Martyn Lawrence Bullard, decorator to the stars, has designed homes for the likes of Cher and Kendall Jenner. Now, he invites us for a sojourn at his own Palm Springs sanctuary.
Martyn Lawrence Bullard is heralded as a consummate multi-hyphenate designer and tastemaker, widely acclaimed for his trademark glamour and exotic flair. As such, his talent has attracted the attention of Hollywood A-listers and glitterati, many of whom have invited him to curate their interiors.
His client list includes Kendall Jenner, Khloé and Kourtney Kardashian, Cher and Eva Mendes, just to name a few. As we speak, he’s hard at work designing a new LA home for Kylie Jenner, a villa for Alessandra Ambrosio, a beach house for Ellen Pompeo and a Palm Beach estate for Tommy Hilfiger, on top of a large range of commercial projects.
Seeing his creativity come to life in these spaces begs the question: what does his own home look like? Confiding that he splits his time between his two abodes—a romantic Hollywood Hills retreat and a mid-century masterpiece in the Southern California desert, it’s the latter we’re invited to explore.
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Palm Springs is paradise
“My Palm Springs home is my personal sanctuary and it’s where I go to recharge my batteries,” the designer says. “The vicinity is so beautiful, as the weather is always so warm and inviting, and the local restaurants and vintage shopping are so good. It’s also amazing just to lie around and pamper myself while relaxing,” he says.
Bullard reveals he first discovered Palm Springs when he was asked to design a small boutique hotel there, the Colony Palms, about 10 years ago. The magic of the location lies not only in its desert terrain and the mesmerising, majestic San Jacinto Mountains, but also in the balmy, sultry dry air and the cool breezes that blow off the desert.
Love at first sight
His partner, Michael Green, was looking online at properties and stumbled upon this mid-century marvel that immediately tugged at their heartstrings.
Designed by James McNaughton—the Hollywood set decorator turned architect to the stars—the house was a spaceship-like formation of classical 20-foot arches surrounding a vast glass bow window in high mid-century architectural splendour.
See also: Inside the luxurious Tuscan home of the Ferragamo family
