And The Winner Is?
Make A Rustic Sawhorse Table For Under $40
ANSWER: Kanye West
There has been no shortage of time spent or ink spilled discussing and dissecting the -- ahem -- healthy ego of rapper and music producer Kanye West. The innovative six-time Grammy winner works hard to cultivate his public image and rarely seems to miss an opportunity to drop a quotable nugget about how great he thinks he is. No less work or passion went into the design and décor of the musician's modern and minimal Los Angeles residence, featured in Interior Design.
West paid $1,750,000 for his 4,200 square foot Hollywood Hills hideaway in late 2003. The unassuming residence sits on a steeply sloping site on an unremarkable, impossibly narrow and decidedly un-celebrity-like street. The only sign that a super star occupies the residence is the Bentley and bodyguard sometimes standing in the postage stamp-sized driveway.
Soon after buying the house, the self-proclaimed music, art and design maven hired Desiderata Design to transform the interiors from a generic spec house drowning in black granite into a spare and airy loft-like space where he could display his growing collection of pop and contemporary art that includes iconic work by artists Andy Warhol and Burton Morris.
All three levels of the three-bedroom and four-bathroom house have huge frameless glass windows that provide panoramic views of the glittery lights of Los Angeles, from downtown to -- on a clear day -- the Pacific Ocean. In the open plan main living space, clean lined, low rise furniture mixes with high wattage artwork, multiple stacks of Louis Vuitton luggage and vintage trunks, and in the sleek kitchen a stainless steel countertop slides over to hide the sink and stove.
West's celebrity status comes to full decorative fruition in the master bedroom. The bed is draped in fox and chinchilla throws and a custom closet includes racks that hold at least 200 pairs of shoes. The bathroom is clad in glammy, cream-colored travertine, complete with a cubed-shaped chandelier that drips crystals over the spa tub and a 250-gallon aquarium filled with exotic fish.
West also owns an über-minimal Claudio Silvestrin designed apartment in Midtown Manhattan.
