Los Angeles is nobody’s wallflower. Neon signs blink after midnight, front-row fashion risks stroll grocery aisles and even the houses practice theatrical stagecraft. Against that dazzling hum, the mere suggestion of hush can seem hypothetical.
Yet drive a few minutes west of Beverly Hills and the volume dips. Trees crowd the sidewalks, speed bumps outnumber paparazzi and bright red Ferraris are shrunken down to Matchbox size. This is Brentwood—moneyed, yes, but domestically inclined, a neighborhood that values lemonade stands as much as a magnum of Napa Valley vintage cabernet.
Ask John Martin, former CEO of media empire Turner, why he left the shoreline showmanship of Malibu and the gilt edges of Beverly Hills, and his answer lies in this equilibrium: “For the first time since moving to L.A., I felt like I was living in a real neighborhood,” he says. “Brentwood has that high caliber of home, same as you’ll find in Beverly Hills or Malibu. But here, I finally knew my neighbors’ faces—something I wanted for my kids, and honestly, for myself.”
That calculus—extreme affluence tempered by everyday rituals—defines Brentwood and shapes Martin’s 14,000-square-foot family home at 1000 N Norman Place.
The gated residence occupies half an acre on a hush-happy lane low enough on the hillside to escape canyon winds yet high enough to catch afternoon vistas of the canyon. No coyness here about scale—three stories, six bedrooms, collector’s garage—but the home’s temperament is stylishly measured. Shiplap ceilings and wide-plank oak floors nod to East Coast calm. Hand-painted de Gournay panels and a sculpturally grooved double-sided fireplace supply the West Coast swagger. The mix feels intentional rather than indulgent.
Outside, mature oaks form a natural barricade around a yard that reads like a private rec center. There is a heated pool, an outdoor kitchen sized for a team brunch and a media lounge for moonlit movie nights.
Step below grade into the home’s lowest level and the details deepen. A 500-bottle wine room stands next to a sports-bar-ready lounge. Steps away, a cedar sauna steams beside a gym, and a half-court basketball floor covers what was once a lap pool—an amenity waiting for a future reversal, should the next owner prefer laps to lay-ups.
But it’s not all fun and games here. Moments of serious style up the elegance ante. A grooved, almost geological, wall spreads behind the wet bar like an artwork that also happens to dampen acoustics. The primary bath echoes with five-star hotel vibes, where brass and dark tiling frame a glass steam shower.
It’s a property that refuses to choose between grown-up treasures and family fun, which to this homeowner is precisely the point. “When you buy a home, you want the whole family to love it,” says Martin, who was also formerly CFO of Time Warner, home of the Cartoon Network. “This place has something for all of us. It’s big enough for privacy and still packed with spaces where we gather, play, relax, just be.” Parents retreat to the top-floor study while kids commandeer the lower-level theater. Everyone meets at the kitchen island.
A similar sentiment ripples across many Brentwood homes, even at the nest of the neighborhood’s most notable current and former residents, including names like Kamala Harris, LeBron James and Gwyneth Paltrow. Here, front lawns double as soccer pitches, coffee shops let strollers queue alongside spaniel owners and top-ranked public schools sit a short walk or bike ride away.
If you catch a celebrity on San Vicente, it’s likely during a PTO fundraiser or between Pilates sessions. Status here is camouflaged, not erased, says Martin. “In Beverly Hills, it’s Bentleys everywhere,” he notes. “Here, it’s more something like a Range Rover. Still high-end, but not as concerned with flash. Plus, the kids can fit in the back.”
That discretion is no accident. Brentwood’s narrow canyons resist oversized development, and its village-scale retail discourages party-bus invasions. The result is a neighborhood that manages to headline Forbes wealth rankings while still feeling like a place to raise toddlers and teens. Call it the Brentwood paradox: elite but neighborly, plush yet practical.
Carolwood Estates is a member of Forbes Global Properties, an invitation-only network of top-tier brokerages worldwide and the exclusive real estate partner of Forbes.
Read the full article here