Step Inside Guns N’ Roses Bassist Duff McKagan and Susan Holmes’s Wildly Whimsical English Tudor in Seattle

Kathryn Romeyn
·13 min read

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It’s hard enough to undergo a home renovation when you’re on the ground, meeting with the design team and making decisions. But what’s it like when you are Duff McKagan, on tour as a founding member of one of the world’s most legendary rock bands? That’s another level entirely. As eternal optimists, Guns N’ Roses’ bass guitarist McKagan and his supermodel wife Susan Holmes-McKagan saw only positives as they embarked on a major global excursion and simultaneous multiyear renovation of their beloved home, a 1927 English Tudor on Seattle’s Lake Washington.

Duff McKagan (right) and Susan Holmes-McKagan stand in their front garden. “The house is a little castle and, therefore, a bit fortress-like,” Line Architecture founder Nicolò Bini says. “As a guest, you have the pleasure of making your way through a front garden, where we played up the scale of the flowers to create drama” hand in hand with landscape designer Anton Prack of Peak Landscape. “Since it’s such a British home, I thought a couple of topiary sheep would be fun, and he made that happen.”

The couple, who was married in the home’s backyard 25 years ago, weren’t simply scrolling through Instagram for inspiration, they were living it for some three years on the road. The real-life research mission had them sleeping in, sitting on, and admiring eventual references everywhere they went. “We’d take pictures, like, ‘Check this out, we can do this at our house,’” the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer says, “There’d be shelves at a hotel in Bangkok…” Holmes-McKagan chimes in, “The bar at Reykjavik Konsulat Hotel [was an inspiration]. And our entry mudroom was directly influenced by the Four Seasons Hotel Washington DC’s natural light and round windows.” These worldly elements don’t just look good—they conjure happy, meaningful memories for the couple.

But those interior design moves came only after significant architectural work was done by Todd James Bertellotti of ObjectSpace and Paul Moon Design. “Susan had this vision,” McKagan says, to open up the five-bedroom residence’s small 1920s-style rooms, raise ceiling heights, and reclaim a sense of vintage elegance. The true impetus for their overhaul, however, was climate-related. “It gets hot in the Northwest now, so it was, like, ‘We gotta get AC.’ And Susan says, ‘We gotta get a pool!’ And it just went bananas.”

Shop out the look of the house here⤵

Animals are a consistent theme in Duff McKagan and Susan Holmes-McKagan’s forever home, including its Rapunzel-inspired entry court that features a pair of lion statues. “I believe the more life you have in a space the better,” Bini says. The trim is painted Benjamin Moore MoorGlo, and the original Art Deco stained glass door was restored.
“I got the house knowing I was going to meet Susan,” McKagan laughs, “Hoping I was going to meet Susan and have a family. That did happen. Susan got here in ’96, and she made it the home that it became.” The history buff and aficionado of old-school style keeps his motorcycles in the garage, where gas lamps and sconces are by Bevolo, and the exterior wall color is Benjamin Moore MoorGlo.

Once the structural renovation had wrapped, the pair wasn’t finished. Cara Delevingne’s vivid home (AD, July/August 2021) led them to seek out Line Architecture founder Nicolò Bini to, in Holmes-McKagan’s words, add “European flair and romanticism, bespoke details, and more whimsy and color” to their 8,656-square-foot primary residence. During that first meeting in their kitchen, the Italian architect felt their deep history and connection with the property. But, he says, “I was struck by the contrast between how dynamic they were, and interesting and sexy and charismatic, versus how staid and monochromatic their house was.”

Rock ’n’ roll, but make it Gothic Revival. It’s hard to imagine another living room that could pull off this combo: seven-piece crown molding, Benjamin Moore Grasslands walls, harlequin stained glass (updated with colors that evoke a British pub by Unique Art Glass), carmine curtains, a golden velvet sofa and chairs (all by International Silks & Woolens), rose gold coffee tables, and a custom triangle rug by Melrose Carpet. Add to that a custom bar designed by ObjectSpace’s Todd James Bertellotti alongside Lenny Kravitz Design’s Rake Black counter stools complete with Guns N’ Roses customization and a painting of Susan by artist Greg Hildebrandt, and it’s nearly impossible.
“I wanted to bring in some bold chromatics because, when you look at how they dress and how they live their life and where they travel, there’s a lot of color, there’s a lot of charisma,” says Bini, who went bold by painting the vintage stair rail in Benjamin Moore Heritage Red and pairing it with Timorous Beasties wallpaper, a Modish bulldog sculpture, and Michele Kortbawi Wilk artwork, plus a Unique Art Glass custom lantern and Nourtex by Nourison stair runner.
The Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC, influenced the entry mudroom, according to Holmes-McKagan, who loved the natural light and round windows. A custom Chrome Hearts door, Kravet wallpaper in Magnolia, Ann Sacks Tabarka Fan floor tiles, and Visual Comfort’s Paris Flea Market chandelier—plus a splash of Benjamin Moore Heritage Red paint—make it a mudroom like no other.

