{"id":1071854,"date":"2022-07-08T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-08T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/introspective-magazine\/?p=1071854"},"modified":"2022-10-03T15:18:35","modified_gmt":"2022-10-03T19:18:35","slug":"boy-george","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/introspective-magazine\/boy-george\/","title":{"rendered":"Kelly Hoppen Revamped Boy George\u2019s Historic London Home with Fresh Neutrals and Bold Art"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

July 10, 2022<\/span>\u201cVery dark\u201d is how Kelly Hoppen<\/a> remembers Boy George\u2019s house, pre-renovation. The Culture Club star and gender fluidity trailblazer bought the creaky, creepy Gothic mansion nearly 40 years ago, when hits like 1982\u2019s \u201cDo You Really Want to Hurt Me\u201d and 1983\u2019s \u201cKarma Chameleon\u201d made him, if not royalty, royalty-rich. Built in the 1860s, it was a hodgepodge of oddly shaped rooms that felt like mausoleums. Windows of richly hued stained glass were beautiful but admitted no sunshine. In a 2013 appeal to the local planning commission for permission to build an extension, an architect for the pop star \u2014 who was born George Alan O\u2019Dowd in 1961 \u2014 asserted that the house \u201cdid not benefit from a great deal of natural light.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"marble<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"orange<\/figure>\n
Left: The console table is a slab of Carrara marble from Paul Vanstone. Right: A painting by Boy George hangs over a vintage cabinet. The armchair is from a decorative antiques fair in London. Top: Kelly Hoppen met Boy George through friends, and after he visited her home, he hired her to update the Gothic mansion he’s owned for nearly 40 years. Photos by Mel Yates<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hoppen, a superstar who manages to make famous clients happy while also running half a dozen businesses (she has been named one of Britain\u2019s top entrepreneurs and was awarded a CBE for her charitable work), became acquainted with George through friends. When he visited the home she shares with her partner, in a former warehouse in West London, \u201che fell in love with it,” she recalls. “He said, \u2018I want you to redo my house, and I want it to look exactly like this.\u2019\u201d That\u2019s a line Hoppen \u2014 known for working every variety of beige and taupe into superbly pleasing compositions \u2014 has heard before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Boy
Marble columns support the foyer’s round arches, which open onto a dining area where George reads and writes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

