Drive north from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, and you’ll find yourself in the glitzy coastal enclaves of Montecito or Santa Barbara.
But veer slightly inland, and instead you’ll hit Ojai, an enclave of artists nestled in the foothills of a towering mountain range. In recent years, the otherwise peaceful escape has become a hotspot for celebrities and second-home buyers.
Now, a newly built compound is on the market here, and real estate agents say it’s the prime spot for entertaining or creating a retreat from the city.
The six-bedroom, eight-bathroom house at 1225 Shippee Lane hit the market in March with a nearly $18 million price tag, according to a listing on Homes.com. As of April 16, it was the most expensive listing in Ojai on the site.
Adam Rosenfeld and Jon Grauman of The Grauman Rosenfeld Group, as well as Conrad Adamczak of The Beverly Hills Estates and Max Hutchison of Plus Real Estate Group, have the listing.
More than its size — five separate buildings spanning about 14,000 square feet of living space — the property’s location is special, according to Grauman.
“You don’t have anything like this,” he said in an interview, explaining that most of the houses in the area are farmhouses or Spanish revivals. This property, however, is more of a “warm, transitional contemporary farmhouse.”
“It’s got a really nice blend of natural materials and earth tones that are very sort of organic and in keeping with the environment,” according to Grauman, who noted that the property is still "architectural and more forward thinking in its design."
The sellers bought and rebuilt the property for themselves, Grauman said. They didn’t get enough use out of it, though, so they’ve opted to sell it.
Property is secluded, but '90 minutes from LA'
Grauman described Ojai as a “really special little pocket that’s kind of tucked away.” The property at Shippee Lane gets the best that pocket has to offer.
“The setting in and of itself is pretty spectacular because when you’re standing at the property, you’re looking around and you’re in this valley … with again, these majestic, towering mountains and nothing but just like greenery as far as the eye can see,” he said.
But that location doesn’t compromise accessibility to bigger hubs, including Los Angeles.
“If you have business in L.A., if you have regular dealings in L.A., you can be there within 90 minutes,” Grauman said. “It’s easy enough for people to commute once or twice a week as needed, but it also makes you feel completely tucked away and removed from it when you’re there.”
That’s partly why the area has attracted so many homeowners, including celebrities, in the past five or so years. Grauman said big names including Anne Hathaway, Tyler the Creator and Charlize Theron frequent the area. Other celebrity owners have included Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen, Reese Witherspoon, John Krasinski and Emily Blunt, Rashida Jones and Ellen DeGeneres, according to media reports.
It’s likely someone from that background who will find use for the Shippee property, according to Grauman, who pointed to the home’s compound-like size as ideal for a high-profile entertainer.
“It’s probably not anyone’s primary home,” he said. “I really see it kind of being a retreat for … maybe a large entertainment executive or celebrity that wants a place that feels very secluded, very private.”