Photos courtesy of Jim Bartsch for Sotheby’s International Realty
Actor Rob Lowe and his wife, Sheryl, first listed their classic Montecito, California estate for $47 million, later lowering it to $42.5 million. The property is reminiscent of the country estates in Charlottesville, Virginia, where Lowe was born.
Located in a celebrity-studded neighborhood, the buyer will be rubbing elbows with some of the world’s biggest stars, including Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Gwyneth Paltrow and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Montecito is a much-favored retreat away from the work-a-day world of filmdom. Located 80 miles northwest of Los Angeles, between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains in Santa Barbara County, the community boasts spectacular hillside views, nearby whale watching and beautiful weather.
The Lowe estate is classic East Coast style and a standout from the general Mediterranean architecture in the area. Sited on just over 3 acres, the main house was designed by architect Don Nulty, built in 2009, encompassing 10,000 square feet.
Also on the grounds are a two-bedroom guest house, one-bedroom pool house with staff quarters and outdoor kitchen, pool and spa, tennis courts with observation areas, and lushly landscaped lawns large enough for team sports, with mature trees and a vegetable garden. There are two outside fireplaces, terraces and loggias for relaxing or entertaining, and a water serenade from fountains and a koi pond. Formal rose gardens overlook the lawn, and from most any location, one can enjoy sunsets over the Pacific.
Inside the main house, totaling 20 rooms, are large open formal spaces, a huge white and cheerful family kitchen, separate catering kitchen, eight bedrooms, 11 baths, an office, library/music room with bar, family room, various conversation rooms and nooks, a movie theater, well-equipped gym, and expansive wine cellar. There are nine indoor fireplaces throughout the house, with one in the master suite.
Now 56, Lowe has had a busy career in both film and television, and is still lighting up the screens. Starting at age 19, in the 1983 movie hit, “The Outsiders,” and “St. Elmo’s Fire” in 1985, his good looks and evolving acting skills maintained his teenage fans, who have now turned middle age, and are currently binge-watching him on “The West Wing” reruns. More recently, he starred as Dr. Ethan Willis on the medical drama, “Code Black,” and “Super Troopers 2.” His newest venture is his role as Owen Strand on the Fox’s “9-1-1: Lone Star.”
The property was listed by Suzanne Perkins of Sotheby’s International Realty. See more celebrity homes at toptenrealestatedeals.com.