According to Hoppen, she told George, \u201cI don\u2019t think you really do. We need to understand the history of the building and your life in it. It wouldn\u2019t make sense for it to look like my house.\u201d And so, she set out to get to know George, and his house, and the things he accumulated during his four-decade career. (At 61, George DJs and continues to record music.) She discovered, for instance, that the singer needed room for his paintings and drawings, often cartoony and always neon-hued. Giles Moulder, a partner in London-based F3 Architects, had already designed a modern kitchen addition with a glass wall that probably brings in more light than the rest of the house\u2019s windows put together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The 1860s home features stained-glass windows and a dramatic stairway with an ornate wrought-iron railing, which is juxtaposed with George’s collection of contemporary art and photography.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The first thing visitors see is a foyer that looks more like part of a museum than a house. Round arches framed by marble columns open onto a dining area with a chinoiserie table and chairs \u2014 it\u2019s where George reads and writes, says Hoppen. The East-meets-West mix of furniture includes high-back chairs slipcovered in beige natural basketweave linen. (East Meets West<\/em> is the title of the first of nearly a dozen books Hoppen has penned.) But there are blasts of color in the room, thanks to a series of paintings by George himself. They\u2019re so bright that when he sent Hoppen images, he would ask, \u201cAre you still standing? Are you still breathing?\u201d \u201cNo, I\u2019m cool,\u2019\u201d Hoppen remembers responding. \u201cIn my work,\u201d she adds, \u201cthe base is always neutral, but I do use lots of color.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Boy
A vintage convex mirror from an old movie theater hangs above the fireplace, to the right of which hangs a painting by George. The small side tables are by Phillippe Hurel<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The house\u2019s key feature is an extraordinary Gothic staircase, traced by an ornate wrought-iron railing and ringed by balconies and niches. The size and complexity of the triple-height space meant that every piece of furniture had to hold its own. For a console, Hoppen ordered a large slab of Carrara marble from the aptly named Paul Vanstone. Photos by George cover the walls. Niches contain old and new collectibles. There\u2019s also a dresser by Jimmie Martin, who paints graffiti onto furniture. In this case, George came to Martin\u2019s studio to tag the piece. Hoppen gave the first landing what she describes as \u201ca cute little banquette,\u201d explaining, \u201cI like the contrast with the grandeur of the staircase.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Boy
In this \u201ctake on an old farmhouse kitchen,\u201d Hoppen painted the cabinets different colors so that it didn’t look mass-produced.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On the other side of the stairway is the main living room, with an intricately coffered ceiling that Hoppen painted \u2014 what else? \u2014 taupe. At one end of the space, she left old brick exposed, as a backdrop to George\u2019s DJ table. At the other is a large convex mirror that brings a fun-house aspect to what is already a kind of a fun house. In the center of the living room are several chairs (including tufted armchairs by Nadin and Macintosh) that Hoppen says she had upholstered \u201cto look half done and half undone.\u201d A bench under the window features ostentatiously rough stitching. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Boy
Details from the house include, clockwise from top, a closeup of the intricate wrought-iron stairway, the Jimmie Martin dresser that George tagged in the artist’s studio, a view of the sunny primary bathroom with a skylight for a ceiling and the brightly painted laundry room.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Like guests circulating at a party, occasional tables populate the room; some are slim bronze numbers, others wooden discs with contrasting veneers enlivening their bases. Demure Belgian pottery is mixed in with George\u2019s out-there art and accessories from brands like 101 Copenhagen<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the living room, a new passageway leads to the oversize kitchen. \u201cGeorge wanted something quite traditional,\u201d says Hoppen, who created what she calls \u201ca take on an old farmhouse kitchen.\u201d That means the cabinets (from the Main Company) are painted several colors \u2014 the black section is the coffee larder \u2014 so the room, in Hoppen\u2019s words, looks \u201cpiece-made\u201d rather than mass-produced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Boy
For the primary bathroom, which has a skylight for a ceiling, Hoppen chose a neutral palette to make it feel serene. The stool is by India Mahdavi<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the only other room in the house that gets as much light is George\u2019s bathroom, a top-floor aerie with a giant skylight for a ceiling. Through one corner of this, a chimney twists, vine-like. \u201cWe tried to keep as many of the natural elements of the architecture as possible, rather than covering them up,\u201d Hoppen says of the eccentric masonry. Wanting the bathroom to be restful, she stuck to neutrals, including the white subway tiles and the beige skirt below the farmhouse sink, far less flamboyant than any skirt its owner would wear. An India Mahdavi<\/a> totem-like stool near the tub adds sculptural pizazz. The bathroom is adjacent to a dressing room the size of a small apartment, lit by a Galerie Harter<\/a> pendant. The ottoman down the middle is upholstered in Pierre Frey linen; the closet doors are covered in taupe wood veneer.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Boy
Porta Romana<\/a> lamps flank the bed in a guest room, which also includes a Holly Hunt<\/a> leather headboard and a vintage bench, at the foot of the bed. A photo he took of the late April Ashley hangs over the vintage console. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The same veneer forms a modern backdrop for George\u2019s white leather Holly Hunt<\/a> headboard, flanked by Porta Romana<\/a> lamps. A photo by him of the late April Ashley hangs above a vintage console from Shimu. The guest bedroom features a vintage sleigh bed in a similarly minimalist setting, with hanging lights from Viaduct. Its seating area contains an ABC armchair from Flexform<\/a> and log side tables from Andrew Martin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Boy
The TV room features a coffered ceiling, furniture upholstered in Belgian linen and McCollin and Bryan<\/a> coffee tables.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The coziest space in the house may be the TV room, a windowless former storeroom. \u201cWe made it snug,\u201d says Hoppen, who used lots of Belgian linen beneath the original coffered ceiling and employed the fireplace surround as a kind of proscenium for the TV. First among neutrals, the pebble-like coffee tables by McCollin Bryan<\/a> command attention with their glistening, charcoal cast-scagliola surfaces. A favorite of Hoppen\u2019s, they may be the one item George\u2019s house shares with hers. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Boy
Throughout the home are artworks by George, like these vibrant paintings in the dining area. They\u2019re so bright that when he sent Hoppen images, he would ask, \u201cAre you still standing? Are you still breathing?\u201d <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Everything else was bought, made or arranged with the pop star in mind. \u201cIt was a massive responsibility to take someone\u2019s history and shape it into a home,\u201d Hoppen says. \u201cI felt like we were in each others\u2019 heads throughout this process.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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\n\t\t\t\tGet the Look\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"India\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tShop Now\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIndia Mahdavi Bishopos, new, offered by Carwan Gallery\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"McCollin\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tShop Now\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMcCollin Bryan Round Cast Scagliola Coffee Table, 2010, offered by Curato\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Boy\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tShop Now\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBoy George<\/i>, 1990, by Greg Gorman, offered by Immagis Fine Art Photography\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Chandelier\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tShop Now\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tChandelier in the Style of Jean Michel Frank, ca. 1970, offered by Galerie Harter\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Porta\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tShop Now\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPorta Romana Green Blown Glass Table Lamp, new, offered by DD DIMORE\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

July 10, 2022\u201cVery dark\u201d is how Kelly Hoppen remembers Boy George\u2019s house, pre-renovation. The Culture Club star and gender fluidity trailblazer bought the creaky, creepy Gothic mansion nearly 40 years ago, when hits like 1982\u2019s \u201cDo You Really Want to Hurt Me\u201d and 1983\u2019s \u201cKarma Chameleon\u201d made him, if not royalty, royalty-rich. Built in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":93,"featured_media":1075805,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2022-07-08T18:00:40Z","apple_news_api_id":"1f5444ee-6872-4612-90c8-51f9c454de78","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2022-07-15T18:19:06Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AH1RE7mhyRhKQyFH5xFTeeA","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_jonathan-becker-a-50-year-career-in-timeless-black-white-photography":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5003],"tags":[],"dibs-categories":[],"dibs-designs":[],"dibs-styles":[],"dibs-creators":[],"dibs-sellers":[],"class_list":["post-1071854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-designer-spotlight"],"acf":{"hide_from_archive":false,"disable_amp":false,"stylized_title":"","hide_hero":false,"hero_layout":"vertical","hero_background_image":1075495,"hide_all_hero_text":false,"hero_text":"

The designer created spaces that feel both calming and creatively charged.<\/p>\n","from_the_archives":false,"hero_date":"July 10, 2022","contributors":{"hide_byline":false,"columnist":[{"ID":2833,"post_author":"253","post_date":"2014-11-11 22:46:57","post_date_gmt":"2014-11-11 22:46:57","post_content":"\n

Fred Bernstein studied architecture at Princeton University, and though he has never practiced architecture the subject continues to absorb him. He has written hundreds of articles, mostly on architecture and design, for the New York Times<\/em>, and hundreds more for other publications. He is the 2009 winner of the Oculus Award, given each year by the New York chapter of the American Institute of Architects for excellence in architecture writing.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Fred A. 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