See Kathy Hilton's 'Timeless' Backyard Makeover at Her Bel-Air Home: 'The Hub of the Family'

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star teamed up with Amazon Home to give her outdoor space a little refresh

Published on November 4, 2021 09:00 AM

Kathy Hilton Teams Up with Amazon Home to Remodel Her Backyard — Photo: Mark Von Holden

Kathy Hilton's Bel-Air mansion is a home away from home for many of her famous friends and family members, but until recently, it was missing one important thing: a great backyard.

"It was pretty, but it was not functional, and it was not comfortable," the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, 62, who shares sons Barron Hilton and Conrad Hilton and daughters Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton Rothschild with her husband, Richard, tells PEOPLE exclusively of her previously underwhelming outdoor space. "It looked good. But I found that we weren't spending enough time out there."

Determined to create something that was both practical and chic, the fashion designer and reality star teamed up with Amazon Home and her longtime designer Mike Moser of the Eye Agency to give the sprawling, three-tiered area a makeover.

"We really needed something quickly, because I wanted to have it look nice for my daughter Paris's bridal shower," Kathy explains of the beginnings of the project. "Of course, a lot of it was going to be outside with the whole pandemic and all of that, and it's just so pretty to be outdoors."

With Moser's help, Kathy curated a collection of furniture and decor for the space, which she now describes as "timeless, eclectic and modern." They picked out a new outdoor dining set, seating for around the fireplace, refreshed pillows and table linens, accent tables and much more.

"I think we really pulled it off. I am very, very excited," Kathy says of the finished look. "I have a little design experience myself," she adds, reminding fans that she owned an antique store called The Staircase on Sunset Plaza in L.A. for many years.

"I have to say, it showed up very quickly," she says of the pieces, which thankfully arrived in time for the bridal shower. "I'd say in two, three weeks we started getting all the boxes, and I am absolutely thrilled."

Some of her favorite pieces are the wicker storage baskets that she repurposed as planters, and the outdoor dining set complete with a simple-but-classic navy umbrella she calls "comfortable and beautiful."

One thing that was important to Kathy was that many different textures were incorporated in the makeover, in order to give the space a little personality.

"I've got fabric, I've got metal, I've got wood, stone, wicker… there are layers of texture," she says of the space, adding that she always prefers picking pieces from different collections rather than buying a full set.

She also worked hard to make the backyard somewhere everyone would want to hang out and enjoy the Southern California weather, as people typically congregate inside the home, specifically in her library.

"I wanted to bring the indoors, outdoors," Kathy says, adding that there's "now a seat for everyone" — a huge relief because she used to struggle to move outdoor furniture around before.

"It's definitely the hub of the family," Kathy says of her home. "And all my friends and my children's friends... even when the girls are out of town, their friends come and I'm the mom to them too."

Now, the backyard is ready for fun right in time for the holidays, when Kathy will host her extended family — including her three granddaughters: Nicky's girls, Lily-Grace Victoria and Teddy Marilyn, and Barron's daughter, Milou.

"I got them all their little towels, and I'm going to be doing a little dollhouse for them as well," Kathy says of her preparations for the little ones.

When the Hilton family gets together, there's always plenty of swimming, game playing, wine drinking and eating, Kathy says, noting that she and Nicky love setting the table outdoors.

"We really enjoy barbecuing. My husband likes to barbecue. Nicky's husband likes to barbecue. We all kind of pitch in and help," she shares.

And the family is looking forward to all the festivities coming up ahead. "My house is going to be full with people coming to stay during [Paris's] wedding," she says. "And then Thanksgiving and Christmas!"