Kyle Richards converts home gym into dressing room

Kyle Richards feels less guilty when she thinks of her new space as a “dressing room” instead of a “closet.”

To create it, the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” reality star took over the area that was a gym and moved the gym to a guest room. Richards then enlisted interior decorator Faye Resnick to design the dressing room in her Bel-Air home, outfitting it in shades of white and silver-gray.

She takes the term “dressing room” to heart, using it primarily to store her formal attire. Spotlighted shelves hold a series of artfully arranged shoes and bags that are displayed as they might be at Barneys. But it is also a retreat of sorts for the mother of four, who is married to high-profile Realtor Mauricio Umansky.

Why is this your favorite room?

It’s my happy place. I come in here with my laptop, or for some quiet time. My 8-year-old daughter has sleepovers here with her friends. They do their makeup and watch TV. It’s a little girl’s paradise.

Why and when did you decide to have a dressing room?

I finished it six months ago. When we first built it, I didn’t know if I would ever use it. Then we started shooting “Celebrity Apprentice,” and I had 4:30 a.m. call times. I didn’t want to wake my family, so I would ask my hair and makeup people to meet me in here.

What were you going for, design-wise?

Feminine, glamorous, a little dramatic. The most difficult thing was finding the dressing-table bench. I wanted one with Lucite legs, and it took forever. I finally found one at Bedfellows. And I got two chairs at Gilt.

It sounds like you’re a bit of a bargain hunter.

If I find something I love, I think I can get it for a better price. It’s like a game for me. I love flea markets, like the one at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. If I see something somewhere for $3,000, I know I will find it for less somewhere else.

Did Mauricio contribute anything to this room?

We were at Bergdorf Goodman in New York, and my husband saw a Prada bag that was the same color as this [dusky pink] cushion. It’s not even my color, but he said, “That would look pretty in your closet.” Even now, I look at some of my shoes and don’t think I’d wear them again — but they do look pretty on the shelf.

hotproperty@latimes.com