Part III The best celebrity homes...spectacular!

 The world of achievement has always belonged to the optimist

- Harold Wilkins

Starting in Feb. I am going to be doing monthly giveaways! In Feb. I will be giving away 2 fabulous needlepoint floral pillows (same private label company that sells to Pierre Deux) Subscribe/follow me so you have a chance to win! More details to follow............

Here we are  with three more fabulous celebrity homes. We go back to California, after all that is where most of the stars reside and then back to an entertainment news reporters  Montana inspired amazing ranch retreat right in the heart of the Hamptons, NY. Again three different styles but all so fabulously done. Really hope you have enjoyed touring the homes of the celebrities whose homes I have profiled these last few days. Lets get started.....

Here we are back in luxurious Beverly Hills to the home of famous singer/songwriter, Lionel Ritchie. This glorious estate is decorated by J. Jonathan Joseph and Peter Schifando. This spread was featured in Architectural Digest. This Italian Renaissance Revival built in 1929 was completely redone soup to nuts and the result is nothing less than splendid. Take a look at the 28 room mansion....

LIONEL RITCHIE'S FABULOUS ITALIAN REVIVAL MANSION IN BEVERLY HILLS

The courtyard and front of the splendid Italian Renaissance style mansion looks like it could be set in the hills of Tuscany

The colors used in the living room are so fabulous, lots of beige's and golds, love that tapestry!

The living room..check out that ceiling! The columns that grace the fireplace are 17th century

The dining room, love the limestone fireplace

The elegant library, a perfect showcase for his vast collection of awards

The rear of the house, graced by beautiful formal gardens and a rose garden

The master bedroom overlooks the rose garden. The bed is Ebanista.

That's quite a bath, the mahogany encased tub looks fabulous next to the limestone fireplace

The elaborate gardens in the rear of the house, including many cypress and magnolia trees amongst the sprawling limestone balconies and patios

Staying in California we move on to Ryan Seacrest's home in the Hollywood Hills. This house, aptly named, Casa de Pici or House of Peace sits high in the Hollywood Hills. It was built in the 1970's so its not an old house but has oodles of charm. It is smaller than many of the homes I have featured but is has a definite sense of warmth and cohesiveness in the design and decor.  All interior design is done by Jeff Andrews.

RYAN SEACREST'S HOME IN HOLLYWOOD HILLS

The large welcoming limestone encased front door is a beautiful touch

The front facade, flooring all by Exquisite Floors

The living room with its dramatic views

Rich, deep masculine colors were used in the cozy breakfast room

Master bedroom retreat, lots of woods and dark colors were used here for this peaceful sanctuary

Lap pool with those views...wow those views!

Now we move all the way to the east coast, to the glamorous Hamptons where the Today's show, Jill Rappaport has realized her Montana dreams right in her own backyard!  She designed this 11 room charmer on her own with the help of Pioneer Log Homes. After starting off on 6 acres years ago, she was able to buy other properties around her and ended up with 18 acres...so she really does have her own little piece of Montana right in the Hamptons. I think its incredibly well done and so inviting. Lets have a look....

JILL RAPPAPORT'S "LITTLE MONTANA" IN THE HAMPTONS, NEW YORK

The beautiful two story height living room with its magnificent Wayne-Winter stone crafted fireplace.....

The kitchen with its log beams, wide plank floors makes for a casually fun space, cabinet design by John Scarola

Love this bedroom, wouldnt' you love to be stuck there in a blizzard! And it just so happens its a guest room....

The master bath with Saltillo tiles...so warm

Jill with her paint pony

The front facade complete with a rambling stream

There is the beautiful back of another house...something about the rear of the homes, not a bad view to wake up to!

Beautiful master bedroom, with the tall ceiling of exposed beams. The bed is a Mexican antique

The inviting entrance hall with the polished red cedar logs and barn wood flooring by Carlisle.

