Cindy Crawford and Rande Geber moved into Cindy Crawford’s Manhattan apartment after their marriage seven years ago. They then moved to Cindy Crawford’s house in Los Angeles. His Malibu bachelor pad became a weekend getaway. Now they have decided to move permanently to the beach. She says, “This is our first joint place.” This is our newlywed house.
The house is perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Pacific. Its grandiose property with its private beach is even more impressive by Hollywood standards. However, it exudes warmth, comfort, and welcome. We wanted to feel like we were on vacation, so we thought of all the things we enjoy about beach vacations. Crawford is bare-faced, barefoot, and wearing jeans and a t-shirt.
All the main rooms have pocket doors that remain open, weather permitting. They lead to ample decks and an infinity a data-vars-ga-calltoaction= “pool” data vars ga UX element. The house has pocket doors in all the main rooms that can be opened, depending on the weather, to access a large deck and an infinity pool. Crawford says that when you live near the ocean, you take advantage of it. She sets up camp there with Gerber, Presley, 6, and Kaia. “We feel as if we are on a permanent vacation. Five times a week, our kids swim in the pool. “We live outside as well as inside, and we are always casual. We’re a no-coaster family.”
Gerber owns restaurants and clubs, and Crawford works at home. She rarely drives to Los Angeles for more than two hours a week. The house has everything they need, including a fully-equipped gym, a screening area, and a “club” in the basement for entertaining. Crawford, who enjoys cooking and entertaining friends for dinner, says that Rande wants their house to be a place everyone wants to visit, including the friends of our children. We have drinks by the firepit on the deck and, if the weather is warm enough, eat outdoors. We move into the dining room if it’s not warm enough. We always end up by the fire. “We want people to think they don’t wish to leave.
CINDY CRAWFORD MALIBU HOME: GO INSIDE
Crawford and Gerber had very different visions when they began the project. Crawford says that Rande’s style is more edgy and modern. He also has an Armaniesque feel. I like a cozier and romantic atmosphere. He hates traditional Oriental rugs, which I love. He would have carpeted the entire place. We had to each step outside our comfort zones to find something that we liked. They turned to an interior designer, Michael S. Smith, who was an old friend of Crawford and had worked with her in her previous homes. He was able to reconcile the two’s tastes and had some of his own.
He introduced the couple to Oscar Shamamian, who designed a building that Crawford describes as “like sugar plantations in the tropics.” Part Colonial (classic proportions and clean lines), and part Caribbean (indoor/outdoor living with tropical materials). Shamamian says that the simple use of dark wood, light walls, and stone floors in intimate rooms contrasts with the large-scale ocean views. The sea and sky are visible as soon as you open the front door. Crawford says that after the house was feng-shuied, the good energy that entered the home flowed out the other side. A round table from Crawford’s New York City flat now stands in the hallway.
Smith says that the house is a hybrid. “Cindy’s desire for warmth and comfort is evident throughout the house, but Rande’s love of drama and action makes it memorable.”
The challenge was conveying simplicity and spareness while maintaining the earthy, romantic design. Smith achieved this by choosing high-quality pieces over “fancy stuff” and by letting the architectural details speak for themselves. The recessed squares around the fireplace in the living room add an elegant touch, just as the shuttered door in the bar or the carved moldings in the master bath. The ceiling of the dining room is covered in white-gold leaves, and bamboo shades are used in almost every room to let light play around.
Over time, the house begins to reveal itself. Smith says that it may appear to be a simple wood-and-white, but this is not the case. It is sophisticated and complex. It’s complicated and sophisticated. Smith concludes that “the house is larger than its parts.”
Crawford describes the collaboration in three ways: “We nudged each other, pushed each other, fought and inspired one another.” “And our house is much better because of it.”
