Gorgeous Getaways

Well, it’s no surprise that Oprah’s mansion, which also serves as her main residence, is located in one of the richest communities in the United States. The affluent community of Montecito is found just East of the Southern California city of Santa Barbara.

We dug around and saw current listings in Montecito running for anything from $1 million up to $85 million. Even Santa Barbara’s tourism site warns visitors not to be surprised if they stumble into a celebrity in the streets. But how did Oprah end up here?

A Random Encounter

Oprah’s fortune comes as the ideal culmination of her intelligence, charisma, determination, and solid career choices. When she first arrived in Montecito, she hadn’t yet found what would eventually become the home of her dreams.

Read The Inspiring Story Behind Oprah and Her $80 Million Mansion

A Random Encounter

Oprah’s fortune comes as the ideal culmination of her intelligence, charisma, determination, and solid career choices. When she first arrived in Montecito, she hadn’t yet found what would eventually become the home of her dreams.

That opportunity finally came in 2001 and it was a complete coincidence. As fate would have it, Oprah was asked to attend a party in Montecito that took place on the grounds of an amazing mansion. As she admired the scope of the property, she was utterly amazed by its beauty.  The owners couldn’t believe what would happen next…

The Offer

Oprah quickly knew she had to have the mansion for herself. When she was at the party, it belonged to Robert Veloz, an aeronautical equipment manufacturing giant. Back then, he and his wife were residing in the stone gatehouse, measuring 2,000 square feet. Sadly, the house was not up for sale.

But that was not going to stop her from achieving her dream! Oprah was prepared to keep fighting. She offered the owners a check for a massive $52 million. After the purchase, she had executed one of the biggest sales of a private home in the entire country. How old is this building and where is it exactly located?

The New Home

The Montecito estate was first built in 1912, though the grounds have had various changes and renovations over time. The entire property covers roughly 23,000 square feet. Looking from the grounds, visitors can enjoy amazing views of the Santa Ynez Mountains and also the Pacific Ocean.

Today, the mansion we can see was completed in 1959 and is worth roughly $88 million. It includes a total of 14 bathrooms, 6 bedrooms, and 10 individual fireplaces. The home offers a collection of additional rooms, as well as everything from a wine cellar to a home theater. Soon, it would soon be hers. But first: she’d have to go to great lengths to add her personal touch.

It Finally Belongs To Oprah

Bob Veloz and his wife both agreed to accept Oprah’s proposal and subsequently sold their home to her. The Montecito mansion was now hers! It was an unbelievable moment to take it all in. Now, she had to imagine how she would take this property and make it more her own.

Firstly, Oprah’s new home needed a name. As Oprah walked along the amazing grounds of her new home with her friend Bob Greene, a fitness guru, she told him about her idea for a name: Tara II. Oprah said it reminded her of Gone With The Wind – but Bob objected strongly. What happened next?

Let’s Keep Perspective

Bob Greene felt that Tara II couldn’t match up to this incredible property. But being from the American South, he reminded Oprah to put things in perspective. The idea that an African American woman (who was born into poverty in Mississippi) was now able to buy and own all this marked a humbling moment.

Oprah has never been shy about explaining the hard times in her life before becoming a famous host. She was born to a single mother and raised by her grandmother in Mississippi during Jim Crow. She recalls how her family was so poor that she had to wear potato sacks for dresses. But look at where she was now! Here’s our view inside…

Looking For Inspiration

Bob Greene was deciding about a potential name for Oprah’s home. Suddenly, in a moment of revelation, he knew she should go to the Bible and reflect from the Holy Book. He called the magnificent residence the ‘Promised Land,’ and the name immediately stuck with her. This was to be the identity for her new house.

Read The Inspiring Story Behind Oprah and Her $80 Million Mansion

Looking For Inspiration

Bob Greene was deciding about a potential name for Oprah’s home. Suddenly, in a moment of revelation, he knew she should go to the Bible and reflect from the Holy Book. He called the magnificent residence the ‘Promised Land,’ and the name immediately stuck with her. This was to be the identity for her new house.

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So now she had her dream home, but she had to decorate it still. It was time for a large project: going through the rooms and personalizing them to her liking. For starters, there’s the library shown above, full with an extensive book collection made by a champion of literature. What does the foyer look like?

Fantastic Foyer

Here we can see the main entrance hall of Oprah’s home. A rich, extravagant banister wraps along the sides of her white staircase. As you can see, it curves up past these yellow walls. But despite her amazing eye for art and her selection of furniture, one thing stands out more than the rest.

The entryway to Oprah’s mansion is full of framed photographs of friends and family all placed on the tables. These are items that can usually be found in just about anyone’s home. However, this reminds us that despite her unbelievable status and wealth, she’s still human. Let’s take a look at her own ‘Reading Room’…

The Reading Room

Where do you go once you pick up a book from the library? This is Oprah’s “Reading Room,” in case you didn’t know that such a thing even existed. It’s the room she goes to just to read. Can you imagine that?

Of course, we know that reading is one of Oprah’s favorite pastimes. So, it makes sense that she would have a room dedicated only to reading. She has her books organized so perfectly that we question if she did it herself. Now let’s journey to the dining room, where she eats her meals…

The Dining Room

Opposite her kitchen rests the dining room. We and her guests are instantly struck by the coloring of the table and by how impressive it looks. In total, the dining table fits ten people, and it has room for two featured candelabras that rest offset the table.

You don’t see it right away, but the rug underneath the dining table complements it incredibly subtly. We can see it has a slightly faded quality to it – but knowing Oprah, this was probably deliberate. Next up: look at this massive bathtub!

Swimming In The Bath

Next up is her amazing bathroom, which as you can see is pretty amazing. When you get excited about a bathroom, you know it’s got to be good! This is one of the best bathrooms we’ve ever seen…

Oprah actually has a pretty interesting story about some of the bathrooms in her early days. She claims that her family used to share one single bathtub when she was a child. We can see it makes sense that she’d want to spend some serious cash for a beautiful bathroom to make up for it. Now for a look at her closet!

Colored Closets

Sure, it’s a stereotype that all women love big wardrobes – but this one is true! We can see here how covered her wardrobe is with shoes, shirts, pants, and dresses. Better yet, they’re all color coordinated to perfectly blend together.

What would you do if you had a closet like this? We can imagine spending hours each morning deciding what to wear. Oprah probably has someone to help her each day. What would you wear from this collection of clothes?

Tea For A House Full Of People

When you’re Oprah, money doesn’t mean much. Here, we can see how she spend millions of dollars buying the house next door to turn it into her very own tea house. Originally, this was used for people to grow and arrange flowers. But when she bought ‘Promised Land’, Oprah decided to turn it into a tea house.

Read The Inspiring Story Behind Oprah and Her $80 Million Mansion

Tea For A House Full Of People

When you’re Oprah, money doesn’t mean much. Here, we can see how she spend millions of dollars buying the house next door to turn it into her very own tea house. Originally, this was used for people to grow and arrange flowers. But when she bought ‘Promised Land’, Oprah decided to turn it into a tea house.

Every so often, Oprah makes tea in this part of her property and shares it with friends and family. If you had your own extension in the house, what would you use it for? Now for a cheeky look inside…