Tyler Ellis’ Los Angeles Home Hits the Market at $32 Million
I’ve followed Tyler Ellis’s work for years, and this isn’t just another celebrity home sale. She’s the daughter of designer Perry Ellis and screenwriter Barbara Gallagher, and she built a quiet reputation as a luxury-handbag maker who understands how objects tell stories. When a designer with that pedigree lists a major estate, it’s a signal — not only about price, but about taste and influence.
You should care because this sale sits at the crossroads of fashion and real estate. Tyler’s pieces are collected by public figures and tastemakers, and the same design instincts that make a handbag collectible can turn a house into a branded object. That makes the property more than square footage: it’s a lived portfolio piece for a creative entrepreneur.
From a practical angle, a designer-owned home often commands a premium because of curated interiors, artwork, and provenance. If you’re a buyer, investor, or design fan, that changes how you should evaluate the place — you’re buying lifestyle and story as much as structure and land.
For the rest of the story, I’ll show you exactly where the added value comes from — the architecture, the custom interiors, and the entertainment compound — so you can judge whether the nearly $32.4M price tag feels like aspiration or sound investment. Quick question before we dive deeper: what matters more to you in a luxury listing — architectural pedigree or the finished interiors?
The $12.3M Purchase to $32.4M Listing: A 9-Year Transformation Journey
When I went through the Robb Report piece on this listing, one thing stood out immediately: the price story isn’t just a number — it’s a timeline. Tyler Ellis bought this place about nine years ago for $12.3 million, and back then, it wasn’t the glamorous, camera-ready estate you’re seeing now.
Robb Report described it as a “fairly plain French-inspired residence” tucked into Brentwood. That phrasing says a lot. A good structure, solid bones, but nothing that hinted at a future $32 million headline.
Today, the home is back on the market for just under $32.4 million, which means the property has appreciated by roughly $20 million under Tyler and her husband Benjamin Shriner’s ownership. And honestly, when you hear that number, the natural reaction is to ask: “How?”
That’s the part I care about — not the price tag alone, but the work and vision behind the jump.
What this tells you, and what I want you to notice, is that this isn’t a flip. It’s a long-term, design-driven transformation. A couple buys a home, lives in it, tears it apart, rebuilds it, collaborates with the original architect, invests in interiors, and slowly shapes something personal. That kind of evolution creates value far beyond comps or standard upgrades.
How Tyler and Her Husband Reimagined the Estate: Renovation, Expansion & Creative Vision
When I look at this house, I don’t see a renovation — I see a reinvention. Tyler and her husband didn’t treat this property like a project; they treated it like a canvas. They brought in William Hefner, the same architect who designed the original 2005 structure, and paired him with their longtime interior design team, The Archers. That continuity matters. It’s how you preserve the soul of a house while giving it a new life.
And the result? A place that feels deeply personal yet universally appealing. Tyler once told Architectural Digest that the home felt like “a little piece of Europe that landed in the center of L.A.” — and I get exactly what she meant. The exterior keeps that serious, chateau-style dignity, but the inside… it’s playful. Bright colors. Unexpected textures. Art that actually makes you stop and smile.
They expanded the main home, added an entire entertainment house, and curated every corner to feel lived-in but intentional. That “youthful character” Tyler wanted is everywhere — not loud, not chaotic, just warm, bold, and confident. You can instantly tell this wasn’t designed by committee. It was shaped by someone who understands emotion through design.
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The Main House: Architecture, Personality & Signature Details
Let me walk you through the main home the way I experienced it: from the front door inward.
You enter through reeded-glass doors into a foyer that makes its own statement — not with marble or chandeliers, but with a feathered pink bear sculpture by Paola Pivi. It’s whimsical, a little surreal, and it sets the tone. “This house isn’t afraid to have fun,” is the message you get immediately.
Then you move into these carefully layered spaces:
– A formal dining room centered under a custom Studio Molen chandelier.
– A rich, lacquered-blue library that feels like somewhere you’d stay up late writing or arguing about films.
– A black kitchen — which sounds dramatic, but the way the bronze hardware and subway tile cut through the darkness makes it feel grounded, not moody. They even installed a La Cornue range, which tells you cooking here isn’t an afterthought.
Upstairs, the primary suite feels more like a private apartment: separate den, two walk-in closets, and dual baths. It’s the kind of setup where two people can live fully without bumping into each other at 7 a.m. when one wants silence and the other wants coffee and music.
Every room has personality. Not the kind that tries too hard — the kind that comes from someone who enjoys color, texture, and story.
It reminded me a bit of how some celebrity homeowners take their time shaping a property — like Jessica Simpson, who recently took her own L.A. mansion off the market after years of personal upgrades.
The Entertainment House: A Three-Level Playground for Adults
This is the space that pushes the estate from “beautiful home” to “full lifestyle compound.”
The entertainment house spans three levels and is almost its own universe — roughly 5,000 square feet with two guest suites and an office. But the real magic is what they built inside:
– A speakeasy that feels like a private, members-only bar.
