BRILLIANT OR BAD TASTE? Director Roland Emmerich's Knightsbridge Townhouse

Known for his blockbuster films, "Independence Day" with Will Smith, "The Patriot" with Mel Gibson and his most recent endeavor "10,000 B.C.", director Roland Emmerich told his interior designer John Teall of Flux Interiors to make his house "as non-frumpy as possible", adding "when the neighbors peek in, they might want to call the police or something." I think he's definitely achieved that look! Love it or hate, the place certainly has no shortage of "conversation pieces".

German born Emmerich was told that his Knightsbridge, London neighborhood had a reputation for being "staid". All that changes when you enter the front door.

The walls of his office are painted with chalkboard paint. The chair was formally used by a military dentist.

The master bedroom mural was inspired by Chinese propaganda posters.

The "English" bedroom include Charles and Diana sitting in the fireplace.

Here, a coffee table features a diorama of the JFK assassination.

The door in the dining room is a replica of one in the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Moscow. It's made of wood with a metal finish.

Artist James Gemmill painted the striking murals throughout the house.

In the library sits an American vs. Arab chess set.

And under the staircase? A statue of Pope John Paul II reading his own obituary.

A birdcage designed to look like the White House sits in the terrace hallway - along with a Rodin-style statue of Arnold Schwarzenegger as "The Thinker".

The guest bedroom features a headboard made from the wing of an airplane.

Roof-top terrace with skylights over the living room includes a chair made in Ghana out of Shell Oil drums.
Photos by Jonathan Player and Gavin Jackson for The New York Times

For more on another artist accused of bad taste....Photographer Tierney Gearon