Daytime talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, known for her love of renovating and selling homes, has put her latest offering in Montecito, California, on the market for $45 million.
DeGeneres and wife Portia de Rossi bought the property in 2013 for $26.5 million and spent the better part of four years restoring and updating what has been their weekend retreat. The couple are selling because they don’t spend as much time at the property as they used to, according to listing agent Suzanne Perkins of Sotheby’s International Realty.
Set among towering eucalyptus trees, the hilltop estate centers on an Italian villa-style home reached by a winding driveway. A cobblestone motor court, statuary and creeping vines contribute to the sleepy, romantic ambience of the stone-walled house, which was designed by Wallace Frost and built in the 1930s.
Beyond the decorative iron front door, living spaces boast exposed beams, broad wood floors, built-ins and nine fireplaces. The home’s solid stone walls are softened by DeGeneres’ collection of modern artwork. Contemporary fixtures, such as a wiry chandelier in the entry, provide a subtle contrast to the Old World interior.
The 10,500 square feet of living space includes a media room, a grand living room, a formal dining room, six bedrooms and six bathrooms. A lofted office/creative space is accessed by a secret door in the chef’s kitchen. An art studio used by De Rossi sits below the lofted space and has a kitchenette.
The grounds — often frequented by bobcats, owls and other native fauna — include an agave garden that overlooks a second-century column, lawns and Roman-style plunge pool. In another area, brass ornaments are suspended from olive trees, adding decoration and whimsy above an alfresco dining area.
An indoor-outdoor pool house was built using stone excavated from the property and has a sunroom, a wet bar, an outdoor kitchen and a lap pool. Called Jordan Hall, the secondary structure was designed after a pavilion DeGeneres and De Rossi had hoped to build on their former Thousand Oaks property.
Cutting ties in Santa Monica: Veteran actress and producer Meredith Baxter has sold her longtime home in Santa Monica for $4.589 million.
Set among trees on about a third of an acre, the leafy property includes a rustic contemporary-inspired home and a guesthouse, for a total of five bedrooms and four bathrooms in about 4,500 square feet.
The main house, with a wood-paneled exterior and interior, was built in 1972 and features vaulted ceilings, walls of irregular windows and brick fireplaces in the living room, eat-in kitchen and master bedroom. The upstairs art studio opens to tree-topped decking and patio space. Outside, a wood-plank pathway leads to the swimming pool. Various sitting areas, lawns and mature landscaping fill the canyon setting.
The property came to market last year for $6 million and was listed at $4.995 million at the time of the sale, records show.
Baxter, 69, gained fame in the ’70s and ’80s for her roles on the TV shows “Family” and “Family Ties.” More recently she appeared on the series “Finding Carter,” “The Young and the Restless” and “Code Black.”
He’s prepared to knock out a sale: Former UFC-fighter-turned-analyst Kenny Florian and his wife, actress-model Clark Gilmer, have put their home in Hollywood Hills West on the market for $3.1 million.
The English Country-style residence, built in 1923, was once home to silent-film star Claire Windsor. More recently the property was owned by Jet drummer and vocalist Chris Cester, who sold it to Florian and Gilmer two years ago for $2.75 million.
Remodeled by Cester during his ownership, the 4,028-square-foot house mixes period details with a range of contemporary updates. Of note are the white-painted barrel vault ceilings in the great room, eye-catching wallpaper in the dining room and an updated cook’s kitchen. There are master suites on the first and second floors, including one with a custom closet and a bonus office/loft space reached by a spiral staircase. In all, there are four bedrooms and four bathrooms.
Brick terraces extend the living space outdoors and overlook a swimming pool with a cascading waterfall feature. A built-in barbecue, hedges and formal landscaping fill out grounds of about a third of an acre.
Florian, 40, retired from competitive fighting in 2012. A former contestant on “The Ultimate Fighter,” he currently co-hosts Fox Sports 1’s “UFC Tonight” and is an analyst for “UFC Fight Night.”
Gilmer, 28, was a contestant on the 11th season of “America’s Next Top Model.” Her acting credits include “How I Met Your Mother.”
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