Demi Lovato may be as famous as they come, but stars, they say, are just like us. After spending one too many months cooped up during the early days of quarantine, the award-winning singer-songwriter and actor felt ready for a new home in Los Angeles that checked all the boxes. So, as a real estate frenzy was taking over the country, Lovato was also in the midst of a pandemic house hunt.
With six bedrooms and seven bathrooms spread across 8,500 square feet, this Studio City modern farmhouse provided the blank canvas that Lovato had always dreamed about. Another bonus was the theater and, of course, the backyard swimming pool. “I love the outdoor space,” she explains over Zoom. “I also loved that it had everything that I needed—there were a lot of houses that were beautiful, but there wasn’t [another] house that could have a room for glam, a room for my fittings, a room for my studio… Also, the vibe was really beautiful, and I just fell in love with it when I saw it.”
It was here that Lovato conceptualized Holy Fvck, her eighth full-length album with Island Records. It’s a culmination of the 30-year-old’s rebirth and also marks a return to her rock and pop-punk roots. Designing this house was a process that paralleled that personal journey. This time around, Lovato wanted every inch of the space to embody her personality fully—and the sense of fluidity that continues to shape her identity.
Incidentally, Lovato’s head of security connected her with Argyle Design founders Kat Bell and James Drew. As soon as the trio met, it felt like a perfect fit. “It’s totally different because the last house that I owned for myself—I didn’t have a vision for it,” she explains. “It was just this blank, white, minimalistic yet cosy home… I really loved living there, but at the same time, it felt empty.”
Bell emphasizes that establishing trust with Lovato was a unique and special experience. “Demi is a dream client for anyone to have,” she says. It was a collaborative process, as the pair translated Lovato’s mood board into each room. This meant leaning into maximalism and pairing unexpected pieces together to create a spectrum of distinct vibes. “The house has great energy,” Drew says. “I’m not usually one that believes in that kind of stuff, but one thing I will say is doing this house was so much fun.”
Of course, this was all part of Lovato’s grand plan—she wanted her home to have good hosting energy filtered through an immersive experience. She gets excited when disclosing some provocative Easter eggs hidden around the house, such as mushroom-shaped stools, butt vases, and salt and pepper shakers shaped like boobs. Bell refers to these items as “LOL moments” that are a reflection of Lovato’s playful personality, noting, “We wanted to make sure that anywhere you look, there’s this piece that you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, what is that?’”
Eva Seta, director of communications at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, was hired to curate the artwork, which includes pieces by emerging artists from underrepresented communities such as Monica Kim Garza, Lilian Martinez, Hannah Epstein, Yasmine Nasser Diaz, and Lola Rose Thompson. “I wanted it to be a very queer environment,” Lovato explains. “There’s a lot of female empowerment, so keeping pieces representative of the female figure was very important to me. We live in a world that shuts you out of honouring female bodies, so I want it to be in your face in my house.”
To that point, Lovato insisted on having her very own glam room. Beyond the eye-catching embellishments, like pieces of Pierre Paulin and Michael Ducaroy furniture, a Murano chandelier, a custom Gustaf Westman mirror, and a neon sign that reads “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile,” the interior also features a fully functioning shampoo bowl from a hair salon. “I used to have a wine cellar, but I don’t drink wine, so now it holds a lot of wigs,” Lovato adds. (While she has been open about the ups and downs of her recovery journey, Lovato announced her commitment to full sobriety in December 2021 following the release of the docuseries Dancing with the Devil.)
Other unconventional spaces, like the “Shroom Room,” where Lovato’s guests can spread out on a rainbow custom-made modular sectional set. There’s also a pair of Tongue chairs by Pierre Paulin with shimmering silver walls and curtains. An interactive cloud lamp by Rania Peet hangs from a mural ceiling by Jen Stark, which brings the whole room to life; Lovato enjoys listening to music there while watching the cloud change colours.
The lavender-hued dining room adopts a more aquatic tone, with fixtures like Uchiwa wall sconces and a chandelier from Entler Studio reminiscent of tentacles. To make the kitchen feel more grounded, Bell and Drew paired Gucci’s Lilies wallpaper with wood finishes, brass details, and other earth-toned elements. The living room is arguably bolder, with a Desede DS-600 Nonstop sofa wrapped around a bonsai tree coffee table and zebra onyx crystal lamps.
