Open House

With the help of Jake Arnold, superstar couple John Legend and Chrissy Teigen craft a luminous, loving family home in Beverly Hills

- By Mayer Rus. Photograph by Yoshihiro Makino

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend have grown accustomed to moving homes. "We're used to it by now. We're always open to a new house, or to changing the house we're in," says Teigen, the effervescent model, television personality, and home-cooking guru. "When she says we, she means she," interjects Legend, her megastar musician husband, who lists no less than 12 Grammy Awards and an Oscar for best original song on his stellar résumé (as well as an Emmy and a Tony to round out the set). "But it's true. We're not afraid of switching things up," he adds.

The couple's propensity for serial home buying is not simply a matter of caprice. "Every house we've ever had reflects the moment we were in in our lives, like chapters in a book," Teigen avers. "Our last house was darker and more cloistered, like a sanctuary," Legend continues.

"We were attracted to this place because of its lightness and airiness. We love how open it feels, and how it's so connected to the outdoors. We wanted to create something magical, especially for the kids," he says, referring to seven-year-old Luna, five-year-old Miles, baby Esti, and their newly arrived son Wren, whose delivery via surrogate in June was heralded on Teigen's Instagram to the delight of legions of fans.

Enter AD100 talent Jake Arnold, the duo's design collaborator, who tackled the renovation and reimagining of their new home in Beverly Hills after working on Legend's recording studio and an office space for Cravings by Chrissy Teigen, the model's food and cookware enterprise.