Our Favorite Tastemakers Reveal What They Love About Their Homes
Not every space is grand — but each is distinctly stylish.
Today's design icons spill on their favorite spaces and what makes them special.
Clare Vivier, Founder & CEO of Clare V
"I live in a house full of boys, so it’s fun and freeing to have this dressing room that is all mine. I didn’t have to consult anyone — I could make it as bright and feminine as I wanted to. Decorating this space taught me the impact of wallpaper. It made this little room feel completely new. Sometimes I’ll stay in here until 2 a.m., trying on clothes and planning my outfits. I even do my morning yoga in here!" — Clare Vivier, Echo Park, Los Angeles, California
Vern Yip, Designer, Author & UNICEF Ambassador
"We love to travel — yes, the kids come too! — and our house is full of things we’ve collected on our trips. Your home should be a physical manifestation of you and your family. The living room’s vase is Murano glass, by an artist we tracked down in Venice; the statues are from Thailand and Myanmar; the rug was hand-carried on a plane from India. It creates a sense of vacation at home, surrounded by our journeys. And don’t worry — the dogs are very well behaved!" —Vern Yip, Atlanta, Georgia
Minnie Driver, Actress
"My mother is an interior designer, and her house is a symphony of beige and gray and cream and understated elegance. She gave me a real appreciation for good interiors, though I like an eclectic mix of prints and colors — like in my living room, where my 9-year-old son, Henry, and I sit round the fire to drink tea and play cards. When you mix fabrics and furniture from different countries, sometimes people think it's going to look thrown-together and wrong, but it's not like that! I always feel very peaceful when I'm here." —Minnie Driver, Los Angeles, California
Barbara Corcoran, Shark on ABC's Shark Tank
"Growing up in a working-class neighborhood in New Jersey, I never dreamed of having a penthouse, but I did dream I would have my own swing. Our knot rope in the side yard was where I went to get away from nine siblings for a little bit of peace! Now I start the day with a cup of coffee in my rope swing; it's only 15 minutes, but it feels like an eternity. Or I sit here at sunset and appreciate what was good about the day, and what I'm looking forward to tomorrow. It's not a place where you make a to-do list." —Barbara Corcoran, Upper East Side, New York City
Katie Lee, Cookbook Author & TV Host
"I grew up in Milton, West Virginia — a small town of 2,600 people — and that has really influenced the way I entertain. I think about how my grandma made people feel when they came over; it was more about being together and having fun than how things looked. I like to set up my bar with everything people need to make cocktails, like an Aperol spritz, which I drink all summer long. Sometimes I put a green olive in mine. It makes me happy." —Katie Lee, Water Mill, New York
Melora Hardin, Actress
"I believe in family dinners — taking a moment every night to pull out the china and ask, 'How was your day?' and say, 'I feel good about this, stressed about that.' My husband is English, and we have lots of meaningful antiques he inherited in here, including his mother's table, which came in a 30-foot crate! In this room, I have a lavish total of 40 candles. My girls usually fight over who gets to light them, and we use them all, enjoying the glow. They give a meal reverence. In a fast-paced world, it's good to have things that slow you down." —Melora Hardin, Altadena, California
Coco Rocha, Model & Activist
"When I had people over in our old house, everyone wanted to be in the kitchen while I cooked, but I hated it. They'd ask if I needed help, and I'd be like, 'You don't know where anything is — get out of here!' So moving to the suburbs from New York City was great, because we finally have space: The living room is on the other side of the kitchen, and there aren't any walls. Now I don't feel like I'm missing out on stories while I cook. You can pull up a stool and keep me company if you want, but you're not under my toes." —Coco Rocha, Westchester County, New York
Ina Garten, Author & Host of Barefoot Contessa
"Jeffrey and I had been married for two years when we went camping in Normandy, France. The woman who owned the campsite offered us beef bourguignonne, and I was like, 'Yessss!' — we had very little money, and I'd been using a small gas stove in the tent. Well, the meal was extraordinary. I had to figure out how to re-create it, and I used Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I taught myself to cook using cookbooks; now I'm obsessed. But I had no place to keep them — they were piled on the floor in stacks! So I built them a home." —Ina Garten, East Hampton, New York
Jonathan Adler, Potter & Designer
"My husband, Simon, and I are extremely un-fancy — I'm a potter, he's a window dresser — so it's kind of fun to have a fancy dressing room. I love putting on my daily armor here, because it reminds me to bring my A-game. You owe it to the world and yourself to look sharp! If I have to get up for a 4 a.m. flight to Akron, I lay stuff out on the valet. I wish I could say it's always festooned with finery. It never hurts to be bold and theatrical — it's life enhancing." — Jonathan Adler, Greenwich Village, New York
Eva Longoria, Actress & Producer
"This room was the whole reason I bought this house – it's where life happens! When I was growing up in Corpus Christi, Texas, my entire family gathered in the kitchen, and I still get nostalgic in here. We all hang around the island and cook — guacamole is a specialty — drink wine, talk and watch a tiny TV. I have a theater downstairs, but we rarely use it. This is my comfort zone." —Eva Longoria, Hollywood Hills, California