While the house already had solid interior architecture, the real heavy lifting went into transforming the pool house into a recording studio that doubles as a sacred space. The result is a creative environment with soft textures embodied by objects like an Upholstered Stitch Stool by Eny Lee Parker and a Cold Picnic rug. Since Lovato was inspired by crystals, Bell and Drew sourced a vintage 1960s Italy Vistosi chandelier with iridescent Murano glass discs for the ceiling. That same spiritual energy can be felt in Lovato’s primary bedroom, which is whimsical with a touch of rock and roll.
The backyard is another universe of its thanks to its pool, hot tub, fire pit, outdoor kitchen with a built-in grill, and a secluded patio. There’s also a special area designated for Lovato’s dogs, Batman and Cinderella, secured with netting, so the pups can safely play outside without the threat of local hawks and coyotes. (Elsewhere, she installed miniature tables with a feeding station for the neighbourhood squirrels.)
After achieving everything she set out to do in designing this space, Lovato couldn’t be more satisfied with the results. “Home to me is where I can rest easy and stay—even if there’s a quarantine or lockdown—and feel completely fulfilled,” she concludes. “I have no reason to leave; this is everything I’ve wanted in a house.”
The entryway evokes calm energy with a low number of objects. Untitled RL032 by Ko Kirk Yamahira hangs above an Ekstrem chair. A curvaceous vase is placed on the Italia travertine table with a black Alvar Aalto stool. An Ettore doorstop by Magis can be spotted in the corner. Argyle Studio incorporated fish and seashells into the dining room decor to create an underwater ambience. A leopard print rug from Safavieh can be spotted under the Warren Platner dining set. A six-globe chandelier from Entler Studio hangs from the ceiling. Finally, truth or Dare by Yasmine Nasser Diaz is positioned between a pair of Uchiwa wall sconces by Ingo Maurer.
The living room features a Desede DS-600 Nonstop sofa, MR20 armchairs by Mies van der Rohe, D’urbino and Lomazzi Piumino lounge chairs, and a set of nesting tables by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina. The bonsai coffee table is by Willy Daro. A collection of Azalea mink bar stools from CB2 can be seen on the island, with Scraplights by Graypants hanging from above.
Resene Renaissance paint is available from Resene ColorShops. Early Settler Stitch 3 Seater Leather Sofa Vintage Brown, $3899. Resene Santas Grey paint is available from Resene Colorhops. Homage Platner dining chair from $1850.
Lovato spends a lot of time getting ready in the glam room. Argyle Studio sourced a Curvy mirror from Gustaf Westman, Ribbon chair by Pierre Paulin, Togo sofa by Michel Ducaroy for Ligne Roset, and Kashmir rug by Cape Original. “My favourite room in the house has been and probably will always be the Shroom Room,” Lovato says. “It’s such a fun experience when you walk into it and spend time in it.”
Bell and Drew’s vision for the primary bedroom was whimsical, with an “ethereal heaven-type feel to it” and a touch of rock and roll. They sourced a Cleopatra Chaise Lounge by Geoffrey D. Harcourt RDI for Artifort and a pair of Beluga chairs by Atra to match the custom bed platform. The silver bronze cheetah and Kartell Colonna side table add some excitement.
Lovato refers to this room as her “overflow closet,” where she keeps stuff that “I don’t actually wear, but I don’t know what to do with it.” Lovato wanted the primary bathroom to be very zen, which was achieved thanks to pieces like an opalescent chandelier by Carlo Nason. “It was really important to me to have an area that I could really, really relax in,” Lovato notes. Custom ottoman upholstered in House of Hackney’s Tigre velvet.
Coco Republic Capri Double X Bench, $1990. PODEVACHE Ourea Floor Mat, $808. Resene Blake paint available from Resene ColorShops. The Lighting Shop Anastasia Pendant/ Chandelier, $682.
Lovato’s favourite feature in the backyard is the theatre screen that pulls down so she can watch movies outside wherever she wants. “You can watch them from the bed, inside the hot tub, or in the pool, and it’s a cool vibe,” she adds.
* Source Architectural Digest