Behind the Build: Paris Hilton’s Luxury Cubby Houses

Running a family business means your days can take you absolutely anywhere — from the Gold Coast to the backyard of one of the most recognisable families in the world. Even in Beverly Hills, surrounded by palm trees and perfect lawns, we are still just us: paint on our shirts, bickering about measurements, and creating magic one cubby house at a time.

Last year we built a luxury cubby house for Paris Hilton and Carter Reum. We poured our hearts into it, hoping their kids would love it — and they truly did. Carter sent us photos for months of Phoenix and London playing in it, dragging toys inside, and spending entire days in their little hideaway. It became the centre of their backyard.

So when August rolled around and my phone lit up with Carter's name, I had a feeling. They had purchased the house behind them and wanted another custom cubby house for the kids.

The Prep
Luxury Playhouse Design, Wallpaper & the Perfect Pink

Paris gives us full creative control — and when pink is on the table, we take it seriously. But choosing the right shade in the USA is harder than it sounds. Australia has Dulux. America does not. Matching a soft Australian pink with US paint formulas is an extreme sport. One minute it looks perfect, the next it's glowing like a neon flamingo.

We spent days colour matching, swatching, testing light, comparing photos and running what became a mini design lab to find the right Hilton pink.

At the same time, we worked closely with Little Abodes Interiors in Melbourne — the wallpaper and acrylic wall art experts. We created custom wallpaper together, revising, refining, messaging back and forth until every detail felt magical.

I spent weeks drawing tiny clouds, characters and stars — Mum even told me to “touch grass” at one point because I stared at a cartoon cloud for so long I lost all sense of reality.

Once wallpaper, acrylic décor and the perfect pink were locked in, Dad flew to LA early to start painting the cubby house build. The rest of us followed shortly after.

Landing in LA
Dodgers, Margaritas & Pre-Build Tradition

We landed in LA at 5pm, exhausted but buzzing. Straight to our favourite Mexican restaurant — nothing says “welcome to LA” like tacos, margaritas and the Dodgers playing on TV. As a baseball fan, I was in heaven.

The next morning was spent wandering Westfield Century City, the most beautiful indoor–outdoor shopping centre imaginable. Popmart, friends from home, and one final calm moment before build chaos.

Build Day 1
Lemon Tree Diplomacy, Home Depot Trips & Family Chaos

Day 1 is all groundwork: levelling, planning, drilling, sunscreening. And let it be known — the number of Home Depot trips we make is embarrassing. Someone always mis-measures something. Someone always insists they didn’t.

Arriving at Paris and Carter’s home feels like visiting family. Warm, welcoming, familiar.

After the final hardware run, we ended the night with more Mexican food and $10 margarita jugs. No regrets.

Build Day 2
Structure, Touch-Ups & Carter Trying to Get Us in the Pool

Day 2 is when everything looks like a cubby house: walls up, pergola forming, paint touch-ups everywhere. Dad found three things he wanted to adjust. My brother muttered. Mum rolled her eyes. This is the soundscape of every family build.

Carter checked in constantly, teasing us about turning the waterslide on. The boys swam in Paris’s pool. I absolutely did not bring my swimmers for that situation.

This build was huge — two custom luxury cubbies separated by a pergola, basically a Hilton kids’ village. We even experimented with glitter paint. Five weeks later, I was still finding glitter in my hair.

Dinner was Panda Express eaten in bed with zero shame.

Build Day 3
Styling the Hilton Cubbies

Day 3 is the magic day: decorating, styling, transforming the space. We visited what felt like every Target in LA — not for major items, but for those finishing touches that make a cubby feel like a world.

Back onsite, we styled everything: wallpaper up, rugs down, kitchens installed, wall art placed. Watching a cubby turn from structure to story is the moment everything becomes worth it.

Carter came out first and was thrilled. Paris was asleep after working all night — Carter woke her anyway. She came out glowing, sleepy, hugging each of us properly — warm, real, genuine.

The Big Reveal
Phoenix and London See Their New Playhouse

These are the moments we build for. This is why we fly across the world covered in paint, argue over measurements, and haul rugs through airports — to create backyard play spaces that kids never want to leave.

The Final Dash
Aussie Essentials & Another Hilton Job

We packed up glitter-covered and exhausted — but genuinely happy. This trip was extra special because my five-year-old nephew Henry came with us. He spent time with Phoenix and London in the garden, soaking up every moment.

Then came the inevitable US shopping list: gummy bears, coffee, Halloween candy, freeze-dried fruit, shampoo, conditioner — the classics.