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| The hacienda is at the heart of the 37-hectare estate surrounded by gardens and orchards. |
American Oscar-winning actor Sandra Bullock's idyllic rambling estate in San Diego is surrounded by orchards of olive, avocado and citrus trees. At the heart of the rolling hills is a handsome adobe hacienda opening on to flower-filled gardens. Before the estate is sold, we take a look inside. Alessandro de la Valle reports
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The high-ceilinged main bedroom suite has French doors to the pool and gardens |
THE WHITE-WASHED HACIENDA sits atop a hill and has a 360-degree views of the undulating landscape stretching out to the mountainous horizon.
Located in a rural community north of San Diego, surrounded by evocative hiking trails, this bucolic locale has long been home to film stars from Hollywood's heyday, from Fred Astaire to Mae West and John Wayne.
This is not the only substantial property Sandra Bullock owns, she has invested the wealth she has earned as a film actor into buying real estate across the United States. She has bought and sold homes in Los Angeles, New York and Austin. She bought this San Diego estate for $2.75 million in 2009 and has now listed it for $6 million.
"I have an expensive hobby: buying
homes, redoing them, tearing them down and building them up the way
they want to be built. I want to be an architect," said the actor. And this hacienda has been completely renovated. Originally built in 1990, it is now filled with light throughout with floor-to-ceiling windows and bright white walls. The high-beamed ceilings give a great sense of space and French doors open most rooms on to the beautiful gardens.
The house is encircled by hundreds of trees including an organic avocado orchard along with the numerous fruit trees planted around the estate. At the centre of the grounds is an iron-gated central courtyard with a fountain and a beehive. Also housed amid the leafy greenery is a charming three-bedroom guesthouse with a spa, its own gazebo and views overlooking the fragrant gardens.
This bucolic locale has long been home to the film stars of Hollywood's heyday, from Fred Astaire to Mae West and John Wayne
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The country-style kitchen has soapstone benches, marble surrounds and white-oak floors |
There are another four large bedrooms, each with their own ensuite and French doors leading on to the home's broad verandas. A comfortable library has another big open fireplace and plenty of places to relax and read.
The kitchen has been specially designed in pale soapstone and Italian marble along with a striking inlaid mosaic above the enormous black-enamel and brass range. The wooden floors and beamed ceilings add a country aesthetic.
The sunny, heated saltwater pool has an outdoor entertaining area with a gas outdoor fireplace, a big-screen TV, and a pool room. The house includes environmentally friendly elements such as solar panels for heating and an electric car charging station.
The hacienda is filled with light throughout with high-beamed ceilings and French doors opening on to broad verandas
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The central courtyard has a stone fountain and is ringed by the hacienda's verandas |
Dubbed 'America's sweetheart,' the versatile actor has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and took home the Oscar for Best Actress for the football classic The Blind Side.
In both 2010 and 2014, she was the world’s highest-paid actress. She has starred in over 50 films, many of them great commercial successes, including Speed, Miss Congeniality, and Ocean’s 8. Today, she also works as a producer and her company, Fortis Films, has produced several of her star vehicles as well as other projects for television and streaming channels.
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| The living room has beamed ceilings, another open fireplace and French doors on to the veranda and pool. |
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| One of the guest bedrooms overlooks the extensive gardens and opens on to a terrace. |
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| The heated, salt-water pool has a panoramic view out across to the hacienda's orchards and out to the hills stretching to the horizon. |