MTV CRIBS hosted by Kimora Lee Simmons
Kimora arrived right on time with her entourage and film crew – hair, make-up, sound checks, lighting crews and briefings on specific talking points.
I had pictured something simple and more informal, but they were very professional and seemed like a CSI team investigating our home, lifestyle and us … soup to nuts. The entire house was being inspected, dissected and scrutinized. Kimora was very thorough wanting to know the reasoning, function and inspiration for the layout of each room and each section of our home. She seemed surprised by how simple the furnishings were, yet really impressed by the functionally of each room. We actually built four buildings linked together, each with its own purpose and function. Each room was designed to meet a specific requirement of a Wellness Community … an adult playground and learning center!
After a final walk thought with Kimora to get a sense of the flow of our home and allow the camera crew to check for specific shots and lighting. Kimora, Lori and I began touring each segment of our home, discussing in depth it’s layout, functionality and inspiration.
We started the interview at our dining room table. Kimora wasted no time … smiled at me and asked, why the name … “Jimmie & Lori’s Magic kingdom” and the slogan … “Come and enjoy all the rides at Jimmie & Lori’s Magic Kingdom.” I laughed … we are very passionate about our lives and our home is much like an amusement park … a Great Adventure, no pun intended … to those who are passionate about the same things that we are passionate about. Each aspect of our home allows an experience and we liken it to an amusement with many distinct rides and you chose the ones to your liking and allow the inner child in you to run wild to learn and play at a thousand smiles/per hour. You leave the world outside behind and bask in many things that will make your life more fulfilling.
We settled in the dining room at our wonderful circular dining room table with a built-in turn table (orange part).
Kimora leaned forward laughing and asked, so what’s with this big round table. I smiled and said … “The Knights of the round table.” It seats 12- 13 people around the outside and an additional 4-5 on the inside. The center portion of the table slides around like a big turn table, allowing everyone access to the food/condiments placed on it! There is an opening toward the kitchen which allows you to put food onto the turn table. Everyone is equal, everyone is visible and can easily be heard by everyone else. Over head adjustable recessed lighting with a spot on the table in front of each chair, allows the mood to be set to fit the occasion.
It functions as a meal table, learning center, or a meeting table. I love the comfortable chairs she said with a smile!
Toward the front of the house is a living room area. It has beautiful black leather electric recliners with push button adjustable head rests. The recliner couches & love seat are arranged in a U shape. An additional row of seats are behind the bottom of the U shape layout. This row is elevated on a platform 18 inches to give everyone in the second row ample visibility at a large 80 inch television with Bose surround sound speakers, used for presentations, movies, or sporting events!
This entire area is set up to be a home theater and seats 16 comfortably! It is complete with computer and interactive remote webinar broadcasting capabilities .
The dining room table extends half way into the kitchen. We have a his & her side-by-side L shaped kitchens, with duel industrial appliances that include stoves, convection ovens, multiple microwaves, side by side refrigerators, dishwashers, double sinks and a massive amount of counter space with several electric plugs for the many appliances that are along the counter. The sides are separated by double sliding glass doors to access the enclosed patio.
This entire section of the building has polished, glazed cement floors with radiant heat. It feels so wonderful walking around in just your socks!
Kimora nodded approvingly, understanding that this is where the learning , relaxing and socializing takes place. This is where community is forged. This is a comfortable gathering spot for people who enjoy people with common mindsets.
The entrance is duel sets of double doors to the rear of the home theater with a mud room between with plenty of space to handle coats and leave shoes, umbrellas, etc. The outside wall is solid allowing privacy and the inner doors are glass allowing a view of people on their way in!
Each wall in our home has its own rich tone … deep red, dark blue, rich golds and browns, and dark & light greens, dark oranges & grays. Color is used to create a feeling of both comfort and safety. It pleases me when, without me telling her, Kimora acknowledges that the palate of wall colors is inspired by the work of Mexican artist Frita Kahlo de Rivera.
The artwork on the walls is understated as not to draw attention, but once noticed is very interesting with each piece having a story! Each photo, illustration, painting, sculpture, trophy has a small light that softly illuminates it. The light has a 3′ proximity switch that illuminates only if someone approaches it!
We are up now and moving into the master suite. We enter thought a hallway and pass doorways on the right & left. Upon entering the master bed room, we see only a large canopy bed in the middle of the room. It is square, metal with sheer white curtains on all 4 sides. The only other furniture are two small nightstands at the head on each side of the bed! The adjustable tray ceiling lighting serves as an alarm clock that gets brighter and brighter across 15 minutes. The windows are floor to ceiling and have electric blackout shutters that work the same as the alarm clock. The walls are off-white and the floors are rich dark blue luxury carpet. The ceiling of the canopy bed is mirror. These walls are bare and the feeling of the room is minimalistic. Walking back out through the hallway the door on the left reveals a spacious walk in closet with his & her built-in drawers, shoe storage, and shelves. The other side of the hallway is a washer, dryer, cloths lines and folding table.
