Go Inside Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady's L.A. Home

Sept. 5, 2013— -- intro: When Gisele Bundchen and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady found an open lot in Los Angeles with views of the Pacific Ocean in 2009, they instantly knew that they wanted to live there. "It was important for us to plant roots for our family, and since we both enjoy the creative process, we decided to start from scratch," the NFL quarterback, 36, tells Architectural Digest in its October issue. (The couple have two children, Benjamin, 3, and Vivian, 9 months, in addition to Brady's son John, 6, from a previous relationship with actress Bridget Moynahan.) "Gisele and I have eight sisters between us, and there are lots of kids. We built this house as a sanctuary for our family—a place where we can enjoy being together."

The Brazilian supermodel, 33, added, "I like simplicity and coziness."

"I want to live in a place that feels like a real home, where you can put your feet up on the couch and just relax," she added. But, of course, environmental concerns were important to her too. "From the beginning we asked everyone involved in the design and construction, 'How can we make it as sustainable as possible?'" she said.

Click through to see more photos of the couple's home.

quicklist: 1title: Beautiful Exteriortext: The couple constructed their dream home in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. The exterior is comprised of three different kinds of Texas Limestone, and the window frames and steel doors have a special bronze finish. But undoubtedly the kids' favorite part is the moat surrounding the house: It's filled with koi!media:20159253

quicklist: 2title: A Bright Kitchentext: Interior designer Joan Behnke helped the couple create their dream house, including this kitchen, replete with Formations pendant lights, Compas Architectural Stone marble countertops and customized cabinetry. "I'm all about team dynamics and putting the right people together," Brady said. "We knew [our architect Richard Landry] and Joan could take us where we wanted to go without imposing a signature look. They understood that we wanted a comfortable house, not a style statement."media:20159192

quicklist: 3title: A Closet Fit for a Supermodeltext: Bundchen has a wardrobe that would make any woman jealous, so it makes sense to have a special room where she can store it all. Her closet includes an antique crystal chandelier, specially made cabinetry and marble countertops. media:20159334

quicklist: 4title: A Room For Relaxing text: The cover of the magazine features the house's loggia, featuring a chandelier and sconces from Gregorius | Pineo, an antique limestone mantle, and RH wicker sofas and chairs cushioned in a Clarence House fabric. Naturally, the ceiling beams were made of reclaimed oak. (After all, Bundchen is a global ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme, and one of the family's goals while building the home was to minimize its effect on the environment.)media:20159042