(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Courteney Cox Arquette has opened the doors of her home, revealing she wanted it to look like a "modern barn".

The actress recently moved into a 1950s cliff top property in Malibu with her seven-year-old daughter Coco. Her previous home which she shared with estranged husband David Arquette was designed by modernist architect John Lautner and was situated on the beach.

Courteney is thrilled with her new residence, which boasts a tennis court, cinema room, saltwater swimming pool and guest cottages.

"[My old house was] the most amazing place I've ever lived in, but there was no way to replicate that. You don't want to half-ass a Lautner house," she explained in an interview with Elle Dcor.

"So I decided with this house to go a completely different route. I wanted it to look like a modern barn."

The star hosts weekly karaoke parties by the pool and serves her friends hot dogs outside. She also enjoys relaxing with a cup of coffee as she sits in a lava-rock fire pit overlooking the ocean.

Courteney made significant changes to the interior design of the new property before she moved in and knew exactly how she wanted it to look. The 47-year-old star is passionate about architecture and interiors and had a host of ideas for the house.

"It was beautiful but I don't like things to be too dark and I knew it needed a big re-vamp to suit my taste," she explained. "I've been overseeing renovations of my homes for a long time, and I have strong opinions about what I want and why."

Courteney hired architect Michael Kovac for the project and he has revealed she was closely involved with the refurbishment process. He even claims Courteney spent hours trying to choose the perfect colour for her tennis court.

"Courteney got the company to bring a sample of the pigments of every colour they had, along with some paintbrushes and paper plates," he said. "Everyone on the building team worked on mixing the pigments into new combinations. She had to get it exactly right." (C) Cover Media