Celebrity mansions ranked from tacky to classy – including Cate Blanchett’s ‘harsh and boxy’ Cornish eco-home and Stella McCartney’s ‘stark’ £5million retreat in the Highlands

Celebrities often go to great lengths to customise their million dollar homes – including installing splashy entertainment centres, buying one-of-a-kind artwork, or experimenting with sustainable design. 

In some cases, these personalised touches can spark backlash, as Stella McCartney can attest to after plans for her dream, £5million Highlands home angered locals and councillors alike. 

Amid environmental concerns, some said renderings of her modernist, glass-fronted mansion overlooking Loch Ailort resembled a concrete ‘carbuncle’. 

Critics feel the clifftop house with wood panelling and a turfed roof will stick out like a sore thumb against the coastline – but, as far as celebrity mansions go, is Stella’s future ‘forever home’ the worst offender? 

The Daily Mail asked interiors expert Jordana Ashkenazi to rank some of the most famous homes in the UK – from Wayne and Coleen Rooney‘s £20million property in Cheshire, to Gemma Collins‘ £1.3million hideaway in Essex – from tacky to classy. 

Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash

Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash routinely open the doors to their home, Pickle Cottage, on their BBC reality show and social media. 

The £1.3milion Essex mansion has been extensively renovated since the couple – who tied the knot at Pickle Cottage in 2022 but are not legally married – moved in, but Jordana said the interiors feel ‘quite inconsistent’. 

She explained: ‘Externally, Pickle Cottage is incredibly charming. It has all the makings of a beautiful, traditional English home, almost thatched or Shakespearean in feel, and it is exactly the kind of property that could be styled into a truly timeless country retreat.

‘However, internally, it is quite inconsistent. Some rooms feel considered, while others tip too far into trend-led design and start to cheapen what is otherwise a very special home.’

Stacey and Joe’s pink utility room and all-black kitchen ‘reads more budget than luxurious’, according to Jordana. 

‘Overall, it feels like the interiors have not quite honoured the architecture of the property,’ she noted. 

‘With more restraint, higher specification finishes and a more considered use of colour, this could have been an incredibly stylish and cohesive home.’

Verdict: Tasteful in parts, but many rooms verge on tacky.

Olivia Attwood and Bradley Dack 

Following her split from Bradley Dack, in January Olivia Attwood moved out of the Cheshire home she shared with the footballer. The former Love Islander, 34, now lives in London and documented her first day in her new flat on Instagram. 

Olivia also frequently gave her followers a glimpse inside the luxurious £1million mansion before the ex-couple put it on the market last September. 

Jordana told the Daily Mail that the property has ‘a new build aesthetic and feels like a show home where everything looks finished but lacks depth and individuality’.  

She explained: ‘Displaying items like trainers in mirrored wardrobes might look visually impactful at first glance, but from a design and practicality point of view, it feels a bit confusing. You start to question what the intention is, whether it is storage or display, and it does not quite land as either.’

The design expert added that the space leans heavily into ‘glossy finishes, mirrored surfaces, reflective materials, and display style shelving’, which gives the feeling of the home being more staged than lived in. 

‘Overall, it feels quite trend-driven and lacks the layering and depth you would expect from a truly high-end interior. It looks polished at first glance, but on closer inspection, it does not feel especially elevated.’ 

Verdict: Tacky.

Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright

Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright purchased their famous home for £1.3million before renovating it extensively and documenting the process on Instagram. 

The five-acre property is now believed to be worth £3.5million, as Michelle and Mark celebrated their dream home with a lavish pool party in 2023. 

Customised artwork and a £30,000 pergola in the garden are among the personalised touches the stars added, but Jordana said their ‘polished home does feel quite predictable’. 

‘There’s a lot of shine, a lot of gloss, and for a property of this size and value, it does come across slightly underwhelming in terms of finish,’ she continued, adding ‘it leans heavily into that show home aesthetic’. 

The white and beige home feels very ‘one-dimensional’, according to Jordana, who said it is crying out for ‘more texture, richer materials, and soft furnishings’ to elevate the space. 

Verdict: Tasteful, but very safe and slightly lacking in luxury.

Stella McCartney 

After Stella McCartney and her husband, Alasdhair Willis, won a three-year battle to build their ‘forever home’ in the Highlands, it remains to be seen whether they will ever win the approval of their neighbours. 

The design by Brown and Brown Architects has been criticised severely amid concerns about the size as well as the impact on wildlife – but Jordana believes it has all the makings of a classy celebrity home. 

She called it ‘a great example of a more modern architectural approach in the UK’ compared to the traditional builds. 

Jordana also said the ‘architects have really thought about how to maximise the setting, particularly with the glazing and the orientation towards the water’, as seen in renderings of the finished home.

‘The use of timber adds warmth, which is important in a design that is otherwise quite minimal,’ she continued. 

However, the house ‘does lean into that clean, modern aesthetic, which some people might find a little stark’ in a coastal UK setting, Jordana added. 

