The first home I was able to buy was up in the canyons in the Hollywood Hills when I was about 27. It had a French Polynesian vibe. I built a 20ft waterfall by my fireplace because I’m from Hawaii and I wanted to incorporate wood, water and tropical plants. You don’t usually have a lot of land up in the hills, but I had at least an acre to myself. I was there for nine years. For at least seven of those years I was touring with the Pussycat Dolls. It was a bit of a crazy life, so I felt like my home took care of me.
What do you love about your current home?
The view. You can see everything from downtown LA to the ocean. When the Dodgers win, when the Fourth of July happens, I see fireworks everywhere, and I have the best sunrises and sunsets. The main floor has 12ft windows. When I look out it feels like there’s infinite possibilities.
Why the monochrome decor?
I like everything to feel like a sanctuary — Zen, clean and minimal, but still warm and cosy. That’s important for me because my brain works overtime and I travel a lot, so when I come home I like it to feel calm.
What is your decor design process?
I have a million Pinterest moodboards called things like “den” or “kitchens” or “master bath” or “outside”. Design is a low-key obsession of mine. During the pandemic I found homes in different areas that I dreamt of having and then I built Pinterest boards around the rooms of how I’d renovate them.
Where were your lockdown fantasy homes?
One was on a cliff overlooking the ocean in Palos Verdes [in Los Angeles County]. Right now I’m in Portugal. I spend a lot of time here because of my boyfriend’s [the former rugby player Thom Evans] family. I was also looking at a beautiful home outside St Petersburg in Florida because my cousin just moved down there. I found another in Tennessee, where my sister lives. I grew up in Kentucky, so I thought I’d move to Nashville. And I found a fantasy home in Hawaii.
Advertisement
What inspired your interest in interiors?
I grew up with no money, so it wasn’t until my work allowed me to start travelling around the world and visit friends who did have money. Travelling in general and the architecture throughout Europe, I think that’s what really inspired me.
Favourite finishing touches at home?
If you don’t already have a Japanese toilet, that’s a really big bonus in your life. The seat warmer is life-changing. I love candles, throws and sheets; I really love this candle from Voyage et Cie called Les Pinèdes. I love really great sheets. We spend so much of our lives in bed. I just came out with my own Bedeck bedsheet collection called Nalu. We’ve got lovely sheets that make your bedroom feel like a sanctuary.
Where is the best place to sing in your house?
Where my piano is placed at the top of my stairs — it has really high ceilings. We also have a rad karaoke machine for professional singers. You can Bluetooth songs from your phone on to it. We do that sometimes at dinner gatherings. My boyfriend gets the most mileage out of it. I’ll be working downstairs on my computer and he’ll be up there singing nonstop.
What happened on the Platinum Jubilee bus?
Oh my God, when do you ever get to attend a queen’s 70-year jubilee? Never! I got dressed to the nines. I got myself a Celine dress and a Philip Treacy fascinator, which is, I guess, what the royals wear, and brought out my pearls. It was great to reunite with Rylan [Clark], who was my baby from The X Factor. There was no alcohol on the jubilee bus. We kept wondering when that was going to happen and that never happened. We were just high off the beautiful people of Britain.
Name an item you could not live without?
My mother was a hula dancer and a Tahitian dancer, so we have an instrument called an ipu. I’ve always had a fascination with rosaries, crosses and crucifixes. I have a crucifix in every entrance. My poppa, my grandfather, is a bishop and he blesses them. They go with me to all of my homes for protection.
Advertisement
If you weren’t living here where in the world would you like to be?
I’ve just bought a parcel of land in Hawaii. I had my tutu [grandparents], my mom and dad go to see it and they loved it. I was looking at videos and I cried. I thought, I’ve only ever dreamt of this. I’m going to build my dream home and share it with my family. It will mean the world to me.
Nicole Scherzinger’s new bedding range is called Nalu and is available at next.co.uk and bedeckhome.com
