Hollywood stars Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes chose a unique rustic estate in California as their family home in 2014. They bought a property originally built by the late film director Joel Schumacher using reclaimed wood from three 200-year-old barns. The property stands out because of its unusual design and history, according to Architectural Digest.
Schumacher, the director behind hit films such as Batman Forever and The Lost Boys, first had the home built as a private retreat in Carpinteria, California. The actors, who keep their family life with their two daughters very private, bought the secluded estate to create a quieter home away from central Los Angeles. It was built using old materials brought from across the United States. He wanted the property to reflect American history while offering complete privacy in a natural setting.
For Schumacher, who died in 2020, the property offered a quiet escape from the busy schedule of making major films. In a 2003 interview with Architectural Digest, the director explained that he wanted a home that would help him feel close to nature.
“I wanted something that felt like it had been here forever,” Schumacher said during the 2003 interview, explaining why he chose reclaimed historic timber. “It was important to build a home that felt organic to the land, rather than dropping a modern structure into the middle of the trees. ” The estate covers several acres and is surrounded by mature trees, horse-riding trails and coastal hills. Along with the main house, the grounds include guest accommodation, outdoor dining patios and a swimming pool designed to fit naturally into the landscape.