Overall, it feels high-end, thoughtfully designed and structurally considered, she concluded. 

Verdict: Very tasteful.

Tyson and Paris Fury 

Paris Fury recently unveiled her family’s new six-bedroom home on the tax haven of the Isle of Man, which is said to have cost an eyewatering £8million.

Paris and her boxing champ husband, Tyson Fury, along with their eight children, moved to the island late last year following Rachel Reeves’ tax-raiding budget.

In some of the earliest photos, Paris gave her fans a closer look at the stone-built converted farmhouse and stables in the countryside, close to the capital, Douglas.

Taking to Instagram, Paris shared snaps posing in front of the pad and showed footage of a flock of sheep invading her back garden. She also showcased her modern kitchen, complete with marble countertops, as Paris revealed she’s on a health kick. 

But is it worth the £8million price tag? While the ‘magical’ exteriors look ‘like something out of a fairytale’, the inside is a ‘letdown’, according to Jordana. 

 She said: ‘Externally, this home feels like something out of a fairytale. It’s magical, full of charm and character, and sits beautifully within its surroundings. 

‘The stonework, greenery and setting all come together to create that dream countryside aesthetic you’d expect.

‘But internally, it really falls flat… and it’s a bit of a letdown,’ Jordana continued.

Instead of honouring the traditional features, the interiors look generic, as Jordana noted: ‘The kitchen in particular looks like it’s come straight out of a Wickes catalogue.’ 

There’s a lack of texture, warmth and considered detail, and overall it feels like two completely different stories are being told… enchanting on the outside, but quite standard on the inside.

Verdict: Externally very tasteful, internally bordering on tacky.

Wayne and Coleen Rooney 

Wayne and Coleen Rooney are the proud owners of a £20million mansion in Cheshire that they have called home for nearly four years. 

The 40-acre High Lake Manor features six bedrooms and comes equipped with a snooker room, a home cinema, an indoor swimming pool, an underground spa, a wine cellar, a stable area with space for 14 horses, and a football pitch for their four sons.

What’s missing is a sense of connection to the architecture of the property, according to Jordana, who said the ‘overly gaudy’ interiors missed the point entirely.   

‘Externally, this is a stunning property,’ she said. ‘It has that grand, traditional mansion feel, and you really cannot fault it from the outside. 

‘However, there’s no real nod to the natural aesthetic or structure of the home, which makes the interiors feel quite disconnected and, ultimately, less sophisticated than they could be,’ Jordana added. 

Elements like velvet seating, oversized chandeliers and high-gloss tiled floors take away from the overall effect that ‘feels more about impact than cohesion’. 

She added: ‘At this level, you’d expect a much more refined approach. Instead, a lot of the finishes come across as quite cheap-looking, particularly the heavy use of gloss and shine, which can instantly take away from that high-end feel,’ Jordana continued. 

Verdict: Over the top, gaudy and tacky.

Chloe Ferry 

Geordie Shore star Chloe Ferry sold her huge Newcastle home after listing the modern five-bedroom property for an eye-watering £1.3million in 2024. 

She has since moved into a new plush pad, as Chloe frequently gives her TikTok followers house tours as well as renovation updates. 

However, Jordana said elements like faux marble tiles ‘immediately make the space feel quite cheap and very new build’.

She continued: ‘High shine finishes like this can work, but here they come across as flat and overly artificial rather than elevated.

‘Everything feels quite basic and trend-driven, without much consideration for longevity or quality. It’s very monochromatic, very one note, and there is little in the way of texture, warmth or personality.’ 

Jordana felt that, overall, the property lacks depth and feels quite generic, which is a missed opportunity.

Verdict: Tacky.

Cate Blanchett 

Cate Blanchett’s Cornish eco-home in a quiet village that’s been dubbed ‘Hollywood-On-Sea’ caused a stir when her plans for redeveloping a traditional cottage first came to light in 2024. 

The 56-year-old Oscar winner has since transformed the £1.6million home she bought in Mawgan Porth – frequented by stars like David Beckham and Kate Winslet – into an ‘eco-home’ worth nearly three times the price. 

Jordana said ‘modern and minimal’ homes like Cate’s will ‘always divide opinion’. 

‘Compared to the surrounding homes, it does stand out quite starkly,’ she continued. ‘However, this is a very architecturally driven home, and it’s clearly been designed to sit within the landscape rather than compete with it.’

According to Jordana, the use of natural materials such as stone, combined with the strong horizontal lines and expansive glazing, give the property ‘a calm and grounded feel’. 

She said: ‘I can understand why some might find it a little harsh or boxy, but from a design perspective, it’s actually very well considered and quite sophisticated.

‘As an Aussie, I really appreciate this style of home. We’re very used to architecturally designed coastal properties that are all about light, landscape and simplicity, and this is giving strong Byron Bay energy. 

‘It feels relaxed, intentional and completely connected to its surroundings, which is exactly the point.’

Verdict: Tasteful, but not for everyone.