Barbara Streisand is known for her beautiful voice and incredible acting skills, but what is not as easily known about Streisand is the story of how she came to buy her dream home and build a beautiful life in it.
Barbara Streisand and her husband of 24 years, James Brolin, have been living in the same house with their dogs for many years, but the journey to buying the home was not easy. The couple had to work hard to get to where they wanted to be.
Streisand saw the home for the first time when she was living nearby. However, she could not buy it because her boyfriend at the time didn’t like it. More importantly, she was unable to afford the house then.
Barbra Streisand and James Brolin attend the “And So It Goes” premiere at Guild Hall on July 6, 2014 in East Hampton, New York | Source: Getty Images
Now, the couple lives in Streisand’s dream home with their adorable Maltese poodles, which they are enamored with. Streisand has even shared photos of the dogs on their birthdays on her Instagram page.
There are three dogs, Scarlet, Violet, and Fanny. However, the long and winding road to the bliss the couple now enjoys was something that Streisand and Brolin had to endure for a couple of years.
The first time that Streisand saw the home was in 1984 when she lived on a ranch down the road most weekends. She mentioned that she never really enjoyed that house, and her real estate broker introduced her to a place near the ocean.
Streisand admitted that the house’s facade was not grand because it was a modern gray but looked like some “contraption.” However, when she entered the home, she found it had a “rustic charm.”
The Broadway star immediately fell in love with the home and wanted to purchase it. Unfortunately, this was not to be, and she had to wait many more years before she could finally call the house home.
At that point, Streisand owned the ranch that she had been staying on, and her manager told her that until she sold the ranch, she would not be able to afford the home she had fallen in love with.
She also admitted that her boyfriend at the time thought the home she loved was too close to the cliff on which the house was situated. She decided that she wouldn’t buy it but confessed:
“I was so forlorn when I found out that it was sold to someone else, and they had started renovating it.”
Streisand’s love for the home did not fade with time. In fact, she never stopped thinking about her dream home that she could not purchase for herself. She confessed that she felt deeply about the house.
Although she did not buy the house, Streisand still lived on the nearby ranch and often saw the place she wanted to buy. She also said that the couple who owned the property knew how much she loved it. Talking about what she did after finding out that the home had been sold, she admitted:
“I would climb over the fence and walk around to see what they were doing and pine, literally pine for this house I didn’t buy.”
Streisand said that she longed for the home that she didn’t get to buy. However, some years later, her luck turned around when the couple who owned the house kept her in mind as they got ready to move.
She even bought a house one house away from her beloved home just because they were close together. Streisand then made friends with the old couple that had the house between the one she wanted and the one she owned.
She revealed that when the old couple moved away, she bought their house with the thought that she would knock both houses down and build one big house for herself on the two-acre property.
However, fate finally smiled at her. The couple in the house that she wanted got divorced and reduced the price of the home, which meant that Streisand could finally afford to purchase the property for herself.
Streisand first saw the house in 1984 and pined after it for 11 years until she could finally call it home in 1995. She said she was grateful for the home because she did not have to build it and choose small details.
The House Is Picture Perfect
Streisand may have waited a long time for her home, but she has made her life in that home beautiful since she moved in almost 30 years ago. She said the house paid homage to craftsmanship.
The beach front home of Barbra Streisand, which is being prepared for a possible wedding tomorrow, for the singer and her boyfriend, James Brolin 30 June, 1998. Malibu, California | Source: Getty Images
For the first few years, Streisand lived in the home with her husband, James Brolin, and their dog at the time, Samantha. Unfortunately, Samantha has since passed away but left Streisand with two sweet pups.
The home sits on a large land adorned with lush green lawns. An aerial shot of the house reveals the spacious garden and the pool at the front of the house, facing the ocean. The driveway is at the back of the house.
To help her design the interior of her home, Streisand studied many books and drew inspiration from things she had seen while traveling that were appealing to her. She also mentioned that she loved doing it.
The actress said that designing the interior was like making a film; she had a dream and a vision for the house. She could see what would look good in her head and translated that into the house. She confirmed she was happy with the results.
Streisand’s home sits on three acres of property and consists of four buildings. The mill house, the barn, Grandma’s house, and the house that Streisand and Brolin live in are all on her property.
She then added streams into the landscape because she finds water to be a soothing element. Her reason for wanting a barn was simple; she finds them to be a staple of American culture. She has hens in her barn that lay green eggs.
Streisand has a fish pond filled with black and white fish outside the barn. The fish’s colors were chosen carefully because Streisand felt that the colors of the fish needed to complement the black and white trim on the barn houses.
Aside from water allowing Streisand to feel peaceful, she also has a spiritual space in her home. Streisand finds roses spiritual and therefore finds walking through the rose garden on her property a spiritual experience.
The home has seen many happy moments in Streisand’s life and has been the longest witness to Streisand’s enduring marriage to her husband. They have been married for 24 years this year and are still going strong.
Brolin and Streisand’s Married Life
Streisand and Brolin met in 1996 when they were 54 and 56, respectively. Each of them has children from a previous marriage and blended their families. It was two years after they met that the couple got married.
They said their “I dos” on Streisand’s property. The couple appeared ecstatically happy and are still going strong now. In his wedding speech, Brolin said:
“Every night is a new adventure. Sleeping is a waste of time. I can’t wait to see her again in the morning.”
Although the COVID-19 pandemic was brutal for many people, and some relationships suffered because of being in quarantine, Streisand confirmed that she and Brolin were not negatively affected.
Talking about how her relationship with her husband faired during the lockdown period, Streisand said:
“We’ve literally fallen in love over this period of time, just being stuck together every day and making it work.”
Even after all the years and the many trials and tribulations that the couple has faced during their time together, they are still as in love as ever and have expressed that through their social media pages. Streisand still calls Brolin the love of her life.
The couple is now enjoying a new phase in their lives; being grandparents. They have grandchildren from their children who are always welcome to spend time with them in their home.