Which Separated Sitcom Star Just Transformed Her Malibu Home Into a "Modern Barn"?

Not feeling her new oceanfront home's aesthetic, this exacting actress lightened up with white walls and wood floors

By Natalie Finn Jun 15, 2011 2:45 AMTags
Guess WhoElle Decor/Simon Upton

This exacting actress was already going through some major drama, so why not completely gut her new house at the same time?

Before settling down in this ocean-view Malibu stunner, the recently separated mom (and one-time wannabe architect) decided to revamp her new digs, from the earthy exterior paint job to the muted furniture and white interior walls that highlight the landscape outside.

So, who decided to take matters into her own creative hands and decorated the home of her dreams?

It's Courteney Cox, who says in the latest issue of Elle Decor that, having just left a home that was designed by progressive master John Lautner, she wanted her new place to "look like a modern barn."

"I've been overseeing renovations of my homes for a long time, and I have strong opinions about what I want and why," the Cougar Town star said, sounding more than a little like her finicky Friends character, Monica Gellar.

Cox says that she wanted a place that would be a destination for family and friends, where she could easily entertain large groups and yet still feel comfortable when it's just her and daughter Coco. (Growing up in this house gives all new meaning to the question, "Were you raised in a barn?")

And Cox most likely didn't have to consult kind-of-ex-hubby David Arquette. The two remain close, and Arquette has voiced hope that the two might reconcile, but it's pretty obvious that Cox, no matter how she might feel, enjoys being master of the house.

The 2-acre property also boasts guest cottages, a tennis court (Cox customized the color, of course), a screening room with a galley kitchen attached for appetizer-passing convenience, a saltwater swimming pool and a lava-rock fire pit.

Life can be a real beach sometimes.