Gwyneth Paltrow Shows Off Stunning L.A. Home That Took 6 Years to Finish: 'Generous Yet Manageable'

Yoshihiro Makino

Gwyneth Paltrow finally has the home of her dreams — after six-year-long design process.

The 49-year-old Goop founder offered an inside look at her exquisite Montecito, Calif. home on the March cover of Architectural Digest.

Paltrow describes the design as "a Parisian apartment set within an old European barn" with high ceilings and lots of light "that feels generous yet manageable at the same time."

"The strength of the house is in the subtleties of light and space," Paltrow says in the feature. "We spent a lot of time assessing family patterns, how we really live, what makes us most comfortable. The focus was on the experience, the emotion."

RELATED: Aaron Rodgers Sells California Mansion for $5 Million as NFL Future Remains Unclear

The Oscar winner was visiting the Santa Barbara area with her family in 2015 when she discovered a teardown on real estate listing site Redfin, which she calls her "favorite pornography app."

"There were wild animals living there and swarms of bugs, but I fell in love with the land and the views," she told Architectural Digest, noting that she has "always gravitated toward Santa Barbara."

Yoshihiro Makino

Building the home to its current state was "a long and arduous journey" complicated by various roadblocks. So, Paltrow enlisted the help of her longtime collaborators, designers Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman and Williams, who had previously outfitted her Tribeca loft and the first Goop pop-up shop.

"The house is built around extremely precise, thoughtful spaces that we refined again and again for years," the actress said.

RELATED: Georgia Home Renovated by Property Brothers' Jonathan and Drew Scott Sells for $730,000 — See Inside

The single-story home toes the line between classical and contemporary and features a decked-out spa, custom pewter-finished bronze doors and an array of unique furnishings, including a luxurious indoor hammock, for the "furniture obsessive" Paltrow.

Additionally, the home is solar-powered and has an environmentally friendly gray-water system.

Yoshihiro Makino

"Gwyneth knew exactly what she wanted. She knew the feeling, the energy, the narrative. It was my job to express those ideas in ways that would bring joy and beauty," AD100 designer Brigette Romanek told Architectural Digest, adding that Paltrow "was more interested in substance than style per se."

RELATED: Vicki Gunvalson Reveals Her 'Newest Condo' in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Romanek added, "Yes, it had to be pretty, but she was most concerned with things like mood and movement."

Building the home was a learning experience for Paltrow in many ways, especially regarding "patience and gratitude."

"There will always be pain points in a project like this, but keep your eyes on the big picture," she says, later adding, "If you commit to design integrity and character, you'll never be sorry."

To read the full feature and see more photos, pick up the March issue or Architectural Digest or visit archdigest.com.