Inside the Homes of 7 Oscar Winners

It should come as no surprise that a peek through the AD archives can land you a glimpse at the homes of several Oscar winners—after all, AD’s been touring the homes of celebrities practically since its inception in 1920. In preparation for this year’s Academy Awards ceremony on March 12, we’ve selected some of our very favorite homes owned by Oscar-winning performers (and even one EGOT winner). Though he doesn’t qualify as an Oscar winner, we’d be remiss to neglect mentioning that AD has even toured the former home of Oscar statuette designer Cedric Gibbons himself. 

The upstairs living area “became an opportunity not only to build an environment to showcase Elton’s glassware, but to float a space over the ‘gathering hall,’ as we call the dining area,” explained Dilger.

Photo: Simon Brown

AD has toured several of Elton John’s homes through the years, and while all of the Rocket Man’s homes are perfectly pretty, our very favorite has to be his Atlanta space designed by Fred Dilger and Stan Topol. We’re particularly into this appropriately glitzy mirror-backed lounge space that showcases John’s array of Baccarat and Lalique crystal and vintage Italian glass.  

“Diane prepared for this as for a film” said Shadley, “collecting ideas in a binder that we constantly referred to.”

Photo: Tim Street-Porter

“She’s not afraid,” designer Stephen Shadley said of Keaton, who is also a producer and a director. “She doesn’t change things at whim, but if something isn’t working, she’s brave enough to say, ‘Let’s do another take.’” The pair placed a Monterey club chair in the small sitting room off the stair hall.

Photo: Tim Street-Porter

As Diane Keaton and her designer Stephen Shadley acquainted themselves with the actress’s home, a 1927 Spanish Colonial Revival in Bel Air, they were aware it would take some serious finessing. The 1977 Best Actress winner (for Annie Hall) was prepared to put in some major elbow grease, and in the end all of that mood boarding, envisioning, and consideration paid off. The home, which AD toured in 2005, was packed with personality and color while still holding true to its Spanish Colonial Revival roots. 

The actress, who loved to cook, hosted company in the kitchen while she whipped up modest feasts of vegetables from her garden, or a freshly caught fish.

Photo: Derry Moore

“My entire inspiration came from farm cottages—every detail and proportion. Every room is traditionally Irish, except for the size of the main room,” said Pearce.

Photo: Derry Moore

Though she’s technically an honorary Oscar winner, we had to include the late Angela Lansbury. The Murder, She Wrote star built her Irish farmhouse from the ground up in the early 1990s with her friend Stephen Pearce, a potter who had built his own home just 15 minutes away from the land her house would be built on. AD toured the spare but undeniably cozy home in 2007 and, 16 years later, the design of the space has proven itself to be as timeless as intended. 

In Clooney’s living room, a slipcovered sofa and armchairs and a pair of stools by Casamidy were grouped around a cocktail table by SL Westwood Design; the Alison Berger–designed surveyor’s lamp is from Holly Hunt, the striped throw pillows are made of a Ralph Lauren Home fabric, the curtains are of a Holly Hunt linen, and the carpet is by Lawrence of La Brea.

Photo: Björn Wallander