Step Inside Cher’s Malibu Home
AD100 designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard details his experience of crafting Cher’s own personal sanctuary
Perched on the most perfect bluff in Malibu is an iconic home, a landmark that all who pass recognize as the home of another icon: the Academy Award–winning singer, actor, activist, elephant savior, and extraordinary talent known to the world as Cher.
The house itself is another of her many accomplishments, and I have had the great honor (and undoubted pleasure) of helping with its recent reincarnations. Today, it is a zen-like sanctuary filled with museum-quality Asian art and custom-made furnishings, but the story of this magnificent edifice starts way before I got to play within its walls.
It took years for Cher to discover the perfect Malibu location—an idyllic spot, as it happens, that she had driven past countless times, and purchased in 1998. It then took almost five years to transform the magical location high above the Pacific Ocean into the ultimate home.
A reflection of her unique tastes and lifelong interest in architecture and design, the house grew out of years of collecting and travel. She brought hundreds of tear sheets ripped from countless magazines to the drawing board, and the home’s design makes reference to Venetian palazzos, the great Renaissance villas of Europe, and the Moorish influences of the Alhambra palace.
Builder Wallace Tutt III led the team in creating the extraordinary 16,000-square-foot mansion, sited to take in the expanse from Point Dume to Santa Monica along the coast and out to Catalina Island. From sunrise to sunset, the huge picture windows offer stunning vistas. “Every room has two different views of the ocean,” Cher says. “This house wraps its arms around you.”
The finest materials were employed: limestone and marble imported from Italy and France, hand-wrought bronze doors, and custom hardware and tiles from Spain and Morocco. An 18th-century Venetian marble balustrade was purchased from William Randolph Hearst’s collection at San Simeon.
Cher originally worked with designer and longtime friend Ron Wilson, and the house has been filled with her own personal touches since the start. About 16 years ago, I was given the opportunity to help update the residence and source many new treasures. Working hand in hand, we reworked all the finishes with her signature style of opulent comfort, theatrical elegance, and a timeless color palette.
Talented artists painted the ceilings with Eastern motifs, hand-distressed mirrors to create walls of reflective magic, and crafted romantic Moroccan-style lighting that warms the home. The raw silk-clad walls and drapery in the bedroom were stenciled using a mixture of tea leaves and coffee grounds blended with umber paint pigments to recreate traditional henna designs once painted on Cher’s hands during a wedding she attended in India. The Moroccan Mashrabiya wood panels that encase the private sitting area were hand-carved in Fez, Morocco. “My bedroom has been my sanctuary, my fortress, really my very special place,” Cher says.
The entertaining rooms are flooded with light and designed to allow the breathtaking views through the windows to be the stars of the space. From the spacious living room, the prospect seems to flow seamlessly across the pool—its infinity edge appears to lap against the windows—out into the Pacific Ocean beyond. And when seated in the family room, you feel like you are floating on a turquoise sea.
Strict regulations enacted in Malibu over the years would prevent a house of this magnitude from being built these days. And now, after 20 years, Cher is ready to create a new sanctuary. “This house has been one of the greatest passions of my life,” the superstar says. “I have enjoyed every moment of its creation and evolution, but now it’s time to pass this magic on to others.”
Talented artists painted the ceilings with Eastern motifs, hand-distressed mirrors to create walls of reflective magic, and crafted romantic Moroccan-style lighting that warms the home. The raw silk-clad walls and drapery in the bedroom were stenciled using a mixture of tea leaves and coffee grounds blended with umber paint pigments to recreate traditional henna designs once painted on Cher’s hands during a wedding she attended in India. The Moroccan Mashrabiya wood panels that encase the private sitting area were hand-carved in Fez, Morocco. “My bedroom has been my sanctuary, my fortress, really my very special place,” Cher says.
The entertaining rooms are flooded with light and designed to allow the breathtaking views through the windows to be the stars of the space. From the spacious living room, the prospect seems to flow seamlessly across the pool—its infinity edge appears to lap against the windows—out into the Pacific Ocean beyond. And when seated in the family room, you feel like you are floating on a turquoise sea.
Strict regulations enacted in Malibu over the years would prevent a house of this magnitude from being built these days. And now, after 20 years, Cher is ready to create a new sanctuary. “This house has been one of the greatest passions of my life,” the superstar says. “I have enjoyed every moment of its creation and evolution, but now it’s time to pass this magic on to others.”
