g“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.
“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.”