The latest entry in the Ellen DeGeneres real estate file: the acquisition of this beachfront house in the fashionably upscale getaway coastal retreat of Carpinteria, California. DeGeneres picked up the cedar-shingled contemporary for $18.6 million last week.

The transaction is the latest in a long string of investments and flips the savvy social commentator and residence-reviser has negotiated over the last few years. But we have a feeling this one will turn out to be a personal getaway more than a straightforward investment.

This latest property is a lovely home, and incorporates a series of interesting design flourishes which make it worth a close look. It dates to 1979, but revisions have left it a thoroughly modern statement. It is reached via a long driveway flanked by landscaping expertly engineered to evoke idyllic coastal charm.

The house’s exterior is quite expressive of contemporary sophistication; this is nobody’s idea of a beach cottage, even with shingles as weather-beaten as these. It measures in just shy of 6,000 square feet, and contains five bedrooms and 6.5 baths.

The house’s interior architecture is a fetching blend of rambling and modern, Eastern and Western, with a little industrial tossed in for good measure. It opens broadly toward the water, as expected, but it is situated at an angle to take best advantage of sunlight. Glass walls open from both floors to expose the living areas and master bedroom. The design emphasizes graceful transitions, and the angularity delivers a pleasingly cerebral articulation. And, from nearly every corner, the ocean is visible as a reference and reminder.

DeGeneres’ current real estate wheelings-and-dealings include at least two properties on the market: a condo in the Beverly West Tower, the second of two she originally owned, and a downright impressive Montecito estate currently priced at a stout $45 million.