Gay Icons Who Collect Mid-Century Modern Furniture

The combination of gay culture and mid-century modern design has resulted in some truly beautiful homes. Many gay men have played a key role in preserving design history by carefully restoring older homes and collecting unique furniture. Their love for simple, natural shapes shows a strong understanding of the modernist style. This collection celebrates the people who have greatly influenced how we see design today.

Tom Ford

This fashion designer is a world-renowned collector of modernist buildings and furniture. He’s famous for owning and carefully restoring the Brown-Sidney House, a 1955 design by Richard Neutra. His homes are known for their clean, simple shapes and the use of rich, natural wood – hallmarks of mid-century style. Just like his fashion work, he approaches interior design with a relentless attention to detail.

Ryan Murphy

This successful television producer is passionate about architecture and design from the mid-20th century. He bought the Brown-Sidney House from Tom Ford and has continued to carefully maintain it. Murphy frequently decorates his homes with unusual and beautiful furniture inspired by classic Hollywood style, including pieces by renowned designers like Jean Royère and Gio Ponti.

Jonathan Adler

Any discussion of great designers has to include the person who revitalized modern American style. Starting with pottery, Adler built a design empire that draws inspiration from mid-century pop culture. He’s known for bold, playful patterns and iconic pieces like tulip tables. His work often captures the cheerful and hopeful spirit of the 1950s and 60s.

Simon Doonan

Simon Doonan, a famous window dresser and writer, lives with his husband, designer Jonathan Adler. Doonan’s playful and unique style blends seamlessly with the mid-century modern look of their home. He loves the clever and charming details of older designs, and his influence ensures their home feels fun and lively, rather than overly formal or like a museum.

Nate Berkus

This interior designer became well-known for skillfully combining old, unique pieces with modern furniture. He’s particularly knowledgeable about French design from the mid-20th century and frequently uses it in his work. He loves to find one-of-a-kind chairs and lights at flea markets and auctions, and his own homes showcase beautiful examples of furniture made in the 1940s and 50s.

Jeremiah Brent

Brent, a designer and Nate Berkus’s husband, is deeply inspired by mid-century modern design. He creates spaces that feel cozy and atmospheric, favoring furniture with soft, rounded shapes and luxurious materials. Brent demonstrates that modern design doesn’t have to feel cold – it can be incredibly welcoming and comfortable when done right.

Marc Jacobs

As a real cinema lover, I’m always fascinated by how people create a vibe in their homes, and this designer is incredible. He’s lived in some truly stunning, iconic houses all over the world. I read he even owned a Frank Lloyd Wright design – it really showed his dedication to that beautiful, organic modern style. What I especially love is how he decorates; he mixes really cool, current art with classic, vintage furniture. It proves that mid-century modern pieces can look amazing alongside really daring, forward-thinking art – it’s a brilliant combination!

Frank Ocean

This musician is passionate about French modernist furniture, especially pieces by designer Pierre Paulin, which he often incorporates into his visual projects. He’s drawn to the sculptural shapes of low, comfortable sofas and organically shaped chairs, favoring the more futuristic designs from the mid-20th century.

Tyler, The Creator

The artist is a big fan of Italian design from the mid-20th century, and particularly admires the work of Gio Ponti, which heavily influences his style. He incorporates the era’s soft colors and geometric shapes into his own furniture and clothing designs. His home reflects the fun and elegant side of modernist design.

RuPaul

The famous supermodel is drawn to the dramatic Hollywood Regency design style. This style shares similarities with mid-century modern, particularly its use of bright colors and shiny, lacquered surfaces. RuPaul enjoys interiors that are glamorous and over-the-top, and his Beverly Hills home perfectly showcases this, blending bold, colorful patterns with timeless, modern furniture.

Brad Goreski

This stylist and TV personality has a great sense of design. His home is filled with carefully chosen mid-century furniture and vibrant artwork. He frequently shares his discoveries of vintage pieces online, and he knows how to use key furniture items, like a striking chair or a modern table, to create a focal point in any room.

Bobby Berk

Berk, the design expert from ‘Queer Eye’, has popularized mid-century modern style for a wide audience. He often incorporates furniture with simple, elegant shapes and tapered legs into his designs. His own taste reflects the cozy and inviting feel of 1950s design. Berk is a firm believer that good design should be both practical and available to everyone.

Troye Sivan

The pop star recently gave a tour of his beautifully designed Melbourne home. It’s a unique space that blends classic Victorian style with cool, mid-century Italian furniture. He collaborated with a designer to find vintage lighting and comfortable sofas, creating a fresh and artistic vibe that feels both modern and nostalgic.

Ricky Martin

The singer’s Beverly Hills home is a stunning example of mid-century architecture, designed to seamlessly connect indoor and outdoor spaces. He collaborated with designers to maintain the home’s original character, and furnished it with classic pieces made of natural materials like wood and leather that develop a rich patina over time. He also uses the home to showcase his expanding art collection.

