Jennifer Aniston Hopes Escaping L.A. Will ‘Make It Easier for Her to Find Love Again’

Jennifer Aniston loves a good renovation. Over the years, she’s redone more than six properties, tailoring each to her chic, laid-back taste.

Two years ago, the Friends alum splashed out $14.8 million on a four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom, Tuscan-style farmhouse built in 1998 in swanky Montecito, California. She’s been working on it ever since, putting in a pool and freshening up the property inside and out and is looking to escape L.A. for the quiet enclave two hours away.

“She feels like it’s time to move on,” an insider exclusively tells Life & Style. “She’s ready for a change and a new chapter.”

That’s not the only page the Morning Show star wants to turn. After a string of heartbreak, the 55-year-old is ready to renovate her romantic status as well.

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“She’s hopeful that a fresh start might make it easier for her to find love again,” says the insider. “It’s been so long since she’s had a relationship — she really misses that companionship.”

Jennifer once said that if she weren’t an actress, she’d be an interior designer. “I love that process,” she said. “There’s something about picking out fabrics and finishes that feeds my soul.”

So it’s no surprise that the homes she shared with her partners are filled with significance. In 2021, she and first husband Brad Pitt began their married life by buying a $13.1 million, 12,000-square-foot French Normandy-style house in Beverly Hills and spent three years renovating the 1934 property. But the pair — who divorced in 2005 — had different ideas of what made a home.

Post-split, when Brad had moved on with his Mr. & Mrs. Smith costar Angelina Jolie, Jen tried to make light of the humiliating situation. Griping that their marital home had been filled with museum pieces and modern furniture built more for style than actual use, she famously joked, “[Now] I can have a comfortable couch.”

While it’s been reported that she and second husband Justin Theroux are still close and have spent time together in NYC, that relationship also had some disappointments. While they were still dating, Jen made the move across the country to join him on the East Coast.

But the two adjacent condos she bought for $7.01 million in 2011 never got her famous touch — she sold them the next year. Instead, the pair dropped $21 million for Quincy Jones‘ former estate in Bel Air. They wed there in 2015 after a major redo. Their split three years later was drama-free. Still, she felt the need to erase her ex’s presence.

“Welcome to the babe cave,” she joked during a tour of an airy cottage that was formerly Justin’s office. After he moved out, she said, “I lightened it up, stripped it all. He came over and was like, ‘What the f–k did you do?’ I said, ‘I brought the light back in, buddy.'”

Her home is her sanctuary, adds the insider. “Jennifer has a very particular style and loves working with her loyal team of interior designers to bring her vision to life. She wants it to reflect her.”

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And maybe someone new. The Montecito vibe is laid-back, without the stresses of L.A. “Jen loves the lifestyle,” explains the source. “She can go to the beach without getting bothered or run to the shops. The air is so fresh and clean — she says it smells like flowers all the time.”

The social scene is tight, with neighbors including Rob Lowe and, of course, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

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“There’s a reason so many celebrities live here,” notes the source. “It’s so beautiful and private and a world away from Hollywood, even if it’s only two hours.”

At this point in her life, Jennifer, worth a reported $300 million, has nothing left to prove. The one missing element is another great romance. When it comes to a new guy, “she doesn’t have a big checklist,” adds the insider. “She doesn’t need a flashy A-list star or someone super wealthy. She wants a man she can trust, someone she can laugh and feel safe with. Someone who makes her happy.”