2 days ago
The bizarre new trend in the homes of the super rich beloved by Kim Kardashian and Jeff Bezos
When it comes to the super-wealthy, their homes can range from everything from beachfront mansions to glitzy penthouses.
But while individual tastes may vary, one trend has emerged among the rich which is beloved by celebrities and elites alike.
It appears that premium architecture and a coveted location are no longer enough.
Celebrity home stager and interior designer Cheryl Eisen said what the wealthy really want is a fully furnished home.
While their massive budgets would allow celebrities to put their own stamp on a home, Eisen says they prefer to outsource the design and often all stick to the same color palette.
'Great staging isn't just about aesthetics, it's a strategy,' she explained.
'It gives buyers clarity and delivers maximum returns for sellers.'
Eisen has staged homes for celebrity clients like Kim Kardashian, Robert De Niro, Daniel Craig, and even Jeff Bezos.
She staged everything from $100 million penthouses in Manhattan to mansions in Beverly Hills and waterfront palaces on Miami's billionaire's row.
She offers her services with two companies Interior Marketing Group and Eisen Design House.
After her decades of experience, she's noticed that her celebrity clients are drawn to quiet luxury. They want their spaces to feel calm, and tranquil and gravitate towards neutral tones.
The 56-year-old said that not only do homes she stages sell 82 percent faster than the average in New York, they sell well above asking price when fully furnished.
Turnkey homes - homes that are ready for living the moment they are purchased - have become the norm in the luxury real estate industry. It's no longer a desire but an expectation, Eisen said.
She revealed a lot of the business she is seeing is with vacation homes in Florida, which makes perfect sense to Eisen.
'If you're going to buy a second home, why spend a year furnishing it when instead you can buy a completely furnished home and just bring a tooth brush?' she said.
Staging allows clients to imagine themselves in a space, and to feel something when they enter it.
'We want them to walk in and feel really calm and at home and at peace,' she told Daily Mail.
'We stay away from things that are too taste specific that could alienate a specific population,' she said.
Eisen said the best design choices for turnkey homes are simple ones.
'Layered, neutral tones and textures, what we're really showcasing is beautiful architecture in the home,' she says.
'The formula for us has always been broad appeal.'
It is perhaps surprising that this muted pallet is preferred, given some of the garish taste of some celebrities.
Eisen said the rise in buyers purchasing their homes fully furnished and designed has always been a no-brainer to her.
'The wealthy will buy a home and then hire an interior designer and spend a year making it gorgeous,' she said.
Whether it's an investment property or a personal home, turnkey buyers can move in on day one.
'You don't have to spend the time and energy on it,' she said.
That's a formula that apparently worked for celebrity buyers like Jeff Bezos and Chrissy Teigen and John Legend.
Both buyers purchased one of their homes completely furnished, and Teigen and Legend even hired her to redo their Los Angeles residence.
The very wealthy have properties in every city, it only makes sense to purchase them ready to go.
But, they're looking for different things in different cities. As much as Eisen aims for broad appeal, a vacation home in Miami looks different than a penthouse in Manhattan.
'In New York it's a little edgier, you can put some vintage pieces in there and give it a little edge,' said Eisen. Although she likes to stick with neutrals she said occasionally she adds unique art pieces to tie in a pop of color.
In Florida, homes come out a little brighter and more modern.
She said luxury buyers like to feel at home and at peace as soon as they step onto a property
'In Florida, since they're vacation homes they want everything to feel very new and fresh,' she said, adding that her designs tend to gear toward, 'warm tones and organic materials'.
But despite their love of neutrals, the super rich are reportedly not adverse to an unexpected pop of personality, in moderation.
Eisen said luxury homeowners are steering toward eye-catching shapes and statement pieces - even if they tend to stick within the confines of a natural pallet.
She's seen curved sofas, coffee tables shaped like guitar picks, and an emphasis on imperfect shapes and materials.
'Those are all in warm neutral, nature tones, it's just created a whole layered organic textured thing,' she noted.
However, one of her more outrageous requests in recent memory steered away from the organic, neutral look.
Eisen said former Real Housewife of New York, Bethenny Frankel asked to have a zipline installed in her yard.
Eisen said she is excited by such projects, which allow her to step outside of her turnkey formula.
'We're always so reliant on a broad appeal that when a client asks us to think outside the box it's an exciting challenge for us.'
One of her more recent penthouse designs at Five Park Residence in Miami features bold colors and patterns throughout the home.
'It's all very dramatic, each room has this experiential element,' she said.
Still, she's happy doing turnkey designs. Eisen said she'd always hoped the real estate industry would take this turn. 'It's a no-brainer,' she said.
