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Forget the global recession. In Hollywood, extravagant opulence and conspicuous consumption have never gone out of style.
British designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard is the king of Hollywood interior decor, spending the stars’ millions to make their dream homes a reality, no matter how outrageous.
The 47-year-old, from Bromley in Kent, has created lavish interiors for celebrities including Sir Elton John, Christina Aguilera, Ozzy Osbourne and Jimmy Choo boss Tamara Mellon.
The flamboyant designer, whose new reality TV series Hollywood Me comes to Channel 4 next month, is currently crafting homes for rap star Nicki Minaj and fashion icon Tommy Hilfiger. ‘I get into celebrities fantasies and bring them to life,’ he says.
Below are asome of his stunning interiors – which you can try to match to the celebrity clients. But beware! None of the stars are next to their homes.
Meanwhile Bullard here shares some of the more memorable anecdotes from his unusual job:
Push The Right Buttons
‘I hid a TV beneath Cher’s bed, and at the push of a button it rises up. Another press, and it swivels so she can watch TV from her giant bathtub. And if she’s entertaining while having a bath, another button drops an opaque gold-embroidered gauze from the ceiling, so guests can see her shadowy form as she’s getting ready.’
PROPERTY ONE: A pied-a-terre for the well heeled
PROPERTY TWO: If you've got the lute, you can afford the bison
PROPERTY THREE: A little bit over the top, a little bit funny
PROPERTY FOUR: Hippy chic with sunny aspect
PROPERTY FIVE: The perfect family room (family not included)
Property One: TAMARA MELLON These are her homes in London and New York.
Property Two: KID ROCK This is his opulent home in Malibu.
Property Three: ELTON JOHN Here is his apartment in Sierra Towers in Los Angeles.
Property Four: CHER Sir Elton’s neighbour – she also lives in Sierra Towers.
Property Five: THE OSBOURNES Their £9 million home in Hidden Hills, California.
Take A Cue From Pornography
‘We wanted something inspired by 1970s Los Angeles, à la Boogie Nights,’ says Sir Elton John of the home Bullard designed for him and partner David Furnish, recalling the 1997 movie about the porn industry. As part of the design, Bullard put silver leaf across the bedroom ceiling.
Do All White . . . Or All Colour
‘The first home I did for Christina Aguilera was all white, with small bursts of colour from her Warhols,’ says Bullard. ‘Now she’s flipped that, with a new home bursting with colour.’ Elton called his colour-filled Hollywood home a ‘floating jewel box.’
Raid Other Cultures
‘For actress Eva Mendez I created a taste of Cuba,’ says Bullard. ‘For X-Men star Rebecca Romijn, I transformed it into a Tyrollean retreat. I turned supermodel Cheryl Tiegs’ Bel Air home into a Balinese pavilion, though neither of us had been to Bali.’
Keep It Classy
‘One client asked me to golf-leaf the interior of their garage,’ says Bullard. ‘I walked away from that... wasting $250,000. That’s crazy.’
Size Matters
Bullard had a 3,000lb marble table built for Tamara Mellon’s penthouse – but it didn’t fit in the lift. ‘I had to close off a New York street and hire a crane to hoist it to her sixth floor window.’.