Architectural Digest traveled to Montecito, California to tour Gwyneth Paltrow's peaceful and luxurious family home.

Paltrow first fell under the spell of Montecito during her two semesters at UC Santa Barbara and deemed it to be the perfect setting to fulfill the dream of building her first ground-up house.

Paltrow worked with her longtime collaborators Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman and Williams, the AD100 firm that had previously designed the actress's Tribeca loft to tackle the assignment.

She eventually called upon AD100 designer Brigette Romanek, a close friend of more than two decades, to join the adventure.

Paltrow explained how her years in Europe made her fall in love with Georgian proportions and its details. She wanted the entryway to feel like 'its own special way,' portraying that feeling of warmth and welcome when you come in.

Her living room is where designer Brigette Romanek entered the journey with Paltrow. After trying to furnish it herself, she decided to call her best friend of 20 years for help.

"I entertain a lot. I cook all the time. And I wanted it to feel both welcoming, but also that you could have a formal dinner party. And I think it strikes the right balance."

Paltrow says her home is a dream come true. Her inspiration came from the internet (pinterest, mostly), and then she worked with Standefer and Alesch to bring her vision to life.

"A home should reflect the physicality and ethos of its owner, and this house takes its cues from Gwyneth's height, beauty, and focus on distillation," says Standefer.

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