Glimpse Inside The Luxury Of RuPaul’s Beverly Hills Mansion
As the most famous drag queen in the world, RuPaul Charles lives a life of lavish luxury at home. The host of Drag Race owns an extravagant mansion in Beverly Hills that’s dripping with campy style and glamor. And today, we’ll be taking a tour of the place, with Mama Ru serving as our guide. Once we’re done, you might not want to leave! Can we get an amen to that?
Work had to be done
RuPaul’s fabulous California home was built back in the 1980s, and its scale alone fits right in with the local area. It’s go big or go home in Beverly Hills, after all!
Yet RuPaul and his hubby, Georges LeBar, felt the interior of the original place lacked a certain spark. This was something the couple quickly picked up on after buying the pad back in 2019. So, they got in touch with an old pal to set things right.
“Go as far as your imagination will take us”
RuPaul and Georges reached out to Martyn Bullard, a renowned interior designer. “We’ve always loved Martyn’s aesthetic, so we trusted him,” the RuPaul’s Drag Race star told Architectural Digest in May 2023.
In true RuPaul style, he wanted the house to push boundaries. “I said, ‘Go for it. I can go as far as your imagination will take us.’” And boy, did Bullard take those words to heart.
Complete transformation
After getting the go-ahead, Bullard completely remodeled the inside of the house. The pride he had for his work was pretty clear when he spoke to Architectural Digest at the end of the project.
The interior designer explained, “This is the house of Ru, a mansion of style designed as the center stage for the world’s most famous and celebrated drag queen.”
“The ultimate runway”
“It’s the ultimate runway for the supermodel of the world,” Bullard continued. “I could not imagine a more appropriate place for the universe’s drag mother to hold court.” He isn’t exaggerating.
We imagine RuPaul could only have dreamed of living somewhere like this when his career started back in the ’80s. And now Mama Ru has given the world an inside peek at this sensational pad.
Let the tour begin!
In May 2023 RuPaul gave Architectural Digest exclusive access to his mansion, and we’ve got to say, it does not disappoint. So, get ready for a fabulous home tour like no other.
As the large front doors swing open, we’re given an immediate sense of just how stylish this Beverly Hills property is. A huge, grand staircase greets us in the marble-floored lobby.
The “disco room”
It’s quite the way to start! But trust us when we say this is just the beginning. Our first stop on the tour is RuPaul’s “disco room,” and yes it’s as awesome as it sounds.
This space, decorated with epic monochrome style, just oozes decadence and highlights the maximalist approach that we’ll be seeing throughout the mansion. Why did Mama Ru go for the disco aesthetic here, though?
“We love to dance”
“We love music, we love to dance,” RuPaul explains in the video tour of his home. “When I was coming up, there was always a place that said ‘cocktails, dancing.’ [That] doesn’t happen anymore.
“So we decided [that] we needed a disco in our house. There are 26 disco balls [on the ceiling], and down there is a Hollywood Regency, Dorothy Draper-inspired fireplace.”
Picture-perfect walls
In addition to these disco-themed features, a number of framed monochrome pictures adorn the walls. And the photos are very much in keeping with the room’s style: they’re black-and-white shots of RuPaul’s favorite disco and music stars.
Looking toward the center of the room, you’ll spot a lovely black table surrounded by four comfy-looking seats. Won’t that get in the way once the dancing starts, though? Well, RuPaul planned for that.
“A little nosh”
RuPaul notes, “This table here can be moved at any time, it’s on wheels. So the idea is to have people over for a little nosh, and then move the table out of the way and have a daytime disco right in this very room.
“I love, love, love this room.” Considering Ru’s connection to dancing and music, that doesn’t surprise us. His career has deep roots in the disco culture of the ’80s. and this epic room is a beautiful homage to it.
Musical past
Before RuPaul became the superstar he is today, he was part of a musical group known as RuPaul and the U-Hauls. They disbanded after a short spell together at the start of the 1980s, but years later he scored a record deal as a solo act.
Mama Ru then dropped his first album in 1993; this coincided with his burgeoning reputation as a dancer on New York’s club circuit. He quickly became known as the “Queen of New York.”
On to the kitchen
It was a very exciting period in RuPaul’s incredible rise to fame, so the disco room serves as a nice reminder of this. Yet this space doesn’t represent the peak of the tour — there are many more surprises on the way!
It might be hard to picture one of the world’s most glamorous stars working away in an apron, but Ru’s kitchen is fit for a queen. First, we can’t help but fall in love with the eye-catching color scheme.
RuPaul’s favorite color
The stove is bright orange, standing out from the rest of the black-and-white fixtures in the space. It’s not a random choice by any means: orange is RuPaul’s favorite color!