So that ends our fantasy trip of celebrity homes. Hope you will come back tomorrow. Wishing you all a wonderful and peaceful day. Praying here in New York for NO MORE SNOW. 

I have personally, had quite enough. Let me know if you had a favorite and why!

T

Part II The best celebrity homes....fabulous!

Desire increases when fulfillment is postponed. 

Pierre Corneille

 So our journey continues to a few more celebrity homes. Again many different styles reflected here but they all have one thing in common, great design sense! They all work....and unfortunately that is whats missing from so many homes today, too many decorating tragedies. So hope you enjoy these as well......first we go to California to see Rob Lowe's elegant Southern inspired home built right on the California coastline. What makes this also so fabulous are the Northeastern traditional touches, not your typical sunny state residence but very elegant and extremely well done.

ROB LOWE'S SOUTHERN INSPIRED CALIFORNIA DREAM HOME

This beauty was designed by architect Don Nulty (featured in Architectural Digest)

The master bedroom in all its creamy glory with views of the ocean and mountains

The elegant living room, inviting but still formal

Another example of why the backs of houses are so pretty! I also love the big wide balconies (definitely a southern thing) and the cream and white outdoor furniture doesn't take away from the serene feeling

Off one of the upstairs balconies, what a view!

Then we go to another fabulous area of California, Beverly Hills, no stranger to amazing residences,  to visit Rod Stewarts very lavish (and somewhat unexpected- think I was expecting him to live in a more "rocker" type house) house. This was a very pleasant and extravagant surprise. It is beautifully and very formally done.....all interior design is done by the interior design firm, Hendrix/Allardyce and this spread was featured in Architectural Digest. One little tidbit of trivia, you might not know, Rod Stewart is a major collector and said he has dreamt of working at Sotheby's! He especially likes Regency furniture and marble statuary. He has obviously, excellent taste. He reads auction catalogs in bed......who would have thought? Lets have a look.......

ROD STEWART'S BEVERLY HILLS MASTERPIECE

The sunny yellow stucco facade (love those french blue shutters and lush foliage)

The gorgeous library, loooove those colors, so rich and warm

How beautiful is this living room? Everything about it oozes luxury, refined and understated elegance all the while making it feel very warm and inviting.....

The dining room, again such wonderful and happy colors, normally I am not a fan of marble in the dining and living room but it sure does work here.

One of the views from the side porch...not too bad!

Gorgeous canopied bed in the master suite, the same soothing colors flow throughout the house

The rear of the stunning home, the colors are such a picture! Truly a paradise....

Moving right along.....to the top floor of a sleek Manhattan apartment building and to the dramatic and exotic apartment of Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. This is one of those homes that no doubt looks amazing at night, which is the reason I suspect Arch Digest chose to shoot this particular spread in the evening under a star lit sky...very dramatic but breathtaking

GOLDIE HAWN AND KURT RUSSELLS MANHATTAN APARTMENT

Interiors by Chubby Spector, does an entrance get any more dramatic than this?

Part of the inviting living room, I am feeling a lot of "Indonesian accents"

The living room with the spectacular views, love the floor to ceiling glass

What a luxurious bed and what a view to match!

Another angle of the dramatic living room, you don't see greenery used very often in formal spaces anymore do you?

Hope you enjoyed this quick jaunt to three fabulous homes! Part III tomorrow, so please be sure to come back for more glimpses into celebrity homes. Which is your personal favorite?

Part I The best celebrity homes...stunning!

Dreams are illustrations... from the book your soul is writing about you.  ~Marsha Norman


Starting in Feb. I am going to be doing monthly giveaways! In Feb. I will be giving away 2 fabulous needlepoint floral pillows (same private label company that sells to Pierre Deux) Subscribe/follow me so you have a chance to win! More details to follow............


