When Prince Harry andMeghan Marklevacationed in the South of Francerecently, they didn’t check into a luxury hotel. They stayed at the private home of a family friend: Elton John.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited what John calls “the summer house,” a 1920s villa in the French Riviera town of Nice originally built as an artists’ colony that now serves as a getaway for the legendary singer, who was a close companion of Harry’s mother, Princess Diana.
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DOMINIC LIPINSKI/AFP/Getty; Inset: Mike Marsland/WireImage
The interior and romantic grounds of theRocketmansinger’s home were featured in anADspread that spotlighted many of his lavish and playful decorating decisions.
The exterior, for example, was pink for some time, but on a whim, John decided to have it painted pale yellow. “That’s very much Elton’s spirit: ‘I’ve enjoyed it pink; let’s love it yellow,'” his designer, Monique Gibson, told the magazine.
Elton John with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.NIKLAS HALLE’N/AFP/Getty
“There’s nothing more relaxing than an afternoon of shopping,”John toldADin 2000. “It’s the only addiction I have left. I’m compulsive—in the past I could never have just one drink; now I have none. I could never have just one car or just one pair of glasses, so I have lots. I shop, and my decorators make sense of it; I give them the pieces, then they put the puzzle together.”
He added at the time, “When I came out of rehab ten years ago, I realized that life is so much more beautiful than my house reflected . . . Ever since then, I’ve always had a decorating project under way, and because I always want to do more, each house is a work in progress. If I weren’t a musician, I would love to be a decorator.”
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In Elton’s French master suite, there’s an Andy Warhol hanging over the bed, which features a bubblegum pink coverlet. While in the dining room, the chairs have eight sets of custom-made slipcovers that coordinate with 14 different sets of china, ready for any type of entertaining — or special guests.
And in a tower room at the top of the house, white curtains and furniture frame stunning views over the Mediterranean.
Should the Duke and Duchess care to plan another family getaway, John and his husband film producer David Furnish also have homes in London (“Queensdale”), Old Windsor (“Woodside“), Atlanta andLos Angeles.
source: people.com