The chairs around the kitchen island are orange as well and go along with some stylish matching glassware. But maybe the most interesting features in this room are hanging from the ceiling.
“Underwater scuba gear”
“I love these lighting fixtures right here,” RuPaul says while looking up. “They remind me of underwater scuba gear from the 1930s and ’40s. They’re just beautiful.” Beats having standard kitchen lights, wouldn’t you agree?
Meanwhile, the TV star also enthused about the stylish finish on the cupboards and drawers, too. They’re so nice that we’d be afraid to touch any of them!
The breakfast nook
To the side of the kitchen, there’s another little space dripping with style: the cozy breakfast nook. This area is absolutely gorgeous, with artistic orange seats surrounding a black table and tons of natural light flooding in.
If you spotted the jaw-dropping light fixture here, RuPaul reveals that it was once owned by the French fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent some five decades ago. How cool is that?
“So much life”
“[The] breakfast nook is so fabulous,” RuPaul beams. “[There’s] so much light, so much life. I tend to gravitate here because it’s right next to the kitchen. This is such a fabulous room.
“I mean, there…[are] so many places to have a meal in this house, but the whole house is designed around community.” Who wouldn’t enjoy sharing a meal with friends in this gorgeous spot?
The dining pavilion
But as RuPaul notes, you’re not just limited to this area. This brings us to the tour’s next stop: the outdoor dining pavilion. Jaw-dropping, isn’t it? Imagine the fabulous dinner parties that must have been hosted here!
Looking out at the stunning backyard, you’d never want to move! And just as we’d expect, the design here was carefully thought out. A Hollywood movie from the late 1960s served as inspiration for the aesthetic.
“Perfect for us”
RuPaul explains, “It was inspired by an Elizabeth Taylor film called Boom. A lot of people may not have seen that film, but she used a room similar to this as her card room. I love the stripes [here].
“We live in show business, so we’re not afraid of texture, and color, and bold statements. This may not be for everybody, but it’s perfect for us.” It’s perfect for us, too, Ru, if you ever want to invite us around!
A dream yard
Sticking with the backyard for now, let’s take a closer look at what it has to offer. Simply put, it’s an absolute dream. The patio area is remarkably vast, with a swimming pool and jacuzzi sitting at the far end.
There are some Romanesque pillars framing a shaded area with a smart, checkerboard floor. We can see the monochrome aesthetic of the inside spilling out into this beautiful outdoor area. And once again, everything about this look is very much by design.
“Enjoy where we are”
“We wanted the back garden area to have space for people, parties, pool, and possibly even [doing] shows,” RuPaul says. “If we put a little slab up over the jacuzzi, we can have chairs out here and have a show up there or project a movie up there. It’s all about being able to stay in one place and enjoy where we are.”
Plus, there’s an extra area that overlooks the yard from the back. RuPaul says, “[The yard is] really comfortable, not fussy, easy-breezy. But it’s also pretty decadent. It’s very Pompeii!”
The orange office
With an estimated net worth of $60 million, you better believe RuPaul has a stylish place to work at home. His home office is stunning — and very orange. He notes, “There’s lots of orange. This is where all my Emmy awards are, and it reminds me of an office that Joan Collins would enjoy!”
Speaking of awards, RuPaul has a lot of them! They include no fewer than 12 Primetime Emmy Awards, three GLAAD Awards, one Critics' Choice Award, two Billboard Music Awards, and a Tony Award. Mama Ru’s first Emmy win came back in 2016, and it was a big moment in his career: it solidified his growing success.
Striking gold
After years in the entertainment industry, RuPaul finally struck gold when RuPaul’s Drag Race hit the small screen in 2009. It went on to turn him into an international superstar — and drag into a mainstream art form.
The big awards that eventually followed were supremely well deserved. If Mama Ru ever needs to remind himself of how far he’s come, his orange home office is the place to go.
“Live in it”
So what’s the big deal with the color orange? For Ru, the color holds a lot of meaning. “When I was 34, I realized that orange was my favorite color because of the way it makes me feel,” he reveals.
“So I implore all of you to find what your favorite color is, based on how you feel, and live in it. That’s what I do in this office. Love it!”
An insane closet
Mind you, RuPaul has a lot of love for other areas of his house as well. If you were a world-renowned drag queen, what would be near the top of your list of favorite rooms? As you can imagine, the Queen of Drag’s walk-in closet is a true sight to behold.
“We took two bedrooms and turned it into my closet,” he explains. “I’ve got everything in here. It’s kind of like a historical artifact. Every shopping trip I’ve ever gone on [is] documented right here in this very room.”
“Very emotional”
RuPaul continues, “It’s very emotional for me to be in here! It’s one of my favorite places because I love color and I love clothes. So having [these] two bedrooms turned into one closet is just perfection.
