Design Dissect 5 - Gigi Hadid’s 70s Inspired Home
User Bio/User Goals -
Gigi Hadid is one of the most recognized models of our time. She’s graced covers of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Grazia, InStyle, etc. the list goes on and on. She’s represented brands likes Balmain, Tommy Hilfiger, Versace, Fendi, Ralph Lauren, Tom Ford, and Off-White. As a model, it’s hard for me to pin down her style outside of the brands she represents and her personality outside of how the media has portrayed her.
But here’s what we know, she’s a supermodel, she’s a sister, and she’s a recent (for a bit over a year) mother. Gigi reads like a tomboy, with no part of her being uptight or super serious, she’s bright and smiley and down to earth. To understand Gigi’s home aesthetic, I considered what I guessed about her personality and most importantly, I looked at her street style. The way someone dresses says a lot about them. And although she’s not yet an official designer, her style is cool, casual, trendy, and colorful, but intentional about being cohesive. She’s never too overdone but she’s always distinct.
Because she’s in New York and also constantly traveling, Gigi’s home needs to be a sanctuary. An energizing but relaxing place. I believe she found the 70s to be the perfect inspiration or both energizing and relaxing.
Material’s Bio -
I can almost feel the corduroy and velour textures of the couch cushions. That combined with the cozy carpets in other rooms make the home feel like it’s wrapping you in a hug. And hugs usually allow us to disarm and unwind from pressures and stressors we have within us. The 70s were all about peace and love and I can’t think about any better materials to embody peace and love than corduroy and velour.
Wood is another material that adds a sense of calm and security to the home. It feels especially distinct in New York’s sleek and industrial architecture, which allows Gigi a sense of reprieve when she’s home. Wood floorings runs through the living room, kitchen, and other common spaces. But, more importantly, Gigi masterfully uses it consistently across her furniture. Her kitchen table, her bed frame and bedside tables, coffee table, and wooden panels by the home’s entrance all use varying wood grains.
Color Palette Bio -
The 70s are known for pops of deep oranges, ochres, and mosses and neutrals like brown, white, and navy. The color palette of any successful 70s room entices but doesn’t overwhelm. It interests and relaxes. Most importantly, it’s fun.
In Gigi’s house, the staircases are covered by different prints and patterns. I love how my eye runs down the stairs not catching one specific color or shade but pausing when opposite colors alternate. Each stair is super 70s in its own special way.
The yellow in Gigi’s wall art makes me feel alive and optimistic while the deep blue paint makes those same yellow spots more potent.
If color blocking was a thing, this couch has a flare of 70s color blocking. Burnt orange and navy - hard to pull off in literally any other design sense but so perfectly right on Gigi’s couch.
If a stranger walked in to this home, they’d know a tasteful 70s color palette is at play.
Furnishing Bio -
The couches in the living room being so close to the ground is another iconic 70s design decision. Grounding a person’s mood can be triggered by literally getting them closer to the ground. Gigi’s coffee table is also close to the ground, standing at a similar height to the chest by her apartment entrance.
The kitchen and bedroom follow suit with low height furniture. The bedside tables stay at the same height as the master bed and the dining room table with low adjacent benches taking the seriousness out of formal dining.
As far as comfort is concerned, an avoidance of anything too hard and jagged is an intentional choice by Gigi, given her cozy couches, lush carpets, and lack of metals in her furniture.
Light Bio -
It’s no mystery that 70s culture and nature go hand in hand. Lights and plants were everywhere in the 70s and Gigi definitely incorporated these elements in her home. There is floor to ceiling windows in her living room and her kitchen, allowing light to pour in throughout the day.
Outside of natural light, there isn’t a ton of lighting around Gigi’s house. Because the 70s existed in sepia and kaleidoscope hues, the goal was to maintain a romantic ambiance. I think Gigi wanted the same for her home.
Overall Impressions -
I have to hand it to Gigi, she nailed 70s and modern cool style for her home. I love that she wasn’t afraid to veer off from modern sleek design seen in so many homes today for something that will be in style forever. In my opinion, the true mark of success in Gigi’s home isn’t in what is an intentional decision but in the whispers of stories that can be imagined in the space. Gigi’s home is successful because of the moments she’ll create there.
Inspiration for this Design Dissect in this Vogue piece I cited below.
“The design of the time was fun and sexy but still sophisticated—I think that heavily resonates with modern audiences.”
