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Melissa Gorga She recently opened the doors to her Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, mansion and invited fans to join her Joe GorgaNewly built house.
A few years after purchasing the house and beginning a complete renovation of the property, the 45-year-old Real Housewives of New Jersey The star showed off several rooms in her home, including the kitchen, living room, master bedroom and two-tiered closets.
“I designed this house with my husband, Joe,” Melissa revealed during the June 24 episode. NBC Open House She welcomed the camera into her home.
A large paved driveway marks the entrance to the Gorga home.
Melissa describes the foyer as we step inside: “I wanted it to be really bright, white, airy, with lots of windows. I also created this lovely glass space to open up the room. My office is actually on the other side.”
“For the floors, I wanted really shiny marble, but with a bit of wood in between so it didn't look too farmhouse-like,” she continues.
Melissa aimed for an open concept when designing the entryway.
Moving into the dining room and bar area, Melissa says placement was key.
“We wanted it to be very close to the front of the house so we can pour drinks as soon as guests come in. The Gogas love to entertain and have lots of friends over,” she reveals.
“I kept this room a little darker. I wanted it to have a sexy, lounge-like feel,” she added.
The dark walls are punctuated by stunning white countertops that surround the wet bar.
Melissa put a lot of thought into the kitchen as well.
“This is exactly the dream kitchen I've always wanted. It has a double island. I wanted a breakfast nook, which was one of the things I said I had to have when building a new house,” she elaborates. “We did built-in cupboards and also carved grooves into the bottoms of many of the cabinets.”
The kitchen features stainless steel appliances and a “huge wine refrigerator.”
Just off the kitchen is a large porch, providing Melissa and Joe with a great indoor-outdoor space.
“We wanted to create a large outdoor porch connected to the kitchen, so we installed large sliding doors that open completely – a wonderful feature of the home,” Melissa enthuses.
A large back porch leads out to the backyard.
There are also family rooms nearby.
“This is where the family gathers to watch TV,” Melissa reveals. “We wanted it to be chic, yet cozy and warm. We wanted the ceilings in the family room to be lower to create a cozy feel.”
Melissa installed “funky” chandeliers and built-ins on either side of the living room fireplace.
Melissa's favorite room in the house is her glamour room.
“It was important to me to have a glamorous room, and of course I do a lot of hair and makeup,” she explains. “It's actually my favorite room in the house. The tile in here is so fun. It has little mirrors cut out, and it's white, and it reflects everything so well.”
Melissa says her glamorous room is the perfect backdrop for “glamour shots.”
Outside, Melissa aimed for a resort-like feel.
“I wanted cabanas, I wanted lots of lounge chairs, and I built in lots of fire pits to sit around. And my favorite thing is hearing the waterfall,” she says.
Melissa described her backyard as peaceful and quiet.
The home's downstairs also features some fun amenities.
“This is where the kids hang out. They hang out here a little bit. Joe and I train here, my sons…we all train in the gym,” Melissa says.
Melissa and Joe's basement features a sitting area, a games space, and vintage furniture. Ron “Family is a force of nature,” read the poster.
“That's true,” Melissa laughed, seemingly indicating her ongoing estrangement from her sister-in-law. Teresa Giudice52.
A foosball table is set up for Melissa, Joe and their three children.
“The poker room is Joe's favorite room,” Melissa continued, revealing that there's also a large bar and podcast room downstairs.
Joe's Poker Room features built-in shelving.
Once on the second floor, Melissa showed off her Hollywood Regency-themed bedroom, saying she was proud of its “hotel feel.”
“The lighting in here has a very vintage Hollywood feel, and we also added glass between the rooms to make the space look bigger,” she explains.
Melissa and Joe's beds are festooned with gorgeous lights on either side.
Another one of Melissa's favorite places in the house is the closet.
“This closet has two floors. On the second floor I keep a lot of things that I don't use often. I'm a boutique owner, so clothes are my forte,” she says.
The center island in Melissa's closet features a faux crocodile countertop.
To watch the full tour, check out the clip below.
Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 14 airs Sundays at 8pm/7pm ET/PT on Bravo.
