Celebrity Homes: Step Inside The Home of Fashion Designer Diane Von Furstenberg

What happens when a love of fashion merges with a passion for interior design? A unique, extraordinary and unconventional home such as this intricate beauty belonging to global fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg.

Situated in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, the location was certainly not an obvious choice for a home for a renowned fashion icon. In an interview with Architectural Digest, Diane explains, “Everybody told me when I came to this neighbourhood that I was crazy—that it was full of drag queens, that it smelled awful because of all the butchers”.

However, none of this stopped the Belgian-born designer from creating her ideal retreat. The penthouse, which she calls her “treehouse” replaces her former digs on Park Avenue. This home is a hideaway perched atop her Manhattan design studio and flagship store.

She called upon the design expertise of Amale Andraos and Dan Wood—Rem Koolhaas protégés and founders of the architecture firm WORKac. The aim was to merge a pair of Victorian redbrick buildings she acquired in 2006. What was once a gap between the structures is now a concrete staircase that leads from the ground floor to a rooftop lair containing a live/work space and, above that, a 900-square-foot master suite with a terrace.

An eclectic interior

On the inside, the home is alive with textures, and unconventional finds. It is a little bohemian and a little eclectic as each space grabs the attention with unique artwork, interesting colours and untraditional furniture choices. Lips and hearts also seem to be a theme. However, Diane doesn’t really approve of ‘collecting’ things. She says, “because people become prisoners” of their possessions.

A tented bed adds to the aesthetic of an urban treehouse. It becomes a central feature in the home – a bed sheltered within a bamboo pavilion hung with panels of linen.

Diane could see the potential in this beautiful city retreat. She has made this spunky corner of the city her own, but she still considers herself a nomad – finding solace around the globe, from Brussels to Manhattan to Los Angeles to Bali to Paris and back.