FANCIFUL TASTES OF THE HOLLYWOOD STARS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 20, 16 October 1937, Page 10

FANCIFUL TASTES OF THE HOLLYWOOD STARS

A Hollywood architeet, Mr. Eussell P. Buntz, who designs the famous Beverley Hills palaces of the stars, is visiting London. His is a job in a million, for "wnen he builds, expensc just does not matter at all. Each new home he designs ^ must be more magnilicent, luxurious than the last. He has scoured the world for rare woods and marbles, fixed bathrooin plumbing or 22-carat gold, and seen his wildest arehitectural dreains , come true. Now he is idea hunting Tound the world, going to China, India, Japan, Java, spending six months slcetching, aslcing questions and looking for oddities to plcase the fanciful palates of the stars. CI thinlc the nicest of the Hollywood homcs I built was Jean Harlow>s house,'' Mr. Buntz said. "Not only had X*to design the building, but also the interior decoration, whieh had to fit her glamorous personality. ' "The stylo I chose was eighteenth century Georgian. Every room was panelled and painted a soft shade of ivory. Even the rugs and carpets had to be dyed to cnatch, ivory-coloured, with just a suspieion of yellow — the colour of her lovely hair. "Her bathroom was one of the most beautiful in Hollywood. The floor was onyx, all the. plumbing of 22 carat burnished gold. She chose French furniture, her bed a magnificently canopied ono brought from an old Erench chateau. "Jean Harlow loved that house. No, it had no name; it was known to every one as just 'Jean Harlow's house.* ' Now her mother lives there alone. "I built Kuth Chatterton 's home, too, and have recently completely remodelled the interior. Beautiful as it was, she had tired of it, and regardless of any expense I was . commissioned to redesign all the lovely rooms. "The style is Italian renaissance, the interior Yenetian. Originally everything had to be green, for that was her favourite colour. Now everything is white, except the carpets, which remain green, and the effect is very beautiful. "Miss Chatterton is delightful to work for. Anything I suggest must be done, money doesn't matter. "I did a lot of work on William Powell's old home, too — ke has sold it now. It is one of Hollywood 's finest houses. Of them all, however, Pickfair once the home of Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks is supreme still for luxury. It was the most expensive of all the Hollywood homes; it really is a palace. 'Until recently all the new buildings had to be in the Spanish style. That was the fad of the moment. Now it is all Georgian and early colonial, and wood panelling is being u«5d more thn ever before. I have just panelled a house in eastern white maple, very expensive, but very beautiful. '9