Jennifer Garner New Home

“I wanted it to feel old and cool and historic, but I also wanted to make it work for a big family with a lot of things going on,” explains actress Jennifer Garner of the design of her new home in Los Angeles, California.

Inspired by her childhood memories, the house is designed with family in mind – a charming blend of farmhouse charm and contemporary comfort, that prioritises togetherness, usefulness, and down-to-earth living.

More than five years in the making, the project started when Garner realised she wasn’t going to find her dream home in a property listing. “I realized that I was going to need to move out of a dream house kind of scenario. I looked and looked for a house to move into, but I needed privacy, and any house that had privacy was more grand than I felt comfortable in. I was frustrated, but finally said, Okay, I think I’m going to have to build and found this lot.”

With the help of Tennessee-based husband-and-wife architect and interior designer duo Steve and Brooke Giannetti, the trio set to work designing a warm family home.

“I had this idea of creating something that felt like a farmhouse and a barn,” Steve says. “We wanted natural wood, cosiness – a kind of warm embrace of a house for her because she’s such a lovely person. She responds to soft and cosy. She’s not trying to be showy or have huge pops of colour or stuff like that. There’s a kind of natural quietness to the things that she likes.”

The result is an impressive new build that exudes a quiet elegance and luxury while beautifully blending into the surrounding orchards and woodlands. Inside and out, the design pays homage to nature with a calm, neutral palette with an emphasis on natural textures.

“Jen loves vintage pieces,” says Brooke, who acquired a French 1850s farmhouse table for the dining room, along with midcentury decorative items from Swedish and Danish designers. “There’s also something a bit whimsical about her. And she likes gentle shapes, curves. This place is kind of the house version of Jen’s personality.”

Now settled in the house, Garner says: “I am happy that I feel like we use the space really well, and that the kids are all over the house. They’re as comfortable sitting in the living room as they are doing homework in the dining room. And that’s the dream, right?”