Martyn Lawrence Bullard is one of those rare designers who can truly do it all. From a neoclassical estate in the Irish countryside to exuberant celebrity mansions, he hits all the high notes to reflect both the personality of his clients and the style of the house—and then takes it a step further. His latest book, Star Style: Interiors of Martyn Lawrence Bullard, is chock-full of his highly imaginative work for his A-list clientele (you won’t be surprised to find that Cher wrote the foreword). We were especially captivated by his dining rooms, which stand out for their theatricality and individuality across a spectrum of styles. We’ve selected a few highlights to inspire you to push the boundaries and bring some zing to your own dining and entertaining spaces.
GO BOLDLY BLACK AND WHITE
Dramatic contrasts create op-art illusion in Martyn Lawrence Bullard’s design of RuPaul’s dining room. Taking cues from a scene in the 1968 movie Boom!, starring Elizabeth Taylor, Bullard infused the space with vintage glamour using painted tenting stripes, paneled mirrors, and a fanciful white-and-gold chandelier. Dutch photographer Bastiaan Woudt’s striking piece Vlinder (2021) breaks up the vertical lines, while the zebra-striped and rose-lacquered Elsie de Wolfe chairs add a feminine note.
TAP INTO WANDERLUST
In model Alessandra Ambrosio’s 1926 Spanish Revival home, Bullard conjured an intimate, North African–inspired dining room with an enchanting 19th-century Egyptian lantern and floor-to-ceiling mirror. Chairs upholstered in three colorways of the same fabric add energy and warmth around the circular dining table, while antiqued-mirror bookcases showcase handcrafted pottery and baskets along with books.
INJECT COLORFUL CONTRAST
In RuPaul’s breakfast room, Bullard deployed classic Frances Elkins chairs lacquered bright orange to add contrast to the black and white scheme. A gold 1970s Gae Aulenti palm chandelier brings Hollywood glamour and warmth to the light-filled space. On the walls, the Pins et Cyprès panoramic wallpaper by Ananbô balances the geometric tiled floor.
LEAN INTO YOUR PASSIONS
For Kylie Jenner’s feminine Los Angeles dining room, Bullard custom dyed leather Rive Gauche chairs to match the lipstick shades in the beauty mogul’s cosmetics line, and gold leafed the tray ceiling to cast a warm, romantic glow. In a nod to Jenner’s favorite flying creatures, Damien Hirst’s Butterflies line the walls.
HONOR HISTORY
Usually one for maximizing color and mixing periods, Bullard opted for historic authenticity and a subdued palette for the renovation of this 18th-century Classic Revival estate in Ireland. The designer sourced carved Irish armorial dining chairs from an English estate sale and had the walls hand-painted with the views from the house of the Slieve Bloom Mountains and local architectural follies.
Excerpted from Star Style: Interiors of Martyn Lawrence Bullard, (Vendome), $75, bookshop.org
