Usher

Usher is definitely blingin’ with his platinum jewelry, an army of convertible Porches in the driveway and details like the giant "Us" on the wrought iron gates to his house. In the playroom of his bachelor pad, Usher shares his decorating do’s and don’t’s for creating killer hang space in your own room.

TEEN: Your house is beautiful and comfortable. You could have any house, so what in particular made you choose this one.

Usher: Actually, this house used to belong to L.A. Reid (the president of Arista Records). It was the first large house I had ever been in, and I was really in awe of it. I remember sitting in the kitchen with L.A. and his wife, and there was a big bowl of fruit on the counter, and I thought, "One day I want to have a big bowl like this." Five years later, when I was 19, I bought this place. One of the coolest parts is the fully equipped studio. It used to be called "LaCoco" and Toni Braxton did some of her hits there, and so did Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston. TLC also recorded in there. I also recorded in there.

TEEN: What are the special and sentimental things you keep around?

Usher: I have my awards and pictures of the people who are closest to me: my mom, my grandparents, my brother, my road family and my best friends. I also have stuff from fans, like letters and artwork they’ve made for me. One fan even gave me a Monchichi doll (those funny monkey dolls), and I have that around, too. Over there, is a snowglobe of Chicago that I got as a gift when I was working there on the set of "Light It Up."

TEEN: How does your house reflect who you are as a person?

Usher: I’m young and I didn’t want this house to look too grand. My room and hang out area have a lot of brown since I like earthy and neutral colors. But then there is a splash of turquoise thrown in because that’s my character—I’m mild yet still wild. The furniture is really contemporary, but not too mature, so I can have a good time and not worry about messing it up. And I’ve gotta have candles. The house is more fun than romantic, but when I’m in the mood, I can make it feel romantic with candles.

TEEN: What do you love most about this space?

Usher: The cool thing about this area is that I can chill with my homeboys here. I can have a really relaxed business meeting or I could have a very intimate moment with someone.

TEEN: Your people said you went through four interior decorators until you felt like your house was a home. What was up?

I could never get a grasp of what I wanted it to look like. I was going through a transitional point in my life—I was at a crossroads. At the age of 20, I didn’t really know how to make a decision and stick to it. Since then, I’ve learned to figure out what I don’t like so I can decide what I do like.