Guns N' Roses' Duff McKagan's Idyllic Lakeside Mansion

Guns N' Roses' Duff McKagan's Idyllic Lakeside Mansion
Guns N' Roses' Duff McKagan's Idyllic Lakeside Mansion

Renovating a house is not an easy task when you are on site, interacting with the team of designers. But what can you say when you're Duff McKagan, founding member of one of the most legendary rock bands in the world, and you're in the middle of a tour? It takes on a whole new dimension. Ever the optimist, the Guns N' Roses bassist and his wife, supermodel Susan Holmes-McKagan, saw only the positive side when they simultaneously embarked on a grand global adventure and a multi-year home renovation beloved: a 1927 English Tudor mansion, located on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle.

Duff McKagan (right) and Susan Holmes-McKagan in their garden. “The house looks like a small castle, so it has a bit of a fortress feel”explains Nicolò Bini, founder of Line Architecture. “As a guest, we enjoyed making our way through the entrance garden, where we played with the scale of the flowers to create a dramatic effect”in collaboration with landscaper Anton Prack of Peak Landscape. “As this is a British house, I thought a couple of topiary sheep would add a fun touch. »

The couple, who got married in their backyard 25 years ago, didn't just look for inspiration on Instagram, they lived it for three years on the road. This hands-on research led them to sleep, sit and admire possible references wherever they went. “We were taking pictures, like, ‘Look at this, we can do this at home’”says the musician. “The Reykjavik Konsulat Hotel bar was a source of inspiration”specifies Susan Holmes-McKagan. “And our entryway was directly influenced by the natural light and round windows of the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington DC. » These internationally inspired elements are not just aesthetic: they bring back happy and meaningful memories for the couple.

But these interior designs were only carried out after extensive architectural work carried out by Todd James Bertellotti of ObjectSpace and Paul Moon Design. Susan had one idea in mind, explains Duff McKagan: to open up the small 1920s-style rooms of the five-bedroom residence, raise the height of the ceilings and rediscover a certain elegance of yesteryear. The real reason for this renovation, however, had to do with the climate. “It's hot in the northwest, so we said we need to put in air conditioning, and Susan said we need a swimming pool. And that's where everything went wrong. »

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