Reese Witherspoon is letting go of her Tennessee-style Ojai, CA estate for a cool $10 million, reports The Hollywood Reporter in an exclusive interview with listing agent Billy Rose. Pregnant with her third child, Witherspoon is expanding her family, yet unloading a fabulous piece of real estate – one that’s been brilliantly marketed in recent months by the Legally Blonde star.
The home made headlines in March of last year as it was the wedding destination for Witherspoon’s marriage to second husband Jim Toth. If you’ve been keeping up with your Twilight drama, you’ve read rumors that Witherspoon offered the Ojai home to her Water For Elephants co-star Robert Pattinson as an escape from the media during his ex-girlfriend Kristin Stewart’s affair scandal. Pattinson is now left to face Hollywood as he can no longer find future refuge in the Ojai hills. The retreat recently made headlines yet again as Witherspoon stands alongside her home on the cover and in a full length spread of this month’s issue of Elle Décor on newsstands now.
Although we think this marvelous country retreat doesn’t need much media exposure to sell, Witherspoon may be seeking a new buyer in hopes of catching someone’s eye in the same way as it did hers. In 2008, Reese swooped the property from prominent interior designer Kathryn Ireland for $5.8 million after it was featured in House Beautiful. Since then, Witherspoon has renovated the space, clearly adding tremendous value, as she’s selling for about twice as much as she originally paid.
Built in 1923 and hidden away in the Ojai Valley hills, the vacation retreat was originally designed by architect Wallace Neff as a barn, later turned to an actual home in the 1940’s by architect Austen Pierpoint. The Spanish architecture gives the home tons of personality and allows for a true getaway. The rustic, century-old designs comes alive with the stone-lined hallways and wood beamed ceilings. A cool and relaxing ambiance surrounds the space as natural light graces each room and views of the hills can be seen throughout. In the recent issue of Elle Decor, Witherspoon nicknamed the home “Libbey Ranch” and describes it as “meditative and restorative,” like “having a little bit of Tennessee in California.”
With four bedrooms and three and a half bath, the 5,000 square foot main home seems minuscule on the seven-acre property, yet horse stables, three guest cottages, a carriage house and swimming pool take up the remainder of the land – perfect for a large family to relax and escape to a quiet, country vacation.
Billy Rose of The Agency has the listing.