“[There’s] so much storage space, so many textures and colors. It just makes me happy. And if you’re going to be on this planet, why not be happy?” We couldn’t agree more.
Making the most of the space
If the racks and racks of clothes and shoes aren’t enough, the fabulous lighting fixtures and the huge island sitting in the middle really take this room over the top. There’s even space for an extravagant sewing case, alongside a bust.
Talk about making the most of your space. Good luck finding another closet that can compete with this one, even in the wealthy celebrity world!
The office workspace
With all of RuPaul’s success, should it be any surprise that he has not one, but two office spaces at home? Our next port of call is his workspace. And boy, are there going to be some envious glances cast here. Your office cubicle might feel a tad depressing in comparison!
This is no ordinary workspace. How many home offices have their own bar? Or leopard print walls and drapes, for that matter? It’s queer, it’s fabulous, and we’re obsessed.
“Heartbeat of my operation”
As for the aesthetic, it’s a blend of old and new, with another classical bust sitting on the large table in the middle and animal-print decor. RuPaul notes, “This is the heartbeat of my operation.
“I love just the mix between wild energy and then the classics. I love that juxtaposition. What better place to be creative and inspired than a room filled with leopard print?”
The epicenter?
But while Ru’s home workspace may be the heartbeat of his sprawling mansion, the next space has to be the epicenter. Yep, our tour has finally reached RuPaul’s living room. And the maximalist approach is in full effect here.
There’s so much packed into this space, yet somehow it doesn’t feel over the top — not in a bad way at least! We love the clashing prints and patterns, the vibrant pops of color — hello again, orange! — and the plants.
Finding the right balance
Mixing and matching decor like this can easily go wrong, but Ru has nailed it. How can you do the same, though? Maximalist styles aren’t just reserved for the homes of the rich and famous: what’s the secret?
Well, this might come as something of a surprise. According to design expert Ariel Okin, it’s pretty simple, and it’s all about having a strong starting point in the room.
“The key”
“The key to mixing patterns and prints without it feeling overpowering is to have a neutral base to start your design process with,” Okin told Apartment Therapy in June 2020.
“Utilizing key pieces in tone-on-tone palettes — like sisal rugs and white Belgian linen sofas, for example — provides a clean canvas where you can add color and pattern in the form of pillows, art, throws, and more.”
“Full rein”
It’s a good place to start, but with his bright green-and-purple sofas, RuPaul shows that you can work with non-neutral shades, too. It all comes down to your taste in the end.
Now, going back to the superstar’s living room, he paid tribute to Bullard’s efforts in putting it together. Mama Ru reiterated that the interior designer had been given “full rein.”
“Great lady designers”
“Martyn was inspired by great lady designers of the ’30s and ’40s, like Dorothy Draper and Elsie de Wolfe,” RuPaul explains. “[The room] has dual tones, which I love.
“[There’s] so much light coming in here, and of course, you see all of the Hollywood Regency style that is so much fun. There’s so much of the modern stuff around L.A., we wanted to go more of the classic [way].”
One final room...
RuPaul adds, “That’s why this room is so lovely and so beautiful.” Is it your favorite from what we’ve seen so far? Well, you might want to hold back in making a decision for now because there’s more to come.
We’ve got one more room to go before the tour concludes. And it’s a biggie. It’s time to head to the closet. You thought you’d already seen the closet? This, queens, is Mama Ru’s drag closet.
“The mother lode”
As soon as you arrive, the sheer fabulousness of the space hits you right away. And RuPaul recognizes its significance. “This is the mother lode,” he admits. “This is the drag archives.
“Jewelry, shoes, gowns, you name it: it’s all right here. In fact, I’m looking at these cuff bracelets here that I’ve had since 1993. It’s pretty amazing.”
RuPaul’s museum?
“Amazing” feels like something of an understatement! This area resembles a bona fide museum, which RuPaul himself is aware of. Yet these outfits haven’t been tucked away never to be worn again.
He states, “This is a working house. I was in drag last night shooting, and it makes it so easy to just come down here and find exactly what I’m looking for.”
The “glam room”
There’s also a smaller space to the side of this area which RuPaul describes as his “glam room.” That’s where the star slaps on his drag outfits in the house.
As for the closet’s aesthetic features, Mama Ru adores the lights. Given everything else in here, it takes some doing to steal the attention away from the dresses, shoes, and jewelry! This, maybe unsurprisingly, is RuPaul’s favorite room. Is it yours?
“My drag ideal”
Ending the tour, RuPaul says, “This house is the manifestation of my drag ideal, where it’s color and expansive and fun. [It’s] disco: all the things that make life worth living.
“You have to find the joy. You have to create the joy. The hardest part is focusing on the joy in your life. Why not make your home a beautiful, joyous place to live in?”