From the driveway one can spot the lush interior courtyard and Cher’s Bentley. Cher’s astrological sign, Taurus, inspired the choice of the vintage bronze bulls that sit outside the entrance.
The property’s grand entrance features limestone block walls, custom bronze doors, and carved panels from Rajasthan, India. The bronze candlesticks were purchased at London’s Guinevere Antiques, and the lantern is from Berbere Imports.
The central courtyard surrounds an octagram-shaped fountain. The house’s construction references Venetian palazzos, the great Renaissance villas of Europe, and the Moorish influences of the Alhambra palace.
The living room ceiling was hand-painted by Brad Southwick using gold leaf stencils and a tea stain. Antiques featured in this interior range from a pair of 19th-century jars, sourced from Berbere Imports, to a 17th-century elm wood Chinese bed, purchased via Charles Jacobsen Inc. The large Moroccan chandelier is from Tangier Imports. Hand-carved sofas and the coffee table are by Martyn Lawrence Bullard.
In the living room, a hand-painted mandala draws the eye. A daybed from Bullard is topped with silk sari fabric. The designer’s Porto game table is surrounded by antique chairs from the 19th century.
The tin ceiling in the dining room was painted in Ivory White by Benjamin Moore. Custom Moroccan bronze lanterns, from Mustapha Blaoui in Marrakesh, complement a vintage silver Moroccan mirror from JF Chen. The midcentury dining chairs are covered in a Pierre Frey ivory bouclé.
In the kitchen, custom-made cabinetry was painted in a hand-mixed white paint. An Ann Sacks silvered tile backsplash and a custom-made Moravian star lantern enliven the space. Other amenities in the kitchen are a Wolf range, Waterworks sinks and taps, and wood ceremonial pieces from Primary Source.
The family room features a custom sofa by Bullard upholstered in ribbed linen by Coraggio and a vintage Indian quilted blanket from Pat McGann Gallery. The 19th-century painted Indian daybed is covered in an Etro paisley fabric and draped with a Yves Saint Laurent shawl. The inlaid bone Indian coffee table is from Charles Jacobsen. The sisal rug is by Stark.
Massangis limestone, sourced from Exquisite Surfaces, make up the countertops in this powder room. Distressed mirror paneled walls offset an antique 19th-century Indian mirror, purchased through Guinivere Antiques in London. Bullard’s atelier created the custom wall sconces, and the bronze taps are Waterworks.
The entrance to the primary bedroom suite features bronze-studded walnut doors, Venetian plaster walls, and two folding court chairs from the collection of Doris Duke.
An atrium off the primary bedroom boasts an aptly named Cher chaise by Bullard, topped with hand-embroidered Indian silk pillows. The antique marble fountain was sourced from Charles Jacobsen. The 19th-century Moroccan side table is from JF Chen.
Cher’s primary bedroom is decorated with a special 1920s Syrian bed once owned by famed Hollywood couple Rudolph Valentino and Natacha Rambova. The custom side tables by the bed hold antique Egyptian lamps purchased at Cairo’s Grand Bazaar. A pair of sofas by Bullard upholstered in hemp silk from Schumacher sit atop an abaca rug by Stark.
The primary suite extends to a sitting area. Antique ottomans from Guinevere Antiques and a coffee table from Charles Jacobsen sit atop a rug from The Rug Company. The walls, lined in Malabar silk, are accented by linen drapes from Bullard.
Limestone walls and custom cabinetry can be seen in the primary bathroom. The Moroccan chandelier is from Berbere Imports, and the Art Deco Egyptian paintings were purchased through Christie’s.
An exterior passageway leading to the guest suites is decorated with custom-made hanging lanterns from Marrakesh’s Mustapha Blaoui and a carved bench by Bullard covered in Vincent Van Duysen fabric.
In one guest room, Balinese panels hang over a custom bed by Bullard. The walls have a seagrass covering from Phillip Jeffries. Bedside tables from Charles Jacobsen are topped with antique Moroccan lamps, and the custom silk shades are by Reborn Antiques.
The infinity pool overlooks the Pacific Ocean. A poolside lounge bed is topped with Zoffany silk pillows.
Pictured is the back view of the property. Stunning views of the ocean are present in nearly every room.
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