Self proclaimed D-Lister Kathy Griffin wanted to make her home "sexy, sleek, and fun," so she turned to long-time friend and out Phoenix-based designer Michael Nielsen. "He's impeccable. He had the vision, the fantastic taste--and when he needed inspiration, instead of opening up Architectural Digest he went to the Abbey [a popular gay hangout in West Hollywood, Calif.]"
Griffin wanted the 7,500-square-foot, four bedroom, five-bath, and four-kitchen (yes, really!) house to have a resortlike feel -- a manageable task for Nielsen, who is used to designing for large hotels. Because of Griffins upcoming reality show for Bravo, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, about her wacky life and her annual Toys for Tots benefit party, Nielsen had 2 1/2 months to finish what should have taken 10 to 12.
"It was intense having the cameras follow you around you all day while you were working on a time crunch and a tight budget," says Nielsen, who met the deadlines thanks to his own product inventory. "The main freak-outs happened towards the end because nothing was delivered until one day before the party. But luckily, everything worked." Griffin confirms, "I love it. I don't ever want to leave. It has a certain savoir faire that I could never have gotten with a straight designer. I like to call it savoir fairy."
-Bob Merrick