He employs so many distinctive, yet different styles...Here a photo of his Jamaican home...love the mix of styles (traditional/formal Persian rugs and chinoiserie blue and whites mixed with more casual wicker furniture, trunks, and relaxed, local foliage)

Love the neutral white backdrop with pops of bold color...And how about that awesome, quirky bedside table!  Also love the red + hot pink + turquoise color combo!  Arrangement of the books in horizontal and vertical patterns? Design genius in the house!

Quintessential 'rustic-chic' style of Ralph Lauren....love the mis-matched leather chairs, antler chandelier, blue and white stripe textiles...

Another quintessential RL 'sporty/shooting lodge' look with the zebra ottoman, Persian rugs, wood panelling, and cozy jewel-toned color scheme

And let's not forget yet another one of my fav RL styles...his southwest-meets-Americana cabin vibe with Navajo blankets, rugs, Native American artwork, abundance of leather, exposed wood, American Flag motifs, etc...

Add again here....

So many fabulous design inspirations to ponder here....Happy Friday!!

Bananas for Built-In Bunks...

After living in our new home for about a year, we are finally starting to make some minor adjustments with regard to arrangement of storage, furniture, bedrooms, etc.  I have always been a believer in LIVING in a space for a while before making any major renovations or changes.  It just takes time to better understand the logistics and flow of your home, its limitations, and areas for improvement.  

Our two boys are currently sharing a large bedroom space over our garage, and we are considering dividing the room into two separate spaces, adding built-in bunks, or a combo of the two.  Originally, I was not a big fan of the bunk-bed idea, but after gathering a SEA of beautiful inspiration photos, the idea is growing on me.  These talented designers have incorporated so many cool (and practical) ideas such as built-in bunks with actual stairs (vs ladder), built-in storage, attached sconces to create little reading nooks, etc.  Plus, with so many out of town family and friends, I love the idea of having more sleeping space for these visitors (particularly with children).  

Of course, I am not thrilled about the prospect of the added expense (not to mention the LIVING THROUGH) of another renovation, but we aren't MOVING any walls, so how bad can it be?  I suspect many renovation projects begin with this naive line of reasoning, right?  Yikes.  These projects almost always take twice as long and cost twice as much as anticipated.  But, it would be so worth it in the long run if we could convert our currently large and unstructured space into a warm, cozy, and comfortable bedroom for the boys.  OR, at the very least, I could live vicariously through the dreamy photos below.  A girl can dream, right?

I have grouped the bedroom photos into general categories: 

(1) The soothing, calming, and quiet Neutral/White 

(2) The stylish and chic Neutral with Pops of Color

(3) The sophisticated Taupes, Tans, & Greys 

(4) The cozy and warm Reclaimed-Wood/Cabin Look and 

(5) The Cheerful-Crazy-Colorful ...Enjoy! 

(1) The quiet and calming Neutral/Whites...

Orrick and Co.

Susan Greenleaf via Lonny

Jenn Cranston Summerhouse Style Files

Justine Hughs Jones

Anita Kaushal

JVA Architects

(2) Neutral rooms with fun pops of color...

Lonny

Another great example of the roman shade
with greek key trim (see earlier post)

(3) The sophisticated Taupes, Tans, & Greys...

Summerour and Associates

I ADORE the brass drawer handles against the taupe paint color!!!

(4) The Mountain Cabin or Reclaimed Wood Look...I mean seriously, don't you just want to curl up in one of these cozy nooks?

Victoria Hagan

"Instead of traditional twin-size bunk bends, the homeowners decided to build six queen-size versions. The room also contains two twin beds, bringing the sleeping total in this space alone to 14 people. Talk about a slumber party! Each sleeping space featured a hallowed-out alcove with its own outlet for recharging mobile devices and a custom sconce for late-night reading....Kevin seamlessly incorporated handy drawers below the bunks so the couple's visiting children and grandchild can store clothes and toys. Guests can sleep easy in the upper bunks thanks to custom iron safeguards. Bonus: They provide a rail for sliding ladders and add an industrial finish to the woodsy space."

A set of built-in bunks as work-in-progress?

 (5) Last but not least, The Cheerful-Crazy-Colorful bedrooms...(my kids' absolute favorites)

This series of cobalt blue painted bunks with brass accents is just perfection!

Eve Robinson

If it were up to our boys, their bedroom would look like this...

Finally, I wanted to note that although I usually make every effort to include designer or photographer credits as appropriate, this time I have regretfully FAILED.   My apologies to all the amazingly talented designers and architects whom I have neglected!