Since August 2019, much has changed despite it being less than three years ago. Brian Robbins paid Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi $7 million for their 10-acre estate just east of Santa Barbara, near the villages of Montecito and Carpinteria.
Robbins went on to become the CEO of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon, positions he still holds today. COVID-19 arrived, sending demand for semi-rural and (relatively) big ranches like this one soaring. That’s one of the reasons Robbins now wants to sell the spread for .5 million, nearly double what he paid three years ago, though it’s been less than three years since he bought it. Branden and Rayni Williams of the Williams & Williams Estates Group at The Beverly Hills Estates are the listing agents.
As far as the Santa Barbara property itself is concerned, not much has changed in three years. A century-old estate with a three-bedroom ranch house and separate barn, which DeGeneres converted into a “creative work studio” during her ownership, has been fully gated and is fully fenced. As part of the renovations, the former talk show host added modern amenities and trendy design details throughout the home.
In addition to a blacked-out kitchen and a trove of expensive appliances, Robbins has tiled the bathrooms with mod black-and-white patterns and painted the walls and ceilings a crisp white. A full bathroom is also available in the barn.
Despite not doing much construction, Robbins obtained permits for a new 1,200-square-foot guesthouse and a 900-square-foot addition to the existing main house, potentially saving buyers a considerable amount of time and money.
There are acres of rolling lawns, native plants, and wildflowers on the estate’s sprawling, majestic grounds. A swimming pool and an in-ground spa lie behind the house, on a grassy knoll. With stunning views of both the mountains and the Pacific Ocean, ancient oaks add gnarled drama to the already breathtaking scenery.
Robbins and his wife Tracy also own a $16 million mansion in Beverly Hills’ Trousdale Estates neighborhood in addition to the pastoral Santa Barbara estate. Last year, Architectural Digest photographed the house designed by Paul McClean and renovated by Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent.
Despite moving on from this property, DeGeneres and de Rossi still own several homes in Montecito, including a horse ranch from the 1880s and a Moorish-inspired mansion purchased last year for million.
