Gus Kenworthy Takes Haute Design On A Tour Of His Olympian-worthy L.a. Home

Photo Credit: Gus Kenworthy

Gus Kenworthy, British-American freeskier, actor, model, and advocate, took Haute Design by Haute Living on a tour of his L.A. home. This is what we discovered.

But first, a bit about Gus: Born in Chelmsford, England, he moved to the U.S. when he was two years old and began skiing shortly after in his hometown of Telluride, CO. At 16, he was discovered by the international skiing world when he posted a one-minute video of himself on the slopes of Telluride. The video received a lot of attention and sponsors came knocking; his professional career took off — and soon, he became known as he is today — as one of the best all-around park skiers of all time (and one of the only athletes to have podium finishes across all three disciplines — slopestyle, halfpipe and big air), an Olympic silver medalist, and the first openly gay professional athlete in any action sport.

At the 2018 Olympics, Kenworthy made history by becoming the first openly gay man (alongside Adam Rippon) to compete for the U.S. in a Winter Olympics. During those Games in Pyeongchang, Gus kissed his then boyfriend on live television, which was a significant moment for the visibility of LGBTQ+ athletes and sport communities alike.

Kenworthy has also dabbled in acting with cameos on The Real O’Neals, Will and Grace, and Olympic Dreams, but in 2019 he landed a series regular role on Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story: 1984, and now focuses on philanthropy too, launching the Worthy Foundation, a 501c3, to give back to the LGBTQ+ community, in 2022.

Photo Credit: Action Sports/Shutterstock.com

Gus, tell us about the inspiration for the design of your new home.

I tried to make my house feel elevated and chic without any of it feeling ostentatious. The house itself is pretty unassuming. From the front it looks small and nondescript but then when you get inside it kind of keeps going. It’s not huge but it’s bigger than it looks. I aimed for the interiors to mirror that idea. Homey over showy.

What is the overall aesthetic of the space?

I would say the aesthetic is warm. I wanted a space that was cozy and inviting while still feeling elevated. There are definitely mid-century elements to the house and my decor but I wouldn’t say it’s a “mid-century” house or aesthetic per se. The house is nestled in a canyon that’s definitely got a bohemian spirit with a rich history of artists and musicians and I feel like that’s true of the house as well.

Photo Credit: Michael Clifford

Photo Credit: Michael Clifford

Any history about this house that makes it special?

The house was originally owned by Jack Diamond – a Publicity Director for Universal Studios. Diamond and his wife were close friends with Humphrey Bogart and his wife Lauren Baccall and the two of them served as the best man and maid of honor in the Diamonds’ wedding. The two also frequently visited the Diamonds’ house.

What are some of your favorite curated pieces?

A lot of my furniture and decor has moved with me from one place to the next which has been nice because it makes each place immediately feel like home. My dining chairs are by Dirk Vander Kooij and they were bought for my last apartment but then when I redid the kitchen at this new place I used them as the color inspiration for the cabinetry, countertops and the tile backsplash. On the bookshelves in the den and in the cabinet in the living room there are knicks and oddities that I’ve collected over the years. And then everything in my primary bedroom I’m particularly obsessed with.

Photo Credit: Michael Clifford

Photo Credit: Michael Clifford

Do you have a favorite room in the house?

Yes! I love my bedroom. I had one of my skier friends, Joe, staying with me one weekend and together we stripped the floors, sanded them down and painted them white with a black stripe around the perimeter. I had an idea to layer rugs in there to make it feel really cozy and so I mixed three different area rugs from Soho Home with the Range rug from Beni Rugs and then overlapped them in kind of a random, bohemian way that I just love. It makes me so happy every time I walk into the room. I did a campaign for Ralph Lauren years ago and had a bunch of store credits to use for clothes but I’m much more into design than I am fashion so I ended up using a lot of the credits at Ralph Lauren Home. I bought the Desert Modern bed and I got it custom upholstered in one of their plaid wool fabrics. Then the settee at the foot of the bed is from John Derian and upholstered in a dark green velvet and my side tables are from Lawson Fenning and I really just love all of them together. Then I have a massive floor mirror from Restoration Hardware on the side of the bed which is great for… checking your outfit before you leave the room!

Tell us about your art collection. Take us on the tour! How/where did you curate? Why is each piece important to you?

