Singer/songwriter and current American Idol judge Lionel Richie bought his $11.2 million Beverly Hills home back in 1999 with his then-wife, Diane Alexander. He was able to afford such a lavish home due to his success in the music industry. Richie became established as a musician after he became a member of the funk band, The Commodores. In the early 1980s, he started his solo career and released his first album called Lionel Richie in 1982. Richie has since has sold over 90 million records worldwide.
Richie joined the judge's panel on American Idol in 2017 when the reality competition series was revived after being off the air for two years. He joined the panel of judges alongside country singer Luke Bryan and pop star Katy Perry. The reboot has become a success since it was revived, putting Richie back on the map. With success comes fortune, and Richie has made quite a bit of money over the past few decades, allowing him to afford an estate in Beverly Hills.
In an interview with Architectural Digest from 2017, Lionel Richie opened up his home to the magazine and gave them a tour of his hidden Los Angeles gem. "I feel about my home the way I feel about my music: You have to take chances," the singer said at the time. He bought the 28-room mansion in 1999 but was built in 1929 for Carrie Guggenheim by architects Harry Koerner and William J. Gage on a small hill overlooking the Los Angeles Country Club. He added that the Italian Renaissance Revival structure hasn't even been updated in the last decade. The home is truly unique, especially since it is located just ten minutes from the middle of Beverly Hills. Before Richie bought the mansion, other buyers thought it was beautiful but did not want to put the work into it. However, he and his wife at the time loved it and made the estate their own.
After Richie purchased the home, he and his wife made slight changes to make it their own. They uncovered the gorgeous wood floors, which were in pristine condition due to years of being buried under white carpeting. Even the entrance's luminescent limestone walls were darkened and hidden under a varnish. Richie wanted to give the home an overall travel mood, from her years of touring the world as a musician and did that by applying everything he has discovered in other countries. The tan hue of the home's exterior was inspired by a cardinal's house he saw on a hilltop in Lake Como, while the high-gloss and pale yellow Venetian plaster on the walls of the living room were inspired by a visit he took to Poland's presidential palace. Not to mention the high ceilings, dramatic staircases, and personal touches such as the bronze sculpture of his hand intertwined with his father's.
Lionel Richie's fabulous Beverly Hills estate is what one would picture a man of his talent and wealth to live in. While the home is grand both in size and in décor, Richie lives a more understated life. Even though the singer may not be flashy with what he wears or what he says, his mansion reveals the kind of wealth he has.
American Idol airs Sundays and Mondays at 8 pm EST on ABC.
Sources: Architectural Digest, Lionel Richie