Ellen DeGeneres buys Beverly Hills fixer-upper for $8.5M

Ellen DeGeneres buys Beverly Hills fixer-upper for $8.5M

Ellen DeGeneres dropped $8.5 million on a Beverly Hills midcentury modern home on Friday, The Post has learned.

The embattled talk show host has about $70 million in homes — paid for with about $70 million in profits made as she and her wife, Portia de Rossi, bought and sold $450 million in homes over the last 17 years, The Post exclusively tallied this spring.

Ellen’s new property in the Hidden Valley Estates spans 4,614 square feet with five bedrooms and 4½ bathrooms, records show.

The house was built in 1961 by famed architect Robert Skinner and has been completely restored by architect John Bertram with designer Sarah Shetter, according to Realtor.com.

The home often mistakenly called the “Rowan estate” was originally commissioned by banker David H. Rowen (with an “E”) and his wife Shirley, permit records and archived city directories show.

Her new mid-century modern property in the Hidden Valley Estates spans 4,614 square feet with five bedrooms and 4½ bathrooms, records show.
Her new midcentury modern property in the Hidden Valley Estates spans 4,614 square feet with five bedrooms and 4½ bathrooms, records show.

The pool is pictured from another angle.
The property has an in-ground pool.

The pool is pictured from another angle.
The pool is shown from another angle.

Floor-to-ceiling windows are a staple of mid-century-modern homes.
Floor-to-ceiling windows are a staple of midcentury modern homes.

The home has been updated while maintaining the vintage look with wood finishes.
The home has been updated while maintaining the vintage look with wood finishes.

A trendy, upside-down, pyramid-like light fixture finishes the trendy look in the living room.
A trendy, upside-down, pyramid-like light fixture finishes the trendy look in the living room.

The dining room is pictured off the living room.
The dining room is located off of the living room.
Realtor.com

Architect Bruce D. Becket purchased the home in 1967 and owned it until 2012, when talent agent Gregory Cavic and his wife Jessica — whose parents founded Soap Opera Digest — purchased the home for $3.5 million, according to Los Angeles County records.

Today, the open floor plan abode with glass walls has Douglas fir cabinets, terrazzo flooring, Calacatta Gold and salt marble countertops, redwood tongue-and-groove siding, new fixtures and a chef’s kitchen, according to the listing.

A skylight is pictured.
A skylight lets in substantial sun.
Realtor.com
This living room connects to the kitchen.
This living room connects to the kitchen.

This living room has built-in bookshelves.
This living room has built-in bookshelves.

The long kitchen has wood cabinets and a casual dining area.
The long kitchen has wood cabinets and a casual dining area.

The kitchen is visible from another angle.
The kitchen is visible from another angle.

The 0.42-acre lot has a courtyard entry, a pool, greenery, trees and gardens designed by Judy Kameon of Elysian Landscapes, according to the listing.

The same road in Hidden Valley Estates welcomed one celebrity in May while another departed. To get to DeGeneres’ new house, you have to pass Adele’s new $9.95 million home, which formerly belonged to Nicole Richie. Meanwhile, Katy Perry unloaded a $7.47 million house at the end of the street, real estate records show.

Tori Barnao of Compass and Brett Lawyer of Hilton & Hyland had the listing. Kurt Rappaport of Westside Estate Agency Inc. represented the buyer.

Despite her real estate dealings, DeGeneres doesn’t see herself as a house-flipper. She said she loves decorating and even had a two-season home design show in 2015 and 2016. The money she makes is just incidental, she has said. 

“We [DeGeneres and her wife, de Rossi] buy a house, and we love it, and we stay in it, and then we get a little bored because we like a different style or a different aesthetic, and I love furniture, and I love decorating … So if I find something else and we make money, it turns out, why not move to another house?” DeGeneres told Today in a 2018 interview.

The 63-year-old will bow out of her talk show next year, she announced in May, saying the decision was not a result of toxic workplace allegations leveled against her.

This bedroom includes a corner fireplace.
This bedroom includes a corner fireplace.

Another angle on the bedroom.
Another angle on the bedroom.

One of the home's 4½ bathrooms.
One of the home’s 4½ bathrooms.

A second bathroom features a long mirror.
A second bathroom features a long mirror.

The low-rise building has a tree growing through it.
The low-rise building has a tree growing through it.

The patio is shown at night.
The patio is shown at night.

A covered outdoor dining area is featured.
A covered outdoor dining area is featured.

The cozy patio offers tranquility.
The cozy patio offers tranquility.

The property is gated.
The property is gated.
Realtor.com