I have had several of you asking why I don't photograph the interior of our new house, we are just now insulating it, it hasn't even been sheetrocked yet. Once it has been sheetrocked, we will start taking regular pictures as the finishing stages begin.........(definitely the fun part)

We can all dream, right? I know there are plenty and I do mean PLENTY of celebrities out there who have an abundance of money but absolutely zilch in the taste department. I am often shocked to see how they spend their money on tasteless homes and even tackier decor.  Then,  there are the smart cookies who know to hire the best of the best and hire them to, while reflecting their wishes and styles, design and  decorate a custom, tailor made home that is exquisite, appropriate for whatever style is being done in and amazingly cohesive.
 I really have enjoyed over the years, seeing various celebrities homes and of course there are certain ones that really rank way up there (in my humble opinion) The maestro of design, himself, Ralph Lauren being one of them. You gotta give it to him, like him or not, he is a  master and I don't use the word lightly at not only creating luxurious but inviting and fabulous looking living spaces but going a step further and perfecting an actual lifestyle, whether it be on a sprawling Colorado ranch, a seaside Caribbean retreat, a slick Manhattan penthouse or a refined gentleman's country home. 
So hope you enjoy my part 1 of some amazing celebrity homes, I continue to get inspiration from many of these pictures and love the feeling of "being swept away" that so many of them evoke. They are all very different in style and while I personally may like one style over the other, the hallmarks of good design and refined taste always apply and appeal to me no matter the style of the home. So today we look at three of Ralph Laurens exquisite residences. Enjoy, and let me know which is your favorite....and stay tuned for another fabulous celebrities' home tomorrow....

RALPH LAURENS CARIBBEAN ESTATE IN JAMAICA

Beautiful foyer, loving the white and blue touches against the dark woods

A screening room.....I could see myself relaxing in there!

Love the seclusion of the pool and the lushness of the gorgeous vegetation

A view from the living room...not too bad!

Such a beautiful setting, the covered porch, casually elegant

The happy couple looking quite chic in all white


So when you are tired of just lounging looking at the endless ocean, swimming and relaxing and need a little more action, you can head over to Ralph's dreamy one of a kind fabulous Colorado working ranch, its right out of one of his ads but its the real deal, take a look......


RALPH LAURENS FABULOUS DOUBLE DL RANCH IN COLORADO

A fabulous dining room in front of a roaring fire....

The happy couple..Ralph and Ricky, they look so relaxed

The cozy screening room....wouldn't it be fun to preview a movie in that room?

The inviting family room, a perfect place to retreat to on a snowy day

I don't know if this is a "real" tack room or just a setting but its awfully charming

A bathroom, rustic but wonderful

This setting is truly breathtaking!

Now  we move on to his exquisite (and one of my personal all time favorites) country estate in Bedford, NY.....fabulous! Decor of course by Ralph Lauren (www.ralphlauren.com) and the antique rugs are from Safavieh Home Furnishings (www.safaviehhome.com)


RALPH LAURENS FABULOUS COUNTRY ESTATE IN BEDFORD, NY

A beautifully proportioned English/French looking manor home, love the roof line and all the ivy growing up the facade, the vintage cars are a nice touch too

Beautiful display or rich navy's and burgundy's make the living room feel inviting and not stuffy though its definitely a formal feeling room

Love this dining room, so rich looking with the chestnut and plaid covered chairs, the beautiful loden green walls and all the art work

The floral chair and plaid walls definitely  work here

More blues throughout.....love how the color pops in every room

Love this den, again the colors are what make it and love this Heriz/Serapi rug

Stunning master bath with the Louis XVI mantle and deep soaking tub, the ivory colors make it feel so serene

Master bedroom certainly is very striking with the rich highly polished woods and navy theme, it feels very "yacht like"

The rear patio, love that ivy!

The navy theme continues to the back patio...dreamy

Ralph's closet...would you expect anything less?

Aren't the backs of homes the most beautiful part? Wow I think this is perfection!

Hope you enjoyed this mini escape to Colorado, Jamaica and Bedford....see you tomorrow!