My artworks are honestly some of my favorite things that I own. I’ve collected stuff from all over. A lot of the pieces I’ve bought are because I was following the artist on Instagram. That’s how I bought my first two Emilio Villalba and Michael Reeder paintings which were some of the first original pieces of art I bought. I’ve always been obsessed with Andy Warhol and friend of mine that I grew up with, Emaline, was working for Christie’s and she helped me acquire the charcoal sketch above the fireplace as well as a polaroid that he took of Dolly Parton and those are two of my very favorite things that I own. Then in the hallway there’s an octet by Troy Michie that I love! They’re mixed media pieces that I sought out after seeing an exhibition of his at CAAM (The California African American Museum). I’ve got an original drawing by Tom Finland and a piece by Wayne White that I love too. The most recent piece that I’ve bought which isn’t featured in the photos but you can see it in the video is by Austin Alphonse, a talented up and coming artist in LA. And then I have some artwork by two friends from Denver, Joel Swansom and Ian Fisher, and a couple paintings by my ex, Matt Wilkas, who’s an actor but is also a talented painter and used to work with Ross Bleckner.

Photo Credit: Michael Clifford

Photo Credit: Michael Clifford

Who do you live with?

I live with my dog, Birdie. She’s a Korean Jindo-mix that I rescued from a dog-meat farm during the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Tell us about the outdoor area and how that came to be.

The backyard is really what sold me on the property when I first toured it. There’s a massive hill in the back of the property and a creek that runs through the backyard and it really feels like you’re somewhere other than LA. Hanging out back there I’ve seen deer, foxes, coyotes and even a bobcat. The original pool was in kind of rough shape so I redid that. I over ordered when I did the pool bathroom remodel so I used leftover Zellige tiles from Zia Tile for the waterline tiling. Then I used Studio John Sharp to do all the potted plants and landscaping back there. I spend a lot of my time in the backyard so I really wanted a comfy couch and I’ve always really loved Room & Board’s outdoor furniture so I did their Drift u-shaped sectional in the Pelham Fern fabric. I was a little nervous about having a giant green sofa but I couldn’t be more in love with the color. I kind of gave up having a formal dining room inside the house because I added a laundry room where the dining room was (the laundry was previously outside where the pool bathroom is now) and because of that I wanted to make sure I had a great outdoor table for al fresco dining. I found a truly massive table (118″!) at Teak Warehouse that I fell in love with and I got my dining chairs from there as well as the firepit.

That mural on the back of the house is gorgeous! What is its background?

Thank you! It was originally just a massive white wall that felt like an eye sore. I thought about growing ivy up the side which would have been nice but then I had the idea for a mural. Two of my friends from Denver, Jaime Molina and Pedro Barrios, do murals around Denver under the name The Worst Crew and they were kind enough to come out and stay at the house one weekend and paint one on the house.

Photo Credit: Michael Clifford

Photo Credit: Michael Clifford

Is there anything you’re still working on with your home? What needs to be done specifically if so?

Not really. I feel like a house is never really finished but I learned a lot while doing this remodel and I’m already excited thinking about future projects.

Does anything in your home reflect your career?

I have a few things in the house from my ski career: my Olympic and X Games medals and a couple other things but like five years ago I gave most of my trophies and awards to the museum in my hometown to have on display. I’m proud of the accomplishments but I didn’t want it in the house, it felt like a weird shrine to myself or something. Then as far as acting stuff I have a framed poster from my season of American Horror Story but anything else is saved in a drawer vs being out on display.

Photo Credit: Michael Clifford

Photo Credit: Michael Clifford

Photo Credit: Michael Clifford

When you bought the house, what was the first thing you changed?

The cabinets in the kitchen were glass-front and it made it feel like an old grandma’s house. I popped out the glass and resurfaced and painted them and added new hardware. I changed out all the materials in the kitchen but kept the existing footprint which saved me a bit of money.

How does your home say “I am Gus Kenworthy” specifically? Which room is the most “you” and why?

Well I told you how much I love my bedroom but maybe I’d say the living room is the most “me”. It’s bright and inviting, but it’s cozy with the fireplace and there’s gay artwork surrounding you on the walls on three sides and doors opening to the pool on the other.

What to you is the greatest luxury in life and why?

Oh God, I don’t know. Flying business class internationally is up there.

Photo Credit: Michael Clifford

Photo Credit: Michael Clifford

 GUS TAKES HAUTE LIVING ON A TOUR OF HIS LOS ANGELES HOME

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