That wasn’t for lack of vision. Holmes-McKagan was bursting with idiosyncratic ideas. “I know this is going to sound crazy, but I wanted to incorporate punk rock meets nautical vibes (because we’re on the lake) meets Madonna Inn, Disneyland, and Dolly Parton.” The model also felt inspired by a RuPaul adage: “‘Find the color you love and just drown yourself in it.’ For me, it’s rainbow. I know it sounds mad, but it just makes me happy.” As unabashed lovers of animals, nature, books, music, and, above all else, their two daughters, Holmes-McKagan says they wanted all those elements represented too. Instead of being overwhelmed, Bini was energized: “It’s just more fuel for the fire.”

Bini set out to integrate all of this and their steady stream of travel references “into a cohesive whole that would overlay an already beautiful piece of architecture.” Bringing in dramatic chromatics to reflect the couple’s charisma was a primary focus, as was toggling between Americana and gothic English design for a splash of irreverence suiting a rock star and supermodel.

“The kitchen is always the heart of the home,” Holmes-McKagan says. Hers has a cobalt blue island in Benjamin Moore Gentleman’s Gray and black leather barstool chairs with fringe and nailheads by International Silks & Woolens that are decidedly reminiscent of leather jackets. Meta Calcutta Carrara honed marble countertops, an Ann Sacks bullnose gloss tile backsplash, and custom RH pendants create an elegant setting for what McKagan calls “a chef’s kitchen. The Lacanche stove is the shit,” he adds. “It came from France—Susan can cook.”
The couple got rid of their formal dining room and instead created a magical and much-used dining nook off the kitchen that offers a panorama view. To “frame and glorify the special space right in the middle,” Bini sought a sculptural but also comfortable seating solution. He found a couple on Etsy, Zadai’s Studio, who carves goat foot stools, which felt to him so rock ’n’ roll. “Susan is very fanciful with a wonderful sense of humor, and she recognizes potential,” the designer says. “There was a camaraderie about the whole design process.”
“When we traveled to London I loved how there were no white walls,” says Holmes-McKagan, whose office features walls, bookshelves, and ceiling painted in high-gloss lacquer Benjamin Moore Heritage Red. “Their usage of color and paint and wallpaper brings a sense of warmth while keeping the elegance.” Her space off the living room features a Universal Furniture Hayworth writing desk, vintage chairs, a Horchow table lamp, and vintage Caltagirone vases with a Williams Sonoma rug.

The architect wove a ribbon of saturated crimson through nearly every space, notably in a lipstick-red stair rail, high-gloss lacquered office, immense custom Venetian chandelier, and charming cartoon-like cornices and drapes framing the lake-view dining nook. Balancing out the Disneyland energy are sexy rock ’n’ roll touches such as a Chrome Hearts door, Lenny Kravitz–designed barstools, and black-leather fringed, nailhead-studded kitchen island chairs that are the furniture equivalent of the jackets McKagan and his GNR bandmates used to wear in the ’80s.

Outside the castle-like brick-and-timber home is a sumptuous environment rivaling any Lake Como retreat. The new infinity pool is decidedly resort-worthy, especially alongside the dressed-up pier and verdant landscaping by Anton Prack of Peak Landscape that incorporates a couple topiary sheep (one of many English nods) and hydrangeas so colossal they appear to be from a fairy tale.

“The outside is pretty epic,” says the rocker Duff McKagan. Their existing RH chaise lounger cushions were reupholstered in Sunbrella fabric by International Silks & Woolens and paired with Santa Barbara Designs’ Mirasol Regatta umbrella.
During the renovation, the McKagans replaced the original pickleball court with a new, hotel-like pool with water cascading over the lakeside infinity edge and a Chrome Hearts etching done by owner Richard Stark. Bini’s goal for the environment was for “everything to feel lush, sexy, and a little bit decadent.”
During the renovation, the McKagans replaced the original pickleball court with a new, hotel-like pool with water cascading over the lakeside infinity edge and a Chrome Hearts etching done by owner Richard Stark. Bini’s goal for the environment was for “everything to feel lush, sexy, and a little bit decadent.”

The McKagans’ forever home is now an undeniable ode to their lifestyle. Both designer and client enjoyed surprising each other throughout the process. “He has guts,” Holmes-McKagan says, “Nicolò was so innovative and fearless.” Her husband adds, “He really matched Susan’s sense of whimsy: A big stuffed polar bear is looking at me right now, waving.”

Ever since 1994, when the rocker bought this abode with a premonition that Holmes-McKagan would walk into his life and make it a home, the couple have felt deeply rooted to it. And with this reimagining, the family’s fingerprints and energy are inextricably embedded in the house too. “It’s just so hard to leave,” says McKagan, who makes any excuse to stay put (when not on tour), savoring what they’ve created. “We do have other places,” Holmes-McKagan says, “but this is definitely my favorite place to come home to. It feels like home.”

