I’m the Kardashian-Jenner’s interior designer – Khloe wanted the sexiest home & there was a big challenge to work around
BESIDES their A-list status, there’s one thing that Cher, Tommy Hilfiger, RuPaul, and the Kardashians and Jenners have in common: their interior designer.
Martyn Lawrence Bullard has garnered the trust of gaggles of celebs thanks to his individuality and versatility, and now he’s offering peeks into those enviable homes in his new book.
What began as a four-year-old’s tendency to rearrange his sister’s dollhouse furniture, blossomed into a career as the entertainment industry’s favorite interior designer.
Orbiting amongst Tinseltown elite for 30 years, Martyn Lawrence Bullard is celebrating that milestone anniversary with his new book, Star Style, coming October 3.
Perhaps the most recognizable names in Bullard’s oeuvre are the Kardashians and Jenners, and he spoke exclusively to The U.S. Sun about what it was like to work with Hollywood’s Royal family.
Though the girls had been friends with the UK-born designer for years, their professional relationship was born at one of their legendary Christmas Eve parties.
“Kourtney came up to me that night and was like, ‘I just bought a new house. I want you to come take a look at it,’” he recalled.
During that first visit to her Calabasas abode, they began brainstorming.
“We kicked off immediately with the design process.”
Two months later, Khloe – who had just bought a house around the corner – followed in her older sister’s footsteps and hired Bullard as well.
“So, I ended up working on both houses, with both sisters who have two very different styles, at the same time.”
As fans of the show know well, Kourtney’s devotion to her kids comes before all else – lest we forget her on-screen blowout with Kim about work ethic – and Bullard said her house was designed with them in mind.
“Kourtney is a real family lady, a true mom. So, the home had to be very much kid-friendly.”
The family room and screening room were made to feel cozy, with big couches and fluffy pillows.
The substantial kitchen island was designed with the intention of little kids doing homework on it while dinner is in the works.
And the playroom chalkboard wall would soon be covered in juvenile drawings.
Still, it was crafted to be a sophisticated space, with bespoke mid-century pieces and contemporary art throughout.
“There was a real juxtaposition between very high design elements, to very much a family experience.”
Bullard said Kourtney’s interest in design – greater than her sisters’ – and her good eye was paramount in the process, as the two of them visited auction houses and browsed art galleries together.
“Their schedules are so busy, so of course sometimes I would bring them things to see at home, but they also often came shopping with me.”
Khloe, too, accompanied Bullard on his sourcing excursions – testing out sofas and flipping through rug samples.
“When somebody comes shopping with me, it really brings their personalities into the mix.
“It means that we’re able to buy things that are very much connected to them, so you can create a story around it. It’s a wonderful way to do it.”
Though the two sisters both have a passion for beautiful homes, their ideas were very different.
“Khloe was looking for something a little more exotic. Her home was more of a Mediterranean villa, so she wanted it to have a very sexy European air to it.”
They filled the space with Moorish, Moroccan, and East African features while layering in antiques and vintage pieces for a little edge.
“She’s also all about comfort, so we added in these very lush, luxurious, oversized furnishings.”
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to fans that Kendall – known for her love of horses and her low-key vibe – deviates the most from the other girls.
“She has a very defined style of her own. She’s very playful and adventurous, a total free spirit, and she is not at all afraid to experiment.”
Bullard worked with her on two homes and said the most memorable purchase was a purple sculptural sofa, “kind of like a giant beanbag,” that was the focal point of her space.
It later made headlines for its $52,000 price tag.
“The artist who made it now has similar ones in museums,” he raved of the Boa By Edra piece.
But it was the baby of the family who proved the power of a Jenner-Bullard match-up.
Kylie, who once broke the record for being the youngest self-made billionaire, also broke an interior design record when the Architectural Digest feature on her home became the biggest story of its kind in history.
“It had over a billion traceable impressions within the first week of being published,” Bullard said.
That virality was thanks to the behind-the-scenes decisions that Bullard and the young mogul collaborated on.
“When I first started with Kylie, she wasn’t even 21.
“She had already made a lot of money with her makeup empire, so I wanted to incorporate her youth and create something that was fun and young and fresh.
“But I also wanted to respect her money and make sure we weren’t doing silly throwaway things.”
Along with incorporating high-end furniture, the two of them decided to custom-make pieces influenced by her brand and tastes.
Her leather dining chairs were dyed shades of pink from her lipstick collection.
The living room consoles that resemble drips of bronze were formulated from her makeup’s packaging.
Custom cocktail tables in her family room leave space for ice, champagne, and caviar.
“A lot of things were made by artists to be very personal to Kylie, while also really presenting quality.”
Her affinity for butterflies led to a gallery wall of Damien Hirst art that features the majestic insect, while her “connection to the spirit of Marilyn Monroe,” as Bullard put it, meant Monroe imagery made its way in too.
Like her sisters and her mother, Kris Jenner – who Bullard has also helped along the way – Kylie was extremely engaged in the process, and the designer said that’s simply how the girls live.
“They are very hands-on with everything they do, there’s no doubt about that.”
There are a few things that all the Kar-Jenner’s had to consider when designing their dream homes.
“You have to remember that all of their houses are sets for the show, so we had to design around that as well.”
Besides installing lighting that would be flattering enough for TV cameras, their getting-ready spaces had to be top-notch.
“They all needed major closets. They have private closets, red carpet closets, and in Kylie’s case, we devoted an entire room to her extraordinary handbag collection.
“And on top of that, the glam room is essential.
” You have to make sure you have an amazing makeup room for the girls because every day they spend a couple of hours in hair and makeup, either getting ready to shoot or go out in public.
“So, it’s one of the most important aspects of the design.”
He said the show brought on its own set of challenges as well.
“The hardest part was that they were constantly filming. You have to work around the cameras rolling so there were various stops and starts because that’s the flow of what happens.
“Other than that, there was nothing madly dramatic or out of the ordinary that happened.”
For Bullard, the process was both enjoyable and rewarding.
He said: “They are pretty amazing people who I’m lucky to call friends.
“They are very generous, they take care of everybody around them, and their religious background is a core part of who they are and why they’re so genuine.”
As for what we might be surprised to learn about our para-social friends?
“They are homebodies, so their homes are their sanctuaries.
“They really enjoy staying home most nights of the week, and they’re always together and entertaining each other at their houses – so we decorated around that ethos.”