Nate Berkus, Interior Designer & TV Personality
"We surround ourselves with things that have meaning so that our home tells our story. One vase reminds me of a day we spent in Hong Kong, when I ate more dim sum than was humanly possible — and also that, even though we're now living a suburban life with our 20-month-old daughter, we do have passports! But we don't treat any of our travel finds as particularly precious. The most precious thing in our home is her." —Nate Berkus, Los Angeles, California
Gayle King, Editor at Large for O, The Oprah Magazine
"When I moved to the city, it was important for me to find a home with an eat-in kitchen. My children are grown, but I wanted a place where everyone could sit and enjoy themselves when they visit. And, well, since yellow is my favorite color, I surrounded myself with it! Great things are yellow: The sun! Butter — I love butter. Corn! It's like when you see a child skipping or singing, you know that child is happy. That's how this room makes me feel — even when the house is empty." —Gayle King, Upper West Side, New York
Kristin Chenoweth, Actress & Singer
"This is my happy place! I spend more time here than I ever would in the kitchen. Until I moved into this apartment a year ago, I had the piano I grew up with in Oklahoma — an upright Yamaha. I bought my parents this one about 12 years back, but when my dad came to see the space, he said, 'You need that baby grand.' So we switched! It was tricky to get in but so worth it; I practice all the time. I think the rug may go away, though — a soprano's gotta hear the ring in her voice." —Kristin Chenoweth, Manhattan, New York
Valerie Von Sobel, Artist, Style Icon & Philanthropist
"Life at 75 is a free, joyful, independent time! Not long ago I was completely drained. I'd lost my child and was working 14-hour days on the foundation I created in his name. But I took a sabbatical in Istanbul and returned with a totally different spirit: I became an artist. It can take a lifetime to learn how to work with bronze, but I guess when you don't have a lifetime, you get on with it! I love coming home to the 'men in my life,' a wall-sized version of a Félix Philippoteaux painting. It's very nice, this row of men who are so attractive from behind — and don't talk back." —Valerie Von Sobel, Beverly Hills, California
Arianna Huffington, Editor-in-Chief of The Huffington Post
"I collapsed from sleep deprivation and broke my cheekbone in 2007. That's what started my education on just how important sleep is for your health, especially for women! We need to remember to take care of ourselves to be effective in other areas of our lives; it's like putting on your own oxygen mask first. So I've made my bedroom the most relaxing place: shades of celadon, cocoon-like curtains, flowers, and real books, like Rumi's poetry. I charge all tech devices in another room — when I walk through this door, it's time to recharge myself." —Arianna Huffington, SoHo, New York
Judy Blume, Author
"I've never sat in my indoor living room! We live out here — there are birds chirping, and a very, very big iguana, and the local blond raccoons come for night swims. Growing up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, I never thought I'd see a place like this, much less own it. My father loved to garden, and I was often next to him, digging holes and dropping in seeds. But this tropical garden is on a whole other level! They don't call it paradise for nothing." —Judy Blume, Key West, Florida
Tim Gunn, Host & Producer of Project Runway
"I had been renting in the city for 26 years and wanted whatever I bought to be an upgrade, not ho-hum. When I found this apartment in 2009, it was a horrible aubergine — like walking into a bruise. But after 20 minutes, I knew it was right. There are two floors and a terrace, more than I ever thought I'd have, and it looks like a townhouse because it has a staircase. Ascending to the second floor, where I unwind and sleep, feels like you're going some place. And you are!" —Tim Gunn, Upper West Side, New York
Rebecca Minkoff, Fashion Designer
"Our last apartment was so teeny — 1,200 square feet! — that the kitchen was literally in a hallway. Now that we have this tasty space, my husband, Gavin, our two kids, and I do most of our hanging out here. I love to cook gluten-free spaghetti Bolognese and this fried eggplant you make with coconut oil and almond flour, so it's actually pretty healthy. I'll drink a glass of Moët & Chandon Nectar Impérial Rosé and relax. Making dinner is my stress reliever." —Rebecca Minkoff, Dumbo, Brooklyn
Ben Soleimani, Designer & Entrepreneur
"When you don't sleep and you're always working, light is the most encouraging thing. I live on an airplane — in the past two days, I've been in four cities — so when I'm back in L.A., I get up at 5:30 or 6 and sit here, where the light from the southeast is clean and pure. It's perfect for concentrating. Sunlight recalibrates me; I love the way it just comes in, wakes you up, gets you to work and think. I'm not the kind of person who draws the shades during the day, ever." —Ben Soleimani, Los Angeles, California
Monique Lhuillier, Fashion Designer
"I wanted this pergola by our pool to feel like an extension of our home — and it does. We roast marshmallows in the big fireplace, and I've hosted fun events here, like a friend's bridal shower. But mostly, it's my place to relax. When the kids are swimming, I lounge and put my feet up and catch up on world news or WWD on my iPad. We built this only three years ago, but I feel as though it's been a part of our home forever." —Monique Lhuillier, Bel Air, Los Angeles
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