Bini envisioned something sculptural to draw focus in the primary bedroom, “and it was probably going to be red and it was probably going to be Venetian.” The owner of Cristalleria Murano is “a huge Guns N’ Roses fan, so he really put his heart and soul into the chandelier,” the designer says. The tricky room of architectural incongruences also features a brass bed by Worthen, a wall of smoked mirror with rosettes to enhance the natural light, and Romo curtains.
In the primary bathroom, “we let the view speak volumes,” Bini says. The quietly zen American Tile floor, Penhaglion cast-iron French Bateau bathtub, custom silk drapes, and Benjamin Moore White Dove walls put the focus on the lake outside the arched wall of glass.
Holmes-McKagan calls her closet “grand in that 1920s flapper way,” with a surprise pop on the fifth wall, something she was adamant about throughout the house. Inspired by London’s Barbican Conservatory, the ceiling wallpaper is by Custhom and joins a Circa Lighting chandelier, Magali for Neiman Marcus sheep, and a Perlick Champagne refrigerator.
Holmes-McKagan loves the powder room “with this high-gloss lacquer blue paint and inlay Venetian mirror on mirror. It’s just really cozy and unexpected.” Benjamin Moore Gentleman’s Gray coats the cabinet with the high-gloss version on the walls, plus glamorous Arteriors Edith pendant sconces. Bini describes it as “a collection of degrees of reflectiveness. Playing up the brass and dark blue created a little bit of a fantasy.”
The theater room is a favorite space of the couple’s not only for its glamour in the form of a Benjamin Moore Deep Green lacquer coffered ceiling paired with Timorous Beasties Gerhard Gum Foil wallpaper, or the comfort of 10 Fortress Seating velvet guild chairs, but the entertainment it offers on even the dreariest of days. Their 1,000-plus vinyl collection shares the space with vintage video games (including a GNR pinball machine from 1995), plus RH Fontanelle double sconces. “You wait for the movie to come out on streaming because why go to a theater?” McKagan wonders. “It’s just another reason not to leave the house.”
Madonna Inn, Chateau Marmont, and their friend Linda Ramone’s place—“really eccentric, fun and special, with pinks, oranges and greens,” according to Holmes-McKagan—were references for the couple’s musician daughter Grace’s bedroom. It features Benjamin Moore Pure Pink walls with Stem Green trim and House of Hackney Artemis wallpaper wainscoting, with the same motif appearing on the custom velvet bedspread, pillows, and shams. Completing the room are Silk Concepts drapes, Masland carpet in Zinnia, mirrored nightstands, and Visual Comfort’s Sputnik chandelier.
Their daughter’s bathroom pairs Benjamin Moore Pure Pink walls with Ann Sacks wall tiles and Daltile floor tiles in a custom pattern, plus an RH sink, sconce, and round mirror. “I didn’t want beige on beige on beige,” Holmes-McKagan says.
Duff McKagan in a Ray Stowers of Savile Row custom suit and Susan Holmes-McKagan in Dolce & Gabbana on their seaplane in Lake Washington. Bini, who felt their deep connection to and personal history with the lake and home, saw the project as an “opportunity to layer on a bit of fun, a bit of drama, a bit of texture, a bit of color, and really make the house more of who they are.”
“There’s a Lake Como element that I thought could be leveraged,” Bini says of the McKagans’ lakeside backyard. There are custom Venetian piers, vintage Salterini garden furniture, Santa Barbara Designs umbrellas, and a dose of palms by Peak Landscape to provide a bit of resort-y contrast to the Englishness of the home. “I didn’t want to be too literal with anything,” the designer says.

Shop it out:

RH Aegean Stacking Chaise

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Mud Pie Ponchaa Pillow

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RH Fontanelle Double Sconce

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Fiberglass Bulldog Sculpture by Gold Leaf Design Group

$10890.00, Modish

The Lindisfarne French Bateau Bathtub by Penhaglion

$5800.00, Overstock

Rejuvenation Rigdon Towel Bar

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Rejuvenation Thurman Sconce

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Ceramiche Micale Kalsa Testa di Moro Vase

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Chapman & Myers Paris Flea Market Chandelier

$2649.00, Visual Comfort & Co.

CB2 Rake Counter Stool by Kravitz Design (Set of 2)

$958.00, CB2

Red Murano Crystal Two Tiers Chandelier

$4944.00, Etsy

Scully & Scully Tapestry Pillows

$145.00, Scully & Scully

Interlude Home Magali Sheepskin Bench

$7140.00, Neiman Marcus

MacKenzie-Childs Moonlight Garden Throw Pillow

$199.00, MacKenzie-Childs

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest

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