– A high-end movie theater that doesn’t feel like a basement add-on — it’s a real, cinematic experience.
– A 6,500-bottle limestone wine cellar, which honestly says more about the couple’s love for hosting than any design feature could.
If you’ve ever thought about what makes a luxury listing feel complete, this is it: a space where friends, family, and guests can be entertained without ever stepping into the main house. And for buyers at this level, privacy and containment matter. Your life can happen simultaneously in multiple zones — work, hosting, family, downtime — without overlap.
It’s the same kind of lifestyle-forward setup I saw when Lori Loughlin’s Brentwood home sold — buyers at this level love properties that blend entertainment with privacy.
Outdoor Luxury: Privacy, Calm & Classic California Living
Whenever I evaluate a high-end estate in L.A., I always look at the outdoor flow — because that’s where lifestyle really shows up. And this one nails it.
The property sits on over half an acre, wrapped in tall cypress trees that give it a European garden feel. The backyard is designed in a way that makes you immediately think: I could live out here.
You’ve got:
– A pool and spa tucked into the landscape.
– A bocce court — a surprisingly smart inclusion because it signals casual, social, easy living.
– Stretching lawns for kids, dogs, or the kind of late-afternoon gatherings that turn into long dinners.
– A covered terrace that blends seamlessly with the interior rooms, so you get that true indoor–outdoor California movement.
It’s private, it’s calm, and it doesn’t feel overly staged. You can tell the family actually used this space — and that warmth translates.
It’s interesting how much location shapes desirability — even Donald Trump’s former childhood home in Queens drew attention mainly because of where it sits, not just the structure itself.
The Design Philosophy: Why the Interiors Hit Differently
When I look at the interiors Tyler and her team created, the first thing that stands out isn’t the color or the materials — it’s the intention. You can feel that every choice was made by someone who lives and breathes design, not someone who hired a decorator to “fill space.”
You see it in the lacquered blue library, the custom Studio Molen chandelier, and the way the kitchen leans into bold contrast instead of the safe white-and-gold formula most luxury homes default to. You also see it in the mix of European influence with playful, modern moments that keep the house from feeling stuffy.
If you’ve ever stepped into a home where the interiors feel like a catalog, you already know the difference. This house has a pulse — and that’s where a chunk of its value comes from.
What Makes the Property’s Layout Special?
Most luxury homes look huge on paper but awkward in real life. This one has that rare thing: usable space.
The main house flows the way you want a family home to flow — kitchen to dining to outdoor space — without the cold museum feeling you get in many 10,000-square-foot estates. And the fact that the entertainment house is separate is a big deal. You can host, work, or screen a movie without the rest of the household feeling it.
If you’re someone who values privacy, flexibility, or just sanity when guests come over, this layout solves problems most estates create.
The Wine Cellar, The Theater, The Speakeasy — The Emotional Value
Features like these aren’t just “amenities.” They’re mood-setters.
A 6,500-bottle limestone wine cellar sounds like excess until you realize it becomes the backdrop for celebrations, deals, and nights you remember years later. Same with the theater. Same with the speakeasy.
Luxury isn’t about showing off — it’s about how the house makes you feel on a random Tuesday night.
And spaces like these change that feeling instantly.
The Outdoor Experience: Why Brentwood Buyers Will Notice
The backyard is where this property steps into a different category. A pool and spa are standard. But add a bocce court, gardens, shaded lounging pockets, and a seamless terrace connection to the entertainment house — now you’re looking at lifestyle design, not landscaping.
In Brentwood, outdoor space is currency. Half an acre may not sound huge, but in this zip code, it’s a privilege. And one framed by tall cypress trees? That’s privacy you can’t manufacture later.
If you care about quiet living within L.A., this checks the right boxes.
Pricing Reality: Does $32.4M Make Sense?
If you strip away the name value, the customization, and the architectural pedigree, the raw numbers still lean strong.
You’re getting:
- A fully reimagined estate
- A second 5,000-sq-ft entertainment house
- Over a decade of designer-led upgrades
- Prime Brentwood real estate
- A turnkey lifestyle most buyers spend years assembling
So yes — the price is ambitious. But there’s a difference between overpriced and aspirational. This listing feels like the latter. And the truth is, in a market like L.A., provenance sells.
The Bottom Line: Should You Pay Attention to This Listing?
If you love design, architecture, or simply watching how creatives shape their surroundings, this home is worth paying attention to. It’s rare to see a property where the personality of the owner becomes part of the value — and even rarer to see it done this thoughtfully.
Whether you’re looking for a benchmark, inspiration, or a potential move, this estate gives you something to learn from.
Before I wrap the full article, I’m curious about one thing: when you look at a luxury home, what pulls you in first — the architecture, the interiors, or the lifestyle the space promises?
If you enjoy stories like this, you can explore more design-forward celebrity homes in our Real Estate & Homeownership section — I break down the architecture, the upgrades, and the real value behind each listing.
Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available information and reporting from reputable sources. Details about pricing, design, and property features reflect data available at the time of writing. Always verify current listing information before making real estate decisions.
