David Hockney House Tour: Inside the Vibrant World of a Creative Genius

When you think of David Hockney House, those iconic swimming pool paintings probably come to mind. But there’s another canvas this British art star has been working on for decades – his homes. From California to London to the French countryside, each David Hockney house isn’t just a place to crash; they’re extensions of the man himself.

Unlike most celebs who hire decorators to craft their perfect spaces, Hockney approaches his homes the same way he does his art – with bold colors, personal vision, and zero concern for conventional taste. Let’s take a tour through the real estate portfolio of one of the world’s most celebrated living artists and see how his spaces reflect the creative mind behind them.

The California Dream: Hockney’s Hollywood Hills Home

In 1978, Hockney bought what he called a “somewhat ordinary brown ranch-style house” tucked into the Hollywood Hills. But nothing stays ordinary long when Hockney’s involved.

The transformation was gradual but dramatic. While keeping most of the original structure intact, he added three pyramid-like skylights to flood his studio with natural light. But the real showstopper? The colors.

Walking into Hockney’s California pad is like stepping into one of his paintings. The vivid palette wasn’t random – it was directly inspired by his work designing sets for “Parade” at the Metropolitan Opera, particularly Maurice Ravel’s “L’Enfant et les sortilèges,” which Hockney described as “the most beautiful musical story ever written, and the most colorful of all the operas.”

Those bold color choices might make interior designers sweat, but Hockney noticed something interesting: “Everyone who comes here likes it. People don’t dare such colors usually.” Sometimes breaking the rules pays off.

The David Hockney house in California offered the privacy that was key for his creative process. “I like visitors, but couldn’t really work in London or New York, because I’d have too many. Here we know who’s coming, so we can plan it. I’ve always liked L.A. for that,” he explained.

And yes, this was the house with the swimming pool that inspired some of his most famous works – though Hockney finds it amusing that people think he painted hundreds of pool scenes when he “didn’t do that many” – maybe 12 in total.

London Calling: Hockney’s Historic Kensington Studios

While California gave Hockney the space and light for his most recognizable works, he never fully left London behind. In Kensington, he maintains three studios within a gated community of 12 houses and workspaces that have been his base for over 30 years.

These aren’t just any studios – they’re spaces with serious artistic pedigree. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, these same studios housed artists like Herbert James Draper, Byam Shaw, and Donald Gilbert. Talk about creative energy in the walls.

The London David Hockney house and studios complex holds such historic value that in 2017, he fought against new building plans, arguing that these studios “have been at the centre of creativity for London artists for more than a century.” For Hockney, preserving artistic heritage matters just as much as creating new work.

The Normandy Chapter: A Rural Renaissance

In 2019, at 83 years old, Hockney wasn’t slowing down – he was starting fresh. After a four-day road trip through northern France, he fell for Normandy hard and fast. He watched the sunset over Le Havre (the same view Monet painted in his famous “Impression, Sunrise”), enjoyed a meal in Honfleur, checked out the Bayeux Tapestry, and made an instant decision: this was home now.

With characteristic decisiveness, he bought the first house he viewed – a 17th-century country home with a cider press he quickly converted into a studio. The latest David Hockney house sits near Beuvron-en-Auge, officially one of “the most beautiful villages in France,” known for half-timbered buildings and apple orchards.

For Hockney, Normandy felt both new and familiar, reminding him of East Yorkshire where he grew up. The timing was perfect too – he had settled in just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, giving him an ideal setting to keep creating while the world locked down.

During this period, Hockney’s productivity was off the charts. He created over 100 iPad images in just weeks, capturing the changing Normandy landscape. When things looked bleak globally, he reminded us all: “Remember that they cannot cancel spring.”

The Normandy landscape sparked one of his most ambitious recent projects: “A Year in Normandy,” a massive 90-meter frieze showing the countryside through the seasons. This work was directly influenced by viewing the Bayeux Tapestry, itself nearly 70 meters long and telling the story of William the Conqueror.

Hockney’s “My Normandy” collection features both traditional ink drawings and iPad paintings that capture what he describes as an “unbelievably green” landscape: “Everywhere we look is green.”

Bradford Beginnings: The Childhood Home That Started It All

Every artist’s journey has a starting point, and for Hockney, it was a modest four-bedroom house on Hutton Terrace in Bradford, England. This was home from age four until 21, and the first place where his artistic talents began to show.

The teenage Hockney used this house as his first studio, painting family portraits within its walls. His growing artistic ambitions sometimes clashed with family life – when he wanted to take over a newly decorated bedroom for his studio, his mother Laura refused, writing, “I need the room, and if David had it he would ruin it. We all appreciate his work, but he is getting to expect all and give nothing in return – his own room was dreadfully untidy.”

She eventually compromised, letting him finish a self-portrait in the front bedroom – where he promptly spilled paint on the carpet. Classic artist move.

The basement played a role too – his father Kenneth had set up a pram workshop in the cellar, and young David would push a pram containing his paints around the city streets as he painted. The original David Hockney house in Bradford remained in the family for 50 years until his mother sold it in 1993. In 2018, this piece of art history went on the market for £140,000 – a bargain compared to his paintings, which sell for millions.

Living as Art: Hockney’s Philosophy on Personal Spaces

Across all his homes, one thing remains consistent: Hockney sees living spaces as creative opportunities. Art historian Marco Livingstone observed that “Hockney thinks of his sets as large pictures, but as three-dimensional, rather than two-dimensional pictures.” This perspective explains how he approaches his homes – as walk-in, livable art installations.

For Hockney, conventional taste takes a backseat to personal expression. The colors that might make interior designers cringe are exactly what make his spaces uniquely his. His homes aren’t designed to impress or follow trends – they’re created to inspire his work and reflect his artistic vision.

This approach offers a refreshing take on celebrity homes. While many stars opt for perfectly styled, magazine-ready interiors, Hockney’s spaces feel alive, evolving, and deeply personal. They’re working environments for a working artist, not showpieces.

What Hockney’s Homes Teach Us About Living Creatively

Hockney’s approach to his living spaces offers some valuable takeaways for anyone looking to inject more creativity into their own home:

1. Color is personal – Don’t fear bold choices if they speak to you
2. Let your space evolve – Hockney’s California home transformed gradually over years
3. Environment affects output – Choose surroundings that inspire your best work
4. History matters – Connecting to the past can enrich your present experience
5. Change is good – Even in his 80s, Hockney wasn’t afraid to start fresh in a new country

In a world obsessed with picture-perfect interiors and instant transformations, Hockney’s homes remind us that the most interesting spaces tell a story about their inhabitants – quirks, passions, and all.

The Ultimate Canvas: Why Hockney’s Homes Matter

David Hockney’s houses offer more than interior design inspiration – they provide insight into how one of our greatest living artists sees the world.

From the vibrant theatrical colors of his California house to the historic London studios and pastoral French retreat, each David Hockney house reflects a different chapter in his artistic journey. These aren’t just places to live; they’re environments that nurture creativity and express personal vision.

For pop culture and art enthusiasts alike, Hockney’s homes demonstrate that the boundaries between art and life can be gloriously blurred. Just as his paintings transform ordinary swimming pools and landscapes into extraordinary visions, his homes transform conventional living spaces into environments that inspire and provoke.