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When Gianni Versace was gunned down on the steps of his Miami home in 1997, the incident stunned the whole world. At the time of the murder, many were saying that the fashion icon had reached the pinnacle of his career and was at the height of creative powers.

Versace left behind an incredible mansion, the Casa Casuarina, which had been a rundown apartment building, originally. For some reason which perhaps Versace himself and no one else might ever know, the abode enraptured the designer. He bought it. The next year, he bought the neighbouring hotel so he could knock it down to create space for a garden, swimming pool and the south wing of his luxurious house.

Today, the Casa Casuarina is a hotel. Admirably, however, the new owners of the property have retained many of the touches that made this Versace’s home. This article looks at what the late designer’s home revealed about him to the world and what your home and furniture might be saying about you.

Living the brand

An article on Biography reveals that Versace truly lived his brand — which was one of luxury and there were constant flashes of the brand throughout his home. For instance, a sitting room, which he had allocated to his brother — Versace designated rooms for members of his family who were visiting — had velvet-upholstered furniture. Not just any kind of velvet, though; but Versace velvet.

The design of the swimming pool was also no coincidence. A scarf in the ‘Marine Vanuras’ collection inspired the design. On the bottom of the pool, you’ll see a Medusa, the main feature of the brand’s prominent logo, which also featured in other parts of the property. The presence of the Medusa displayed not only Versace’s passion for his own brand, but also for Greek and Roman mythology in general.

Luxury with the feel of home

For all the luxury of Versace’s mansion, he didn’t wish to sacrifice its essence of still being home. Versace wasn’t interested in using his home to make more money. The renovations he conducted were to live in his home. He had seven closets, which reflected a designer’s natural need for space; a large double king bed that had customised bed sheets; and a large shower. The house also had a secret passageway which led to more communal areas.

The mansion was one of the only privately owned properties on Ocean Drive, so Versace took a lot of inspiration from his home. The surroundings made him feel calm and serene. Yet despite the private nature of the ownership, Versace opened his home up to his family and some of the biggest names in showbiz. Cher, Madonna and Elton John were all guests at the mansion (and they all had their favourite rooms there — Madonna preferred the room that had a bathtub but no shower).

What does your furniture say about you?

Versace’s home and furnishings revealed a lot about him. What do yours say about you? Ask yourself some of the questions below and find out what visitors may be inferring from them. Don’t be too paranoid, though. Guests aren’t psychologists.

How big is your bathroom?

According to some researchers, if you spend a long time in the shower or the bath, you may be lonely. They believe all that extra time under the warm water could be a substitute for emotional warmth. Does it hold true? Not necessarily. Versace may have had a large shower, but he spent a lot time with friends and family, too.

What colour are you walls?

Are you someone who needs to chill out a bit more or are your laidback? Visitors will see this when they check out the colour of your or your walls. Apparently, red suggests someone who will freely voice their opinion and may also experience conflicting emotions, whereas blue projects calm, strength and intellect. Anyone who walks into a room painted yellow is thought to be in the company of someone who is warm and welcoming — yellow is the colour of hope. Green, meanwhile, is a sign of someone who has  a stable influence on the people around them. Are the walls painted purple? Your visitor may well expect you to be innovative or creative in some way.

Are you a millennial?

Take a quick look around your home and see how many photographs there of yourself. Do you have lots of photos dotted all over the home? It’s a sure sign to some that you’re probably under 35. The older generations would consider it unsophisticated — not to mention feel slightly awkward —to have lots of photos of themselves around the place. Not the millennial generation — this is the selfie age!

How tidy is your sock drawer?

Yes, this is serious. This is genuinely shocking, but people who are orderly and detailed in their lives seem to have messier sock drawers than other mere mortals. The theory behind this is that they’re ordering more important parts of their lives. Not so shocking now then. Is there a part of your life you should address?

Do you make your bed?

A survey of 68,000 people found that people who make their beds in the morning are more likely to enjoy their jobs. There was also a strong likelihood that they took regular exercise as well. Psychologists think that this might be because happy people aspire to a more orderly life. Not making your bed is a sign of someone who might think their job and exercise are both pointless. That’s for you to decide, though.

Do you vote Left or Right?

You don’t have to stick a banner in your window or wear a badge or T-shirt to display your political allegiance. In fact, you may not even realise you’re doing it when someone steps into your home, but just how tidy is your home?

If it’s neat and tidy and brightly lit, or you have lots of sports paraphernalia or cleaning supplies, you may well be displaying the signs of a more Right-leaning voter, whereas if you lean more to the Left, your home is likely to be a bit more cluttered and feature a variety of books, maps, music and colours. Psychologists believe that voters for the political Right show more more conventional tastes in their décor; voters for the Left, however, may opt for a more liberal way furnishing their homes.

More than 20 years have passed since that dreadful day Versace’s life was ended. His home said so much about him. The mansion reflected his pride in his brand and his need to not just have a nice home, but to be able to live comfortably in his home, too. When we tidy our homes or choose to leave them untidy, paint them one colour or another or furnish them in a certain way, we may be sending out messages about our own wants and needs — whether it’s a need for company or a need to make changes in our lives, or whether it’s a desire for one party to be in government or another — and what people can expect when they’re around us.

Why not look around your home now and see what it says about you? And if it’s telling you that something has to change in your life, make it happen.