INVITING US INTO HER CHIC BEVERLY HILLS HOME NANCY DAVIS THE OIL HEIRESS AND PHILANTHROPIST ON SHOWING HER CHILDREN HOW TO GIVE BACK

Think of grand Beverly Hills homes tucked away inside gated communities and you may conjure up a show home in which it’s impossible to feel comfortable. Not so in Nancy Davis’s stunning fivebedroom, six-bathroom home in Mulholland Estates.

- REBECCA LEWIS

Despite its high ceilings, elegant sitting room and large dining room resplendent with flowers and vintage dish settings, this is a home where teenage girls sprawl on large sofas and play arcade games, while dogs scurry around looking for cuddles.

Christina Aguilera, Paris Hilton and Robbie Williams have all lived in the Estates, where 66-year-old Nancy, the oil heiress and daughter of Marvin and Barbara Davis – the inspiration for the Carrington family in 1980s drama Dynasty – lives with husband Ken Rickel and their 19-year-old twin daughters Isabella and Mariella.

For Nancy and Ken, 71, the Estates offered their girls a “normal existence that doesn’t always exist in Los Angeles”, not to mention stunning views of the San Fernando Valley from their lush garden.

The Davis clan, once among the richest families in America, are known for their philanthropy: Barbara, 93, has hosted the Carousel of Hope Ball for juvenile diabetes since 1978 and Nancy launched the Race to Erase MS Gala two years after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 1991.

Her desire to give back has been passed on to her children, too, including her son Brandon, 43, whose wife is Pretty Little Liars star Ashley Benson, 34.

Now, Nancy has welcomed hello! into her home – where she organises her hugely successful gala each year, as well as overseeing her jewellery line Peace & Love by Nancy Davis – to talk about her friendships with Kathy Hilton and Sir Elton John, and how becoming a grandmother has given her a new lease of life.

Nancy, tell us why you fell in love with this house…

“I love this neighbourhood; it feels safe, and when you have little kids, it’s so nice. There’s a playground, tennis courts, places for kids to congregate and have a normal existence that doesn’t always exist in Los Angeles.

“And the views – we have the most breathtaking sunsets.”