Famed Beauty Mogul Laura Geller Reveals How She Turned a Drab Bachelor Pad Into a Pop Art-Filled Party Paradise

Celebrity makeup artist Laura Geller has made a career out of helping women to feel and look their best at every age—and when it came to making over the first home she ever bought, the beauty-brand founder took a very similar approach to its design: Age is nothing but a number.

Geller, 67, is a longtime New Yorker who opened her first brick-and-mortar store on the Upper East Side, just a few blocks from where she now resides in an expansive 2,800-square-foot apartment on the 41st floor of a riverfront high-rise.

Today, Geller’s apartment—which she has opened up for the latest installment in the Realtor.com® Celebrity Sanctuary series—is a colorful and whimsical space. But, she admits, it took some extensive work to get it to where it is today.

When the businesswoman and QVC legend bought the home in 2012, it had been used as a bachelor pad by its previous owner, complete with a golf simulator in one of its three bedrooms.

But Geller saw the potential—particularly when she looked out of the window and realized the home offered some of the most breathtaking views of the East River that she had ever come across.

Now, 10 years later, all remnants of the home’s bachelor pad days have been eradicated, and in their place sits a fun-filled, ageless interior that was tailored to suit Geller’s every need—whether that’s shutting out the world at the end of a long day, providing a space to entertain a group of friends, or giving her son and his pals a place to watch the Super Bowl.

Here, Geller reveals how she transformed the once-drab space into the vibrant “sanctuary” that it is today.

I purchased this apartment in 2012 and I did a gut renovation, down to the bones. The man who lived here before me had three apartments on the floor, and he had created a space that was very much tailored to his needs.

One of the bedrooms had a golf simulator, so he could play virtual golf in there! It needed a lot of work; it needed to be restored to what it was meant to be.

But that meant I didn’t move in here until 2014 because it took forever to finish the renovations.

The apartment is on the 41st floor overlooking the river, and it was the view that got me. That was the million-dollar money shot for me; that’s why I wanted to live here.

I need sunlight, I need open views, I love seeing open water; and this apartment gave me all of that—as well as some incredible space.

My house is about 2,800 square feet, and it was originally a three-bedroom; but I decided to convert it to a two-bedroom so I could make the back of the house into a little guest-room area with a private bathroom. It’s like its own annex.

Then I got rid of the third bedroom and enlarged the living room. I opened it up to become a living and media room all in one. I love to entertain and host events, and that space is now the real feature of the house.

I really wanted it to be that when you walked in, you went, “Oh my god.” I wanted that moment. And now, you walk in and you see these sprawling views of the river and of downtown Manhattan, and it’s exactly what I imagined.

But I knew that I also wanted the space to be comfortable; I’m not austere, I didn’t want it to be off-putting or for people to feel like they couldn’t touch things. I don’t care if you wear your shoes in my house—I have dogs, and they’ve already ruined the rugs anyway!

When it came to designing the space, I worked with an interior designer; and she really did understand my vision and what I was looking for.

My favorite color is red, so I said, “I need red.” Then I knew I wanted a bar, and I knew I wanted comfort. Those were my priorities, and she understood that and helped me to bring that to life.

But then I put my own touch on things in terms of accessorizing it. Being a makeup artist and a cosmetic founder, I wanted to add fashion- and beauty-related accessories that really bring the space to life and make it feel like home.

I wanted to add some earthiness to it, so I put greenery at the top of my wall unit all throughout the house.

The artwork is another area where I’ve been able to put my own stamp on the place. I love pop art, so I started putting Mr. Brainwash pieces up, and I added Donald Sultan‘s “Poppies”—some might think it’s a little young, but I’m young at heart!

I also have a piece of art that isn’t even that valuable; but it was my mom’s, and she used to always love to point out what was in the picture. When she passed away a couple of years ago, I had it reframed and it reminds me of her because there wasn’t a moment that went by when we didn’t walk by that picture and she didn’t talk about it.

It’s called “The Peanut Vendor,” and it’s a Spanish painting that is so precious. Every time I walk past it, it’s just a reminder of how much my mother loved it. That’s my favorite piece because it’s so meaningful.

This is not a Park Avenue apartment with Old World furniture. It’s fun and it’s happy. And that’s what I really wanted for this place.

And in the end, it appeals to some—and to others, not so much.

I had a friend who came over shortly after I’d finished the renovation, and I was so excited to show him around, to take him into every room. And after I had showed him everything, his reaction just wasn’t as positive as I had hoped.

At first, I was so confused. But that became my first moment realizing that everybody has their own tastes. He collects Old World furniture, but me? I want to put a big neon red lip sign in my home.

And the great thing is, people really enjoy being here. I have dinner parties here with my friends, we throw everything out on the table—it’s not fine china or fine dining. But it’s fun, and it’s comfortable.

My son is 24 and, although he doesn’t live here anymore, this is where all of his friends come to watch any sporting event. I have the big screen TV, I have the bar, and they can sprawl out in there. And that’s what I wanted. I wanted people to enjoy the home—not just look at it.

I have truly set up my space to reflect my needs for my lifestyle. People may come in here and do photoshoots, I may have to work here, but I’ve set up all the spaces to create a peacefulness for me. When everyone leaves at the end of the night, I switch off. I put my TV on and watch my trashy reality shows. And I just lose sight of everything.