Celebrity Homes: Inside The House of Formula One Champion Jenson Button

Designed by Brittny Button and decorator Tanya Stone, this newly renovated Spanish Revival home makes for an idyllic Palm Springs retreat. It is the stylish vacation home of Brittny and husband Jenson Button, acclaimed Formula One Champion.

While the duo’s primary residence remains in Bel Air, Palm Springs has offered a necessary escape from city life. “I love going to the backyard, enjoying a drink by the pool, and looking up to this almost otherworldly mountain range,” Jenson says of the nearby San Jacinto Mountains. “And since we don’t live here full-time, we get goosebumps each time we come back. This home centres us more than any place I’ve really ever been.”

For Jenson, who was born and raised in the United Kingdom and retired from Formula One racing in 2016, Palm Springs has always had an idyllic association with American culture. “Where I’m from, there was this mythical perception of the California desert,” the 42-year-old explains. “Now, after all my years of travelling the world and seeing what this area is all about, I’ve come to realize that you can’t find another place quite like this.”

The home itself was far from a turnkey purchase and instead required a heavy facelift. That meant gutting the family room’s dizzying marble floor. It also meant remodelling the kitchen’s ’90s-era wood cabinets and backsplash and replacing it with quartz. In the living room, an uninspiring fireplace was jazzed up to become an adobe-style hearth.

Overall, what was once an almost stuffy set of interiors was transformed into a serene abode. Here you can experience a mix of old-world charm and new-world relaxation. That, ultimately, was exactly what the couple wanted. “I love being in these old Palm Springs homes and letting my mind wander,” Brittny says. “The conversations, the parties they must have had…”

While Jenson took a backseat, his wife seized the reins of the redesign process. Throughout the overhaul, she found herself gravitating toward design as a profession. “Growing up, I used to go to flea markets with my parents all the time,” the California native notes.

“I like digging through things and finding the unexpected…I like objects that show real craftsmanship.” But to really make the home fit their vision, the couple knew they needed to branch out. Brittny reached out to Tanya Stone, founder and owner of Tanya Stone Interiors.

While Brittny’s vision materialized in the architectural scheme of the renovated interiors, Stone helped refine the space with recommendations on materials and lighting. “I understood her perspective and she trusted my opinions,” Stone says. “We worked on the home during the pandemic, which caused a lot of delays. But in a way, it allowed us to really slow down, talk through the process and really get to know each other. Brittny has a keen understanding of balancing textures and styles which really impressed me.”

As a result of their partnership on the Palm Springs abode, the dynamic duo joined forces this year to create Stone & Button, a company specializing in the revival of Spanish-styled homes.

“Neither me nor my husband had done anything like this before,” Brittny admits. “Nevertheless, for a retired racing driver and former model, we somehow made it work. In fact, we’re a little bit in awe with what we’ve created in this home.” Like most things the couple has done in their lives, they’re not the only ones in awe of the end result.