Written by Leah Dolan, CNN
The floor plan of Cara Delevingne’s home probably looks more like a tabletop board game than a structurally sound blueprint. From a fiery-red poker room to a therapeutic ball pit and walk-in closet for costume party emergencies, every inch of Delevingne’s home appears to be designed with one thing in mind: fun.
“It’s the design equivalent of a jaw drop,” the British supermodel-turned-actress is quoted as saying in the forthcoming issue of Architectural Digest. “There’s no mistaking whose house you’re in.”
The poker room comes with vintage games table.
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Opening the doors of her Los Angeles mansion for the magazine’s latest cover story, the creative chameleon — who seamlessly switches from high-fashion shoots for Burberry and British Vogue to big budget movie roles in the DC Universe — said she wanted a home that felt like a continuation of her effervescent day job, rather than a respite from it.
“My work requires me to put on many different hats and costumes,” the 28-year-old told Architectural Digest. “I love slipping into these various characters, so I wanted my home to reflect lots of different themes and moods.”
The mirrored bedframe is a custom piece from Nicolò Bini.
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Yet these themes are all imbued with a sense of fun, as carnivalesque and nature-inspired interiors fight for attention amid an array of miscellaneous decor: a David Bowie memorial bathroom, a Chanel-monogrammed surfboard and Playboy pinball machine, to name a few.
But the model’s maximalist approach to design proved useful: The house came partially furnished with an assemblage of dark, “goth-glam” fittings — and Delevingne decided to stick with many of the previous owner’s selections. “It felt wasteful to toss everything out,” she is quoted as saying. “Sometimes sustainability just means working with what you have.”
A fresh lick of paint, some new upholstery and a creative outlook helped the inherited furnishings fit in with Delevingne’s aesthetic. “The big crystal chandelier in the living room wasn’t exactly my thing, so we put a disco ball in the middle of it and added colored lights,” she said. “All of a sudden it feels like me.”
Play, in every sense of the word, dominates the interiors of the model’s mansion. Sensual flourishes run through the house, from a breast-inspired ceramic sculpture by designer Jonathan Adler, to a secret passageway that can only be accessed by crawling through a yonic soft sculpture.
Cara Delevingne, Architectural Digest’s July/August cover star.
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Architect Nicolò Bini, founder of Line Architecture, helped transform the previously unassuming 1940s residence into Delevingne’s own personal pleasure palace. A property that is said to have hosted Pope John Paul II on his visit to LA in 1987, according to Architectural Digest, is now home to a mirrored ceiling, gold stripper pole, tasseled swing and ankle and wrist restraints, all of which are found in the model’s blush-toned attic pad.
The titillating details should not, however, completely overshadow the house’s day-to-day function, Delevingne said. “It still feels like a home,” she insisted. “There’s a proper dining room and living room and a great kitchen.”
“But it’s also a kind of journey. The deeper in you go, the more treasures you discover.”
