Mansion: Can I Get Extra Travertine On That?

This critique focuses on a modern mansion in Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, listed for $57 million. The property features five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and 13,870 square feet of interior space. The reviewer, Arvin Haddad, immediately questions the asking price, noting that it equates to approximately $10 million per bedroom. He points out that the property is located in the upper part of Burt Street, which typically offers worse views and is farther from the action compared to lower sections. Historical sales data for this area shows most properties of this size sell in the $20 million range, with only one sale above $50 million since 2022, and that property had more than double the square footage. The tour begins with a cobblestone driveway leading to a four-car garage, which the reviewer finds surprisingly small and lacking depth, questioning if it's truly designed for four standard vehicles. Guests must navigate a long travertine walkway and stairs to reach the main entrance due to the heavily sloped street. A significant design element is a "good size internal courtyard" with a 35-foot tree, intended to bring natural light and air to both the lower and main levels. The reviewer questions the effectiveness of this courtyard, suggesting it sacrifices backyard depth. He argues that the property could have been set back further to allow for a small lawn or a U-shaped design that would create a more usable outdoor space. Instead, the backyard is dominated by a 150-foot infinity pool, which he deems excessive for a bachelor property and more suited for an Olympic swimmer who is also a billionaire. The lack of a traditional backyard is a major drawback for a hillside property. The house extensively uses travertine for floors and walls, with oversized tiles on pedestal systems and smaller stacked tiles. While appreciating the minimalist aesthetic and aligned joints, the reviewer notes the sheer volume of travertine used – 200 tons – comparing it to the Coliseum. The foyer is criticized for feeling more like a hallway, lacking the functional purpose of a traditional foyer. The main level includes a formal dining area and a formal living room, described as open spaces with sliding glass doors providing seamless transitions to the terrace and pool. However, the views from this section are deemed "really, really bad," with trees obstructing the view of Century City and downtown Los Angeles being too distant. This further reinforces the reviewer's valuation of this part of Burt Street as significantly lower than its lower counterparts. A notable design choice is the absence of AC diffusers on the ceiling. This is attributed to the designers, Woods and Dengaran, maximizing ceiling height due to height restrictions in the Burt Street area. The reviewer praises the design team's previous work on another Burt Street property. The informal living area and kitchen are highlighted as the reviewer's favorite space. He appreciates the "curated" furnishings, the warm oak cabinetry, and the polished travertine countertops. The island in the kitchen is considered a bit narrow. The spacing and arrangement of furniture in this open-concept area are praised for allowing the room to "breathe" and create a calming atmosphere, aided by the limited material palette of oak and travertine. This area connects well with the informal dining area and opens to the same terrace, offering views that, while framed nicely, are still considered mediocre by Los Angeles standards. A chef's kitchen, featuring Taj Mahal counters (a deviation from the pervasive travertine), open shelving, and a skylight, is also present. A powder room on the main level is noted for its unfilled travertine vanity and a peculiar emergency bell-like fixture with visible water damage. A significant flaw identified is the primary bedroom's location on the opposite side of the formal living space from the kitchen and family room, creating poor connectivity. All other bedrooms are downstairs, requiring guests to navigate stairs to reach the main living areas. Despite this, the reviewer acknowledges the design intent to place all essential daily living spaces on the main level, creating a "homey feel." The grand staircase, with its glass wall overlooking the internal courtyard and massive steel beam, is aesthetically pleasing. However, the reviewer argues that placing the stairway directly by the courtyard blocks its energy, preventing it from truly illuminating the lower living quarters. He believes a light well would have sufficed for natural light, and by not pushing the property further back, they missed an opportunity to create a proper backyard, thus failing to address the inherent topographical challenges of the lot. He suggests that for a property in Doheny Estate, where views are not as strong as lower Birch Street areas, an internal "wow factor" is crucial, which this property fails to deliver. The reviewer proposes an alternative layout: entering the property overlooking a double-height volume with a library or bar area that leads down to a formal living space/game room. This design would naturally bring light to the lower level and create a dramatic entry, while also allowing the upper living quarters to remain functional and separate. The current design, he argues, misses the opportunity to create a truly impressive lower level. The lower level features a gym with high ceilings and oak cabinetