Justin Timberlake's plans for your home

The rise of the celebrity interior designer.

Lenny Kravitz, the rock star-turned-interior designer who has designed chairs for Philippe Starck and creates rock star interiors for private homes with his creative team, wants to expand his company, Kravitz Design, into a Ralph Lauren-size empire, according to the New York Post.

"The plan is to make it a lifestyle brand ... that's my dream for this company; in the same way you would see Ralph Lauren or Giorgio Armani," he said.

Kravitz Design Inc, which he founded in 2003, focuses on commercial, residential and product design. Now Kravitz wants to include furniture and bedding, even clothing.

He is not alone in the quest for a career in interior design within the music and acting world. Justin Timberlake has just added interior design to his CV, claiming it is "almost like being in the studio, or on a movie". He started his online interior design company, HomeMint.com, a few months ago, co-designing with his celebrity stylist/interior designer friend Estee Stanley. He told Elle Decor "the devil's in the details". Once you have taken your free Home Style Profile on his website, you get "immediate access" to Timberlake and Stanley's "exclusive designs and curated collections" that match your style. "It's like having your very own interior designer," he claims.

Beyonce has included bedroom furnishings in the merchandise empire, House of Dereon, that she runs with her mother, Tina. It includes Diva window panels and valance for US$59.99 ($74).

British stars tackling homes and interiors include the actor Rupert Friend, who trained as a labourer and is doing up his own East London property single-handedly.

Actress Sadie Frost has designed modern kitchens for a new development in London, the Turner Prize-winning Martin Creed has tiled the loos of the London Library and designed the restaurant at London's Sketch, in Work No. 1347. And 80s pop star Belinda Carlisle recently created a homewear range for American retailer Bergdorf Goodman.

Here in New Zealand, we're used to seeing fashion designers dabble in interiors - think Karen Walker with her paint range and her new homeware range for Australian store Myer and Denise L'Estrange-Corbet's collaboration with Dulux. Kate Sylvester joined a host of fashion designers and local rock chick Boh Runga to designer rugs for Designer Rugs and, of course, there's Sharon Finn's chandeliers at her Newton store, Sharondelier.

- THE INDEPENDENT