There is a doorway leading to the master bath. Inside it is a his/her bathroom. At either end is smaller closed off areas with toilet & sink with a wall to wall counter (Lori’s toilet area & Jimmies toilet area). In the middle is a large double headed shower stall(two could shower at the same time) and next to it a large bright red claw foot bath tub.
Kimora felt the vibe of the bedroom. It was as if relaxing she could feel the pheromones released into the room! Soothing, tranquil and stimulus free. She laid back onto the bed getting lost, admiring herself for a split second before sitting up and saying … this is nice!
The three of us nodded, understanding the need for a place with no stress that is all about relaxation in the middle of a place full of such physical and mental stimulation.
We walked back around to our offices. This is the business center. This is where the magic happens. Both Lori and my offices are busy rooms with charts, graphs, and notes on the walls. Both have a mountain view that made phone conversation feel comfortable. On point, alert, but comfortable confident and fully aware of what we are building and why we are building it!
Our phone system allows free movement through the entire house, but my office is my epicenter with a 3 monitor computer system.
We moved into the gym. This was a place where warriors assemble.
Written in super graphics on a wall with 12′ ceiling is:
In this room … We are warriors
We come into town & people tremble in fear …
All you villagers run back to your huts and hide …
Cause the warriors are here!
We will Let them know … Baby … We lift weights …
In case you didn’t hear me … We lift weights that’s what we do!
In here, we don’t flip hamburgers and we don’t cut hair!
We leave our crap at the door and we don’t manage life!
We are weight lifters …That’s what we do …We lift weights BABY!
We are warriors … We are beasts!
We work so hard, others stay away … Hide & Tremble in fear!
We Destroy weights … I tear stuff up!
Others want to do this … But they can’t!
We just say Feeeed me
May I have some more …
Come on … we show folks what we do!
We live for this stuff!
The warrior is here … Tremble in Fear!
Could I have some more pain
Could I have some more torture
IT DON’T MATTER … THE WARRIOR IS HERE!
Cause WE know … it’s gonna make us grow
It’s gonna make us stronger … both our bodies & my minds …
Feed me … Give me more
We have no choice but to do this …
I’m here by Desire, Passion, & Will
The race ain’t over … til it’s done
If you wrestle a gorilla
You don’t stop when you are tired
You stop when the gorilla is tired!
You stop when it’s finished!
When everybody can’t take no more!
Sir may I have another
May I have more …
Feeeed Me … Make me grow!
If folks want to know our secret …
It’s simple … It’s hard work!
No special magic … No special tricks … No trick photography or special effects!
We dream about this stuff!
We have No choice but to keep going
The warrior within … won’t let us stop
Can’t stop … the race ain’t over
We are just gettin started…
On a side wall is written in large letters …
Come all Yee faithful, who desire positive change and Enjoy all the Rides
at Jimmie & Lori’s Magic Kingdom.
The gym is a large rectangular space with metal and iron equipment. One section has a gymnastic flavor … parallel bars, rings, pull up & dip stations .
At the other end was a standard gym with power cages, incline leg press, incline Hack machine, smith machine and leg extension and flat leg curl. Also dumbbell rack with flat, incline & decline benches. A pec deck, lat pulldown.
Specialty devices such as cambers safety squat bar, 7′ EZ curl bars, std EZ curl bars, fixed straight bar racks, fixed EZ curl racks, etc.
Arc trainers, stationary bikes, and tread mills complete the gym.
Adjacent the gym is a small locker room, an amazing photo studio with built in seemless wall & Studio lights.
A special room is our cycling room for 6,
with bike storage area and Jimmie’s work shop.
Attached to the gym is a “strip” motel with 4 rooms, a common area and kitchenette. This will house guests couples staying with us for extended training sessions who desire either physical, nutritional and/or mental transformation training.
We now turned walking through glass sliding doors and went onto the patio space that is hidden away in our center court yard. It is a patio area with built in barbeque, hot tube, and lounge area … 1/2 covered and 1/2 open air. It has lounge chairs, music piped in and picnic style tables to enjoy meals.
It was not long before Lori, Kimora and I ventured back to the dining room table.
It’s all about my greatest personal pivotal needs of True Health and Recognition for Creative Expression. Surrounding yourself with people who desire to manifest the same lifestyle choices you do! Joining hands with those going the same direction for the betterment of the entire group. It’s all about T.E.A.M. (Together Everyone Accomplishes More)!
At this point Kimora stood up and extended her hand and stated … I got what I need … This was a wonderful experience. We exchange pleasantry’s as the crew packed up and they were on their way!