Inside his not-so-humble abode, you’ll find a disco room, an AGA engraved with the words “you better werk” and not one, but two palatial wardrobes befitting of such drag royalty.
Not all celebrity homes are created equal and one glance inside the Beverly Hills mansion RuPaul shares with husband Georges LeBar, is enough to tell us that their’s is a cut above the rest.
Wanting to bring something new and different to the palazzo-style property, RuPaul enlisted the help of interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard (whose other famous clients include the Kardashians, Tommy Hilfiger, Cher, Ellen Pompeo and Eva Mendes amongst others) and architect Christopher Hatch McLean for the project. “We’ve always loved Martyn’s aesthetic, so we trusted him. I said, ‘Go for it. I can go as far as your imagination will take us,” the Drag Race star told Architectural Digest.
And go for it he did, the end result being a showstopping home with no shortage of interesting details. Transforming the property into a “fever dream of Hollywood Regency style”, the home is a perfect amalgamation of old-school Beverly Hills swagger and RuPaul’s “vivacious, larger-than-life spirit”.
“This is the house of Ru, a mansion of style designed as the centre stage for the world’s most famous and celebrated drag queen. It’s the ultimate runway for the supermodel of the world,” Larence notes. “I could not imagine a more appropriate place for the universe’s drag mother to hold court.”
The physical structure of the building was the first job to be tackled; modifications were made to the existing mansard roof, railings and colonnades were reconfigured, and a host of neoclassical details were added. After that, it was all about the “decorative drama”. As AD put it, “The slay bells start ringing the moment one steps through the front door”.
A powdery rose entrance hall with a sweeping staircase opens onto the formal living room, outfitted with “jewel-toned fabrics and pagoda-form e?tage?res that nod to the great decorator Tony Duquette”. To the left is the ballroom, a focal point of the home with standout features including a dazzling display of disco balls (26, to be exact) and a selection of black and white framed photographs of RuPaul’s favourite divas.
Surprisingly, this room rarely sees the type of raucous parties one might expect. “I entertain on television, not at my house. When you live such a public life, you need boundaries,” RuPaul insists, explaining that he much prefers intimate gatherings and small dance parties with close friends.
That said, beautiful nooks in which to entertain guests abound, ranging from an outdoor dining room bordered by fruit trees, topiaries and chairs in the style of Elsie de Wolfe to the kitchen with its marble-topped island. Splashes of orange (RuPaul’s favourite colour) permeate the entire home – seen in the kitchen, the adjacent breakfast room, the performer’s home office and the “ultraluxe” master bedroom.
According to Bullard, “The bedroom is very glam, very romantic, but in a weird way it still has some masculinity to it. Two enormous walk-in wardrobes – one for male attire, the other for drag – house the TV personality’s enviably large collection of clothes, accessories and shoes. “It feels like you’re skipping into Bergdorf’s, the chicest boutique you could dream of,” RuPaul says of the space.
Outside, landscape architect James Hyatt worked his magic, mirroring the same neoclassical motifs that adorn the inside and adding a graphic zellige-tiled spa and some drought-tolerant plants. “We were going to do more planting on the pool terrace, but Ru wanted to be able to roller-skate and dance. We tried to capture the sense of joy he exudes,” says Hyatt.
Bursting with personality and life, Ru admits that his home is intentionally eccentric. “The house is a touchstone to remind me to inspire people to feel the magic that’s seemingly so elusive these days. It’s meant to be whimsical and fun. None of it is to be taken too seriously – except for love and kindness.”
Fancy a closer look? Take a peek inside RuPaul’s quirky Beverly Hills mansion in our gallery below.
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Photography by Douglas Friedman via Architectural Digest
This article was originally published in May 2023
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