Celebrity Style
June 19, 2018
See Cindy Crawford’s Stunning Homes And Get Her Decorating Advice!
Would it surprise you to learn that Cindy Crawford spent her first-ever paycheck on wallpaper? The supermodel is, in fact, a die-hard decorating fan, with a popular furniture line and a love of laid-back California style — something she shares with her husband, Rande Gerber, and their two kids, Kaia and Presley. Cindy is also the face of Silestone by Cosentino, and we had the chance to catch up with her at the re-opening of Cosentino’s new showroom in Toronto. Read on to discover why she loves vacationing in Canada, her golden rules of kitchen design, and her favorite designers to work with. Plus, get a peek inside her Muskoka cottage and former Malibu beach house!
House & Home: You have a gorgeous lake house in Muskoka. Why do you love vacationing in Canada?
Cindy Crawford: Friends invited us up 15 years ago, and even though it was raining pretty much the whole time, we fell in love. I mean, lake life is the best. We kept coming back year after year, and finally after seven years we bought a place. I love the whole lifestyle, I love being on the water, I love being unplugged, I love just being in nature. We live in Malibu on the beach so to be at a lake house is a great retreat for us.
H&H: Speaking of your Malibu beach house, we featured it in our recent July issue. What do you love about laid-back California style?
CC: I grew up in the Midwest and my husband grew up in New York. We lived in New York when we met, but we were both going to L.A. a lot and we slowly started loving L.A. — just the weather and the lifestyle. Eventually we moved to Malibu and I love it… much like the lake house, it’s that connection to nature. I also love that it’s not fancy. I mean it’s rare that I’m not wearing jeans, unless I’m going to an event… there’s no in between, and that suits me.
H&H: How would you describe your personal style — at home, and in terms of fashion?
CC: I think style translates across what kind of car you drive and what type of music you listen to or what type of food you like to cook. Both my husband and I love design and style but in an understated way. It’s kind of like with makeup, I would rather someone say, “You look great” than, “Wow your makeup is amazing.” So, with my home I want them to feel comfortable, as opposed to being wowed or impressed. Normally, especially in Malibu, the view is the most impressive thing, and everything else lets that be the star.
H&H: I think you definitely succeeded in that! Is there a favorite room at home that your family likes to spend most of their time in?
CC: Like most families, the heart of our family life is the kitchen. When the kids were little, that’s where Play-Doh, homework and meal prep happened. The kitchen is really the heart of the family — especially when you have kids.
H&H: What are your golden rules for designing a great kitchen? Any must-haves?
CC: I do actually! I took home economics when I was in high school, and we learned that the triangle between your refrigerator, sink and stove can’t be too big, otherwise it’s not efficient. I like to have enough space, and be a little more generous between the island and the range so two people can pass each other. For the countertop, I learned the hard way… I picked a soapstone or something that wasn’t Silestone and it was so delicate. If you put a lemon on it, it would get pitted. The functionality just wasn’t there. So sometimes, you learn from your mistakes.
H&H: What do you like to cook at home?
CC: We do a lot of grilling. Just simple things like a piece of fish, vegetables and salad. One of our family favorites is turkey meatballs. I have mine on a bed of spinach, they have theirs with pasta. I didn’t want to make separate meals for the kids and myself, so I’ve learned to make meals that I could take the starch out of. I also love to bake. In Muskoka, I make banana bread practically every other morning and it usually doesn’t last the day.
H&H: What inspires you when you’re decorating a space? Any design or decorating heroes?
CC: I think you can get design inspiration from anywhere. You can get ideas from hotels, fashion designers, textures. Rande and I both really like Christian Liaigre… his style and vibe appeals to both of us.
H&H: Who are your favorite designers? And have you worked with any designers for your own homes?
CC: I’ve worked with Michael Smith on many houses, and my husband has worked with so many different people, like Thomas O’Brien. But we’re at a point now where we do a lot ourselves, and we have friends who are in the business who will help us track down a fabric. We have someone who makes our furniture, and I have my own furniture line so we can pull from that. We certainly look at magazines and Pinterest to get inspired. But, mostly we know what we want and at this point, we know how to get it.
Cindy Crawford, courtesy of Cosentino; Malibu beach house, courtesy of Casamigos via House & Home July 2018