Elton John

For decades, this renowned musician has been collecting art and furniture. He’s known for having a diverse taste, and his collection includes many important examples of modern design. He likes to combine pieces from different periods, creating interiors that reflect his personal style. He especially values well-made items, so all his mid-century furniture is top-notch.

Anderson Cooper

The news anchor’s home is a renovated firehouse with a strong, modern style. He favors simple, uncluttered rooms, a look inspired by modernist design. He collects furniture that’s practical and doesn’t have a lot of extra decoration. It’s a peaceful escape from the constant demands of his job.

Halston

The celebrated fashion designer Halston, known for his work in the 1970s, lived in a strikingly modern townhouse. Designed by architect Paul Rudolph, the home is a prime example of brutalist and modern styles. Halston decorated the interior with sleek, minimalist furniture and raised platforms. Today, it’s remembered as a significant and influential space reflecting gay aesthetics in design.

Yves Saint Laurent

Throughout his life, the famous French fashion designer was a passionate collector of art and design. Together with his partner, Pierre Bergé, he built an impressive collection featuring key pieces from the Art Deco and modernist movements. Their homes were filled with furniture created by celebrated designers such as Eileen Gray and Jean-Michel Frank. Saint Laurent had a remarkable understanding of how modern art and everyday life connected.

Pierre Cardin

This designer wasn’t simply someone who gathered objects; he actively created furniture inspired by the Space Age. His innovative designs, like bubble-shaped houses, expanded the possibilities of mid-century modern style. He lived in spaces that felt like they came straight out of a science fiction film, and his work includes some of the most daring and unique furniture created in the 20th century.

Bryan Batt

The actor known for playing an art director on ‘Mad Men’ actually works as an interior designer in real life. He runs a home decor store and is particularly knowledgeable about mid-century design. He admires the stylishness and cleverness of that era, which he famously depicted on the show. His own design style combines the warmth of the South with the clean lines of modernism.

Robert Gant

This actor is passionate about preservation and loves restoring older homes. He specifically enjoys bringing out the original style of mid-century modern architecture, and he loves finding authentic, period-correct details like fixtures and hardware. He believes it’s important to save the historical character of these buildings.

Cheyenne Jackson

The performer has often talked about his passion for his mid-century modern ranch house. He loves how open and connected the spaces feel, which is typical of homes built in the 1950s. He decorates with pieces that are both comfortable for his family and have a great sense of style, showing that vintage design can be practical for everyday living.

George Michael

I always knew he had incredible taste, but learning about his collections was fascinating. He wasn’t just into music, he really got art – especially the Young British Artists. And it wasn’t just about displaying the pieces, he clearly understood how to live with them. His homes weren’t cluttered; he favored really sleek, modern furniture that let the art breathe. He worked closely with designers to create these incredibly private, sophisticated spaces – a real sense of understated luxury. It wasn’t about showing off, it was about creating an atmosphere, and he nailed it.

Karl Lagerfeld

The renowned fashion designer had several distinct collecting obsessions, most notably a fascination with the Memphis Group. This design movement initially emerged as a rebellion against the clean lines of mid-century modern furniture, but now attracts many of the same collectors. Lagerfeld transformed his home into a showcase of this bold, post-modern aesthetic, viewing furniture not just as practical items, but as sculptural art pieces.

Andy Cohen

The TV host’s West Village apartment reflects his unique style. He blends the glamorous look of the disco era with timeless mid-century modern furniture. Gold details and vibrant colors stand out against his contemporary pieces. The apartment is clearly designed for hosting guests and enjoying a lively atmosphere.

Martyn Lawrence Bullard

As a total cinema buff, I’m always fascinated by set design, and I’ve noticed a lot of celebrity homes designed by this one incredible interior designer. What really strikes me about his work is how globally inspired it is – he pulls from all over the world, but it’s always grounded in a really clean, modern aesthetic. He has a knack for making spaces feel glamorous, and I’ve read he often uses vintage Italian chairs from the mid-century period to add a touch of sex appeal. What I admire most is his ability to blend pieces from totally different eras and make everything feel seamless and put-together.

Trixie Mattel

This drag queen is obsessed with the colorful, playful style of the mid-20th century. She transformed a Palm Springs motel into a bright pink haven, and fills it with vintage furniture and decorations from the 1960s. Her whole aesthetic is a joyful tribute to that era.

Michael Kors

The fashion designer prefers a simple, polished style for his homes. He typically uses calming neutral colors and classic modern furniture. He’s drawn to the clean lines and practicality of mid-century design, and aims to create spaces that feel like a relaxing retreat from busy city life.

Jason Wu

Wu is a talented designer, celebrated for his stylish clothing and equally impressive interior spaces. He’s passionate about mid-century modern furniture, favoring pieces with clean lines and excellent craftsmanship. His apartment reflects his refined taste, blending vintage finds with modern elements. He clearly has a knack for putting together beautiful and thoughtful spaces.

Christian Siriano

The designer’s personality really shines through in his home’s decor. He favors furniture that’s eye-catching and often selects pieces with modern lines. He likes to combine older, found items with furniture he’s had custom-made. His home in Connecticut is a great example of his unique style and creativity.

Alexander Wang

Wang is famous for his stylish and modern sense of fashion. His old New York apartment was a perfect example of sleek, minimalist design. He combined black leather and velvet with classic mid-century furniture, creating a space that was both dramatic and incredibly fashionable.

David Geffen

This media executive is a remarkably dedicated art collector, considered one of the greatest of all time. He’s known for owning impressive properties, like the former estate of Jack Warner, and furnishing them with exceptional, museum-worthy art and furniture. His collection embodies the height of luxury and modern design.

Barry Diller

Barry Diller is a major figure in media with a remarkable sense of style. He and his wife, Diane von Furstenberg, are known for their beautiful homes filled with art and contemporary furniture. Diller understands how architecture can impact the way we feel and experience a space, and he carefully designs his environments to reflect that.

Jann Wenner

Jann Wenner, the founder of Rolling Stone magazine, has always decorated his homes to reflect the changing styles and ideas of each era. He’s a collector of art and furniture that embodies the feeling of different periods, and he particularly enjoys designs that challenge convention. His homes are also filled with memorabilia from the history of rock and roll.

Tim Cook

Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, lives in a home that embodies the simple, clean design his company is known for. He prefers modern, practical furnishings and keeps his personal life private and uncluttered. His style reflects the idea that simplicity and functionality are more important than extravagance – a hallmark of mid-century modern design.

Edward Albee

The celebrated playwright had a deep love for abstract art and sculptures from Africa. His spacious Tribeca loft provided the perfect setting to display his collection. He carefully arranged the artwork to create connections between different styles and pieces. Ultimately, his home showcased his thoughtful and multifaceted mind.

Truman Capote

The author was a well-known personality and always lived in beautifully decorated homes. He was particularly famous for his Black and White Ball, which had a lasting impact on design. Capote enjoyed the luxurious lifestyle of the wealthy and famous during the mid-20th century, and his homes were constantly prepared for entertaining.

Gore Vidal

Okay, so picture this: Vidal had this incredible villa in Italy, right on the edge of a cliff. It wasn’t some minimalist showplace, though. It was packed with books and comfy furniture – the kind of place you could really settle into and write all day. He really loved taking classic ideas and making them feel relevant and fresh. Honestly, everything about his style felt really thoughtful and put-together, very intellectual but never pretentious.

Tennessee Williams

The playwright lived a simple life in a small house in Key West, embracing the area’s relaxed, modern style. It was in this comfortable and peaceful environment that he wrote many of his most famous plays, seeking both comfort and a break from the everyday.

Christopher Isherwood

Christopher Isherwood and his partner, Don Bachardy, made their home in Santa Monica, which became a popular spot for artists to gather. The house had a comfortable, modern California feel, and Isherwood loved the bright, open atmosphere of the West Coast. Their life together reflected the liberating spirit of artists during that era.

Don Bachardy

As a portrait artist, Bachardy not only created art himself but also influenced the artistic style he shared with his partner, Christopher Isherwood. He still lives in the home they shared in Santa Monica, which remains largely unchanged, filled with their artwork and unpretentious furnishings – a lasting tribute to their creative life together.

Cecil Beaton

Cecil Beaton, a photographer and designer, had an exceptional sense of style. He seamlessly worked in both fashion and interior design, and he particularly enjoyed the dramatic flair of modern design. He famously photographed the beautiful homes of his friends, capturing their unique style.

Horst P. Horst

Horst was a famous photographer who truly captured the stylish look of the mid-20th century. His interior photos were key in shaping the era’s aesthetic. He not only photographed elegance, but lived it himself, with a keen eye for how light and arrangement could transform a space.

Robert Mapplethorpe

The photographer’s loft was a simple, industrial space. He filled it with pottery and furniture from the arts and crafts movement – styles that came before modern design. He arranged everything with careful detail, making his home as thoughtfully organized as his photographs.

Adam Lambert

The singer’s Hollywood Hills house reflects the modern style of Los Angeles. He’s decorated with bright colors and current furniture, giving the space a cool, rock-and-roll feel. Adam Lambert loves how the open layout is perfect for parties and gatherings, and the house is really designed for enjoying music and having guests.

Tell us which of these style icons has the best taste in the comments!

2025-12-12 06:19