Inside John Travolta's Oceanic Home Where He Raised Kids with Late Wife & Which They Redid Together
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Kelly Preston was pregnant when she and her husband, John Travolta, bought their new home.
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The couple redesigned the house where they raised their brood.
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Travolta has not sold the family home where he and Preston were happy for a decade.
Actors John Travolta and Kelly Preston married in 1991, and as newlyweds, they wanted a place they could call home to start their lives together. The couple had one thing in common – a big enough house to entertain their loved ones – especially during the festive holidays.
Preston was also still newly pregnant with the pair's first child, son Jett. And alas, they eventually found what they were looking for in Maine off the coast, where Travolta had visited actress Kirstie Alley.
Actor John Travolta with his wife, actress Kelly Preston on January 9, 1991 ┃Source: Getty Images
"Kirstie had a big Kennedy-compound-style house on the water and wanted everyone to move there. So, we looked at all these blue-blood homes. I loved them but knew they wouldn't cut it size-wise for my whole family," he explained.
Fortunately for the "Hairspray" star, Alley suggested another home, where they both went to check it out, and he became instantly taken away by the property. "When I saw it, I said to Kirstie, 'Why did you withhold this? It's a fairy-tale house,'" recalled Travolta.
His wife was also immediately impressed by the abode once he drove her there: "This is it," he told her. Travolta and Preston's home, which boasts 22 bedrooms, was built in 1903. The front yard features Tudor Revival elements and is more of a unique Shingle Style house.
The mansion has an ocean view and consists of 10,830 –square-foot. The property reportedly sits on 48 acres of land. However, Travolta listed the $5 million home on the market in February 2021.
In December 2022, the New York Post tweeted on Twitter that he "can't offload the house." The outlet shared images of the abode, which showed its openness, featuring vintage furnishes and its exterior grounds.
The living room is painted yellow with a large wooden dining table and covered chairs. There is a checkered rug running across the room.
A fireplace is positioned directly toward the dining room table, with a chandelier hanging above the table. The couple opted for vintage white floral curtains for the space.
The living area is painted orange and features a fireplace, yellow floral textured chairs, and a mirror hung up right above. The lounge has a green sofa, a wooden wall unit, and two armchairs.
One bedroom has yellow wallpaper, a sitting area with wooden chairs, and a wooden table. There is also a wooden chest of drawers opposite the bed.
Another sitting area features pink finishes and a matching couch with armchairs: a beige rug and a coffee table in front of two chairs.
On the outside, Travolta and Preston's home is gray, with white trimming matching the entranceway's pillars. There are trees and a walking path just before entering the house.
Travolta & Preston's Home Life
In August 2016, Travolta revealed that his spouse loved decorating so much that he left her to do the décor for special holidays, "but especially the Fourth of July and Christmas." She would put up a Christmas tree in every room.
The "Pulp Fiction" star revealed Preston left all the vehicles and other machinery to him, adding they had found common ground on what each person was responsible for.
Meanwhile, the actress praised her husband for having a good eye on certain things. The pair always met each other halfway and worked together.
"John has superb taste – a great sense of style and space. He knows what to put where. Though we both have strong ideas, we'll each compromise, and we'll work together on every aspect until it's right," said Preston. The couple had a decorating metaphor for their union and shared a laugh while admitting to it once.
Moreover, being a working mother and a spouse, Preston once gushed about her husband and expressed thankfulness to him for making her a parent:
"John doesn't just give me incredible love. He has given me two beautiful children who are the center of my life."
Their couple's firstborn, Jett, was born in April 1992, and their daughter Ella arrived in April 2000. In 1994, their son got hospitalized for inhaling fumes from carpet cleaning agents.
After that incident, Preston vowed to make homes safer for her brood, including children. She became a spokesperson for the Children's Health Environment Coalition (CHEC).
The doting mom later revealed that when she wed Travolta, she instantly put her acting career on the back burner because he yearned to start a family. She resumed her career but had to start from scratch, but things quickly fell into place.
The Hawaii native spoke highly of her spouse again and shared that he is a good "dancer" and does it effortlessly. "I have a wonderful husband, two incredible children, a special life, and a great career," said Preston, adding:
"A girl couldn't ask for anything more."
When speaking about their family dynamic, about spending equal time together, the "Twins" star said it was a blessing because Travolta "is a pilot," meaning that whenever he is on location, he could "fly" them to join him on sets. Preston said the father of her kids was like a child when it comes to the thrill of flying an aircraft.
The Couple Redesigned Their Home - Which Had a Private Airport
"When I'm flying. I can't imagine being in a better place," Travolta once said. The A-lister has a 707 and earned his stripes as a first officer on the Boeing 747 Jumbo jet in 2002. He has his Qantas 747 pilot certificate features in his home office.
He and Preston have a private airport on their property grounds. The New Jersey native explained he chose the house "to have the bigger, stronger runway."
The property came with a 7,500-foot runway, and he extended it to the house. Travolta's 1957 thunderbird is the front driveway of the residence.
Travolta once recalled that Michael Eisner was their first guest, and once he looked at the planes in the yard, he said: "My God, I get it. Within an hour, we can be on our way to Paris."
John Travolta and Kelly Preston's home pictured on January 6, 2008 in Ocala, Florida ┃Source: Getty Images
The Hollywood star designed the floor motif of the entrance hall. The great room features curved window walls which overlook the tarmac.
Travolta decided to use the pool cabana for dancing. The room is spacious and has stone flooring. When discussing remodeling the couple's home, he revealed the construction took two years.
The bed and breakfast at Jumbolair Aviation Estates pictured on July 6, 2003 in Ocala, Florida┃Source: Getty Images
The megastar shared that there were hiccups "on and off for six years." Subsequently, the family lived in the quarters while awaiting completion.
The father of three explained their home is "overbuilt" and has "thicker walls than they need to be." In addition, the exterior of the mansion takes in the length of the house. "Any corporate jet or airliner" fits.
People pictured walking on the grounds of John Travolta and Kelly Preston's home on January 6, 2008 in Ocala, Florida┃Source: Getty Images
Moreover, he and the mother of his children redesigned their home and revealed he was not aware how much she was invested "in design." Despite Preston's tropical background, Travolta was "happy" to learn that she had the same taste as his side of the family.
"My mom bought and sold antiques, so our house was full of them. [..] When I saw that Kelly had the same thing, I thought, 'Did I marry a part of my mother here?"
Preston Sadly Died - Travolta Tried to Sell Their Home
Sadly, Preston passed away in July 2020 from breast cancer. Her death certificate disclosed that she took her last breath at her family home in Florida.
The mother of three's body was transported from her and Travolta's Clearwater, Florida, home to a nearby funeral home after she died in the morning. She was later cremated at the Brooksville Crematory in Brooksville, Florida.
She was survived by her spouse Travolta, and the couple's two children, daughter Ella and youngest son, Benjamin, whom the couple welcomed in November 2010. Their eldest son Jett died in 2009 at age 16 from a seizure.
Following the family matriarch's death, Travolta disclosed he had a meaningful conversation with their son Benjamin about his fear of death since losing his mom.
The youngest expressed to his father that he feared losing him too. But his dad was honest with him and told him that nobody knows when they will die.
Meanwhile, Travolta has tried to sell the couple's home seven months after Preston's death. It has been two years since he attempted to sell the eight-bathroom abode in Maine.
The mansion is located in Isleboro, and the "Gotti" star has kept the initial $5 million price. He previously took it off the market for a short while and put it back on again.