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My Houzz: Ludacris Springs a Surprise Home Makeover on His Mum

Using Houzz to find a designer, the Atlanta rapper and actor renovated the home he gave to his mum

Mitchell Parker 12 May 2017

Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis and humor.

Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative... More

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Chris Bridges credits a lot of his success as a musician and an actor to his mother, Roberta. Bridges is better known as the Atlanta rapper Ludacris, with hit songs including What’s Your Fantasy and Stand Up, and for his recurring role as Tej Parker in the The Fast and the Furious film franchise. He says his mother taught him about hard work and dedication. “That’s why I’m where I am and who I am today,” he says.

Years ago, after Roberta retired, she moved into the first house Bridges bought when he became commercially successful. Many of Bridges’ style choices at the time remained in the home, including a painted logo of his record company in the home office. “At that point, I had no sense of style,” Bridges says.

My Houzz: Ludacris Gives His Mom a Home Makeover

After photos by The VSI Group

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Roberta, mother of rapper and actor Chris Bridges, aka Ludacris
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Designer: Rachel Oliver of Rachel Oliver Design

Roberta had started several decorating projects in the home but never completed them. Recently, Bridges decided to surprise his mum by making over the living room, dining room, kitchen and office with new colours and furnishings he knew she’d like, so she’d finally feel that the home was hers. The renovation is featured in the latest episode of My Houzz, a video series documenting public figures as they surprise a close family member with a home renovation. The pilot episode of My Houzz featured Ashton Kutcher, who is an executive producer of the series.

Watch now: See rapper Ludacris surprise his mum with a home makeover

Before Photo

Rachel Oliver Design, LLC

BEFORE: Bridges felt that the original kitchen was ‘old school’, and he knew his mum wanted to have something more current.

Rachel Oliver Design, LLC

AFTER: Bridges used Houzz to shop for new furniture and furnishings and to find a designer for help. After looking at the projects on designer Rachel Oliver’s Houzz profile and reading her positive reviews, he knew he’d found the right person for the job.

Oliver ripped out the old kitchen, and added new cabinets and new appliances. She kept the layout the same because it had worked for Roberta, but she added a slightly bigger island to accommodate more seating and work surface.

Wall painted in ‘Marilyn’s Dress’: Benjamin Moore; cabinet painted in ‘Steely Gray’: Sherwin-Williams; Torano quartz benchtops: Stone Showcase

Rachel Oliver Design, LLC

Oliver redid the drawer layout to make it work better for Roberta, and added upgraded features like soft-close drawers and doors.

Rachel Oliver Design, LLC

A new wine rack is one of Roberta’s favourite features. A pullout step at the bottom of the oven wall allows her to reach the microwave above the double ovens.

Watch now: See rapper Ludacris surprise his mum with this makeover

Before Photo

Rachel Oliver Design, LLC

BEFORE: A large sectional sofa and two ottomans dominated the original living room.

Rachel Oliver Design, LLC

AFTER: Oliver added a smaller sectional and a large leather ottoman/coffee table to create more space and better traffic flow. Roberta loves the colour blue, so Oliver brought in a lighter shade for a more contemporary feel. “We didn’t want to overwhelm with colour,” Oliver says.

Bright colour does make an appearance with the throw pillows, a nod to Roberta’s love of Miami and its colourful design scene.

Rachel Oliver Design, LLC

A tall bookcase at the end of the room helps draw the eye to the soaring ceilings.

Rachel Oliver Design, LLC

The light colour palette keeps things open and airy, and better coordinates with the colours in the adjacent kitchen.

Before Photo

Rachel Oliver Design, LLC

BEFORE: Roberta had begun decorating the dining room, but she stopped after installing the wallpaper, ceiling fixture and furniture, most of which she still liked and wanted to keep.

Rachel Oliver Design, LLC

AFTER: Oliver picked up where Roberta left off, adding more subdued chairs and a dark rug to ground the space. Then she brought in some glam elements, such as the faux crocodile-textured buffet and the metallic ceiling paint. A sunburst mirror over the buffet also adds a little glitz.

Rachel Oliver Design, LLC

Again, the grey-and-blue scheme helps create visual flow between the redecorated spaces, including the kitchen to the right and the office to the left.

Before Photo

Rachel Oliver Design, LLC

BEFORE: In the original office, a painted logo of Bridges’ record company was left over from when he lived in the house, making the space feel a bit impersonal to Roberta.

Rachel Oliver Design, LLC

AFTER: Oliver painted over the logo (with Bridges’ blessing), and repainted the bookshelf and walls to reflect more sunlight and create a brighter space. Now it’s a comfortable home office in which Roberta helps run Bridges’ foundation, The Ludacris Foundation.

“She’s going to wake up every day with a smile on her face and go to sleep every night with a smile on her face, knowing her house is complete,” Bridges says.

“I see us making lots of memories here,” Roberta says. “It feels wonderful.”

Wall painted in ‘Horizon’: Benjamin Moore; bookcase lacquered in ‘Gray Huskie’: Benjamin Moore

Don’t miss: Mum’s reaction to her son’s big surprise makeover

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