Seeing stars: Interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard on making it big
Renowned interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard is right at home with all the top celebrities - he shares his experience of getting into the industry
Martyn Lawrence Bullard is a lucky man. The 45-year-old American has an intimate knowledge of Eva Mendes' bedroom. He has also spent considerable time in the private boudoirs of Ellen Pompeo, Christina Aguilera and Cher, to name but a few of the celebrity starlets who probably had him on their speed dial, once upon a time. Far from being an incorrigible playboy, however, Bullard is more respectably known as the "interior designer to the stars".
The California-based designer hasn't always been so fortunate. "My career really did just happen by accident," he admits. In 1995, Bullard was a part-time actor in Los Angeles, and was cast as Eartha Kitt's pianist in a movie. He befriended one of the producers, who stopped by his homefor dinner and was blown away by Bullard's design style and taste.
The producer later asked Bullard to decorate his new movie production and edit suites, the impressive results of which attracted the attention of the president of Capitol Records, Liz Heller, who asked the soon-to-be ex-actor to design for her as well.
"From there on, I started working for supermodel Cheryl Tiegs, and all the rest of the celebrities followed suit," says Bullard, whose glittering clientele includes musicians Sir Elton John and Kid Rock; actors Edward Norton, Felicity Huffman and William H Macy; film industry professionals Aaron Sorkin and David Furnish; model Rebecca Romijn, and entertainers Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne.
"It has been an amazing journey and one I would call fate," he says.
In addition to Tiegs' home, a Balinese-style abode inspired by the supermodel's dream of living on the Indonesian island, Bullard is also behind a number of celebrity homes, which vary widely in terms of look and feel. Among these vastly distinct interiors are singer and actress Cher's exotic "Maharani's Palace" and the arty, edgy apartment of former Jimmy Choo co-founder Tamara Mellon.
"My personal style is certainly eclectic; I love so many styles from so many periods," the designer says. "I find that the perfect interior blends together pieces from many centuries that have a common thread - in either colour, form or mere beauty."
In Mellon's arty New York apartment, for example, Bullard sourced a mix of 1940s, '60s and ' 70s furniture pieces, which he paired with contemporary art and edgy installations against a backdrop of vivid colour. While this may seem a risky aesthetic for the average homeowner, Bullard says that most of his clients have proven to be very open to more unusual ideas.
"Celebrities tend to be wonderful to work with because they are very creative and want to live out their decorative fantasies," he explains. "It's a wonderful thing to get inspiration from their personal creativity." He adds that his A-list clients are, nevertheless, no different from any of his other clients in that they all get highly customised interiors tailor-made to who they are and what they do. In Mellon's case, this process may have been easier than most, given that her relationship with Bullard extends beyond that between a client and designer. "I have known Tamara since we were transfers partying together on the London scene, and we remained friends for many years," Bullard recalls. "When her business took off and she bought her first major property, she asked me to help her design the space. [She was] very conscious of her brand and how her home and lifestyle must connect with her designs and the feel of Jimmy Choo."
