With its clean etched concrete lines, acres of glass, and industrial-luxe interiors it is about as far from a traditional chocolate box Cotswolds farmhouse as it is possible to imagine.
Yet this is the country house that chat show host Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, the actress Portia de Rossi, chose for their very modern interpretation of The Good Life.
The couple are understood to have relocated to the Cotswolds in 2023 and their full time move from the US to the UK was revealed last year when they put their home in Montecito, California, up for sale after deciding they could not remain in Donald Trump’s America.
Although they have released the odd candid selfie of themselves at the house, this is the first time its true scale can be appreciated.
The single storey house was built for a developer specialising in restoring industrial buildings and was described by its architects as an attempt to “redefine rural modern living”. It replaces a ramshackle old farmyard sold in 2018 for less than £2 million. It is not known how much the TV star paid for the house — reports range anywhere from £15m to £20m.
The circa 11,000 sq ft courtyard house is built around a central Japanese-inspired gravel garden.
The property is clad in local ironstone, and features a double height living room with floor to ceiling windows framing idyllic countryside views, and furnished with little more than a stone coffee table and leather sofas.
The ultra-neutral kitchen has concrete walls and polished concrete floors, exposed beams, and a mid-century inspired dining table which would comfortably seat 10.
Its five bedrooms also come with huge picture windows, and one features a freestanding timber bathtub placed at the foot of the bed. Luckily the house is set in 100 acres of grounds, to ensure privacy — and also provides plenty of space for the couple to keep the small flock of sheep and chickens they have acquired in considerable luxury.
Beyond the house itself, more than 1,000 new trees were planted as part of the project, including fruit trees in a new orchard. Its two lakes were dredged, and a wildflower meadow planted to encourage wildlife and insects. Water is supplied to the low-energy house by an underground spring.
The award-winning house is in the same area as the Beckhams' and Simon Cowell's homes, while Soho House and Jeremy Clarkson's pub, the Farmer's Dog are within easy reach.
Buying agent Harry Gladwin, head of The Cotswolds at The Buying Solution, said he has seen a steady stream of American buyers heading to the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in search of an authentic English country lifestyle with plenty of mod cons on the doorstep. In recent months many have decided to move across the Atlantic to escape the volatile political landscape at home.
“It is beautiful, the schools are amazing, and there are a few more push factors for Americans at the moment,” said Gladwin. “They also now recognise the Cotswolds as a brand that they find really attractive, even though a lot of them don’t really know the area.”
Some buyers are looking for a weekend bolthole but those who intend to base themselves full-time in the country are usually looking for a traditional period stone built house within walking distance of a village, said Gladwin. “They love the idea of being able to walk to a traditional pub, where they can meet people and be part of the community,” he said.
Clearly the DeGeneres Rossi home has more of a Los Angeles vibe than the classic Cotswold’s home but Gladwin is unsurprised it found a buyer at what he described as a record price for the area. “It reflects the huge range of different tastes we have here now,” he said.
