Step Inside Lil Baby’s Epic Atlanta Oasis
BY ROB LEDONNE, ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST
Original Article Published by Architectural Digest
“Not only does it feel like home, it feels like a great accomplishment for me.” Coming from the rapper Lil Baby, it’s a sentiment that speaks volumes. One of the hip-hop world’s best selling artists, the 29-year-old Grammy winner has plenty of career highlights to his name, from albums with quadruple-platinum status (his sophomore effort, My Turn, was among 2020’s top-selling albums of the year) to major awards. “Even beyond all of that, this home is one of the things where I can see how far I came,” he says, marveling at his new Atlanta-area bachelor pad. “It took a lot to get here.”
Equal parts warm and spacious, stylish yet playful, the abode was the result of a collaborative effort between Lil Baby and the Georgia-based AD PRO Directory designer Annysa LaMantia. “We talked a lot about how the home will be used, and he wanted it to be all about entertainment and hosting,” says LaMantia. A former apprentice to the furniture designer Maurizio Manzoni, LaMantia, who started her namesake firm in 2017, regularly includes her own custom pieces in interior design projects.
A focal point for the house and the rapper’s “most important” room, the kitchen is entirely new. “The idea was to open up the space to create an open-air concept and fill it with people,” says LaMantia. Two highlights of the space include a large white glass bowl from Habachy Designs, as well as a painting, Olokun’s Baptism, by the artist Horace Imhotep, a favorite of Baby, who hired art advisors Onaje Henderson and Massoud Besharat for the project. “I’m into art, but not just any art,” he says. “It’s got to resonate with me.” Art: Horace Imhotep/Zucot Gallery
As part of the property’s extensive renovation, a pool was installed with the rapper’s two kids in mind. For the outdoor areas, LaMantia collaborated with the Baby’s estate manager, Kristen Lawson, on the exteriors. “We wanted to create outdoor spaces that were very clean,” LaMantia explains. “In modern homes in Atlanta, you’ll see this turfing—we ran it up the edge of the pool.” Adds Baby, “With a house like this, we had to have a pool.”
“Atlanta has a tremendous amount of industry, from music and film to sports,” says LaMantia of the city and its influence on her work. The designer previously collaborated with music personalities like Khalid and Bobby Valentino, as well as the Atlanta Hawks star Lou Williams. She has developed a knack for balancing the influences and inspirations of highly creative people with her own distinct process. “Right when we first met, I took him to showrooms around the city to get his opinions and see what he’d respond to,” says LaMantia of her temperature-taking of Baby’s tastes. “From there, I designed 3D renderings around the direction of what could be great for him.”
“I really just let Annysa and the contractors do what they wanted to do,” the rapper admits, referring to Regents Custom Builders, who helped refresh the home space. “They did an incredible job on the subsequent renovation,” says Lamantia of the firm. “They really transformed the home.” Adds Lil Baby, “they all came up with the concept for sure, and then I came in toward the end and gave my finishing touches.”
The result is a dynamic space where guests are encouraged to kick back and relax. “The whole idea is that there are zones for all types of entertaining, from a movie theater where he makes music to a dining room, pool table, and a pool,” says LaMantia, who created a number of custom pieces for the project, including a dining table and couch. “The goal was for guests to think that it’s breathtaking,” Baby says. “That’s really what I wanted from every aspect and around every corner.” And yes, that also includes his 15-foot-wide bed. Another priority for the rapper was the kitchen, a frequent gathering place for family and friends. “One of the main things for me were these two islands,” he explains, alluding to the room’s custom pieces. “That particular space was very important.”
After years of work, the home now buzzes with the activity the rapper always dreamed of. “It’s really amazing,” he says of the project, admitting it was a complicated process. “I don’t want to say it was stressful, but it took a lot of work.” As it turns out, serious effort followed by major pay-offs is a concept the rapper is quite familiar with.
