Photographs by Michel Arnaud, styling by Carlos Mota
After designing every room in her Santa Barbara home, Oprah was ready to turn the design reigns over to someone she trusted. So she called on her hairdresser and confidant of 20 years Andre Walker and his partner of 10 years David Simmons. Before they could say,
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, it was time to shop. "We went to the finest place for furniture that a person can go to—Oprah's storage space," Andre says. "She has an amazing collection of heirloom quality furniture from the farm she used to own in Indiana. It was all just sitting there waiting for us to start reupholstering. We felt like kids at Christmas, and she was Oprah Claus," David says, sounding, well, like a kid at Christmas.
Watch as Oprah gives a tour of her newly redesigned guesthouse. 
For the spacious, high-ceilinged living room, Andre Walker and David Simmons used glorious taffeta draperies and plush seating grouped around a black marble fireplace. The coral sofa is upholstered in fabric from Pierre Frey; the easy chairs, from George Smith, are in a buttery yellow fabric from Country Swedish; the ottoman is in a Schumacher check; the taffeta is from Bergamo Fabrics. Woman with Mandolin, a painting by Eugene A. Montgomery, is from the Richard Norton Gallery. The flowers throughout the guesthouse were arranged by Oprah's California floral designer, Diana Dolan.
Photographs by Michel Arnaud, styling by Carlos Mota
"The English take what they've accumulated over the years and pass it down and recycle it and develop rooms that have an instant sense of history and drama," says Andre. "Some of Oprah's things have stayed in the back of my mind for ages. For example, there's this painting of a black dog that I've always adored, so we decided to do a room around it. The piece became the focal point in that little green cocoon of a study."
The guesthouse's tented study—with its Biedermeier desk, blue leather Art Deco tray table, lotus-and-peony-patterned rug, and fabric-tented ceiling—is now presided over by a gorgeous, panting Labrador that had once hung at Oprah's farmhouse. Marita Bradley Designs handcrafted all the upholstery and pillows with fabrics by Jane Shelton from Holly Hunt. The custom-dyed Scroll rug is from Atelier Lapchi; the étagère table and desk lamp are from Vaughan.
Photographs by Michel Arnaud, styling by Carlos Mota
"We fell for these landscapes by Colorado artist Paul K. Smith, and we grouped them together in the dining room. The colors are so vivid, and they change with the light of the day," Andre says.
Photographs by Michel Arnaud, styling by Carlos Mota
"And we found Carlos Sanchez, this phenomenal painter who totally understood our vision," David adds. "When we couldn't find the right wallpaper, he came in and created those subtle stripes on the walls."
Photographs by Michel Arnaud, styling by Carlos Mota
"I'm not a blue person, so this room meant stepping outside my comfort zone," Oprah says as we take in the soft periwinkle blues, creams, camels, and rich chocolate browns of her library. "But Andre and David made it work." They discovered the room's prize possession—a giant penny—at an antiques fair in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and based the room's color scheme on its faded patina."
The weathered surface of the giant penny sign from Harold E. Cole Antiques was the basis for the library's cream and brown accent colors, echoed in a collection of antique mochaware that Andre and David arranged on the floor-to ceiling shelves. The two George IV leather-covered mahogany library chairs were bought at a Christie's auction.
Photographs by Michel Arnaud, styling by Carlos Mota
The sofas, upholstered in Scalamandré fabric, face each other across an ottoman covered in a floral from Bergamo Fabrics. The custom rug is from Atelier Lapchi; the chandelier is from Paul Ferrante Inc.
Photographs by Michel Arnaud, styling by Carlos Mota
What inspired the lavender master suite? "You have to use restraint with purples. But we wanted to do something very calming—and we kept thinking about the soothing scent of dried lavender," David explains. "We found a rich Manuel Canovas floral for the drapes, so we needed to balance their intensity with softer hues. That's why we upholstered the walls in a frosty orchid shade. But our favorite piece in the bedroom is the Joseph M. Cintron portrait of a woman. Is she gorgeous or what?"
The fabrics for the canopy, bed skirt, and draperies are by Manuel Canovas from Cowtan & Tout. The bed(top left) is dressed with Leontine Linens from Bergdorf Goodman. The carpeting is from the Mitchell Denburg Collection. The painting, Head Up High by Joseph M. Cintron, is from the Richard Norton Gallery.
Photographs by Michel Arnaud, styling by Carlos Mota
With its plush chairs, enchanting black marble fireplace, a big, fat coral sofa that begs you to curl up with a delicious book, and taffeta curtains Scarlett O'Hara would have happily worn to the Oscars®. "I guess," he continues, "we thought about who Oprah is—her eye for detail, the way she believes in treating people—and tried to build a house that reflects her taste and attitude."
Photographs by Michel Arnaud, styling by Carlos Mota
New hardware from Waterworks was added to the bathtub, one of the few items that Andre and David rescued from the original house. The wallpaper is from Farrow & Ball; the watercolor by Pamela Glasscock is from the I. Wolk Gallery.
Photographs by Michel Arnaud, styling by Carlos Mota
The guest house is both refined and rustic, sumptuous and kick-off-your-shoes cozy. Off the library is a small, intimate bedroom where the walls are covered in Jane Churchill fabric from Cowtan & Tout. The curved headboard that repeats the shape of the window is upholstered in Kathryn Ireland fabric from Holly Hunt; the bench is covered in Peter Fasano fabric from John Rosselli & Associates.
Photographs by Michel Arnaud, styling by Carlos Mota
"Andre [left] and David made it work," Oprah says of her design duo, shown in the blue library of the guest house. "When you're trying to put a home together, you've got to be careful to fill it with only the stuff that you really, really love," says Oprah. "The pieces that mean something to you will work wherever you go, and it's so satisfying to give them new life. Beautiful things live on."
The Places Where Oprah Lives
Go inside Oprah's Hawaiian retreat
Tour Oprah's library in California
Nate Berkus works his magic on Oprah's office and closet at Harpo
Oprah's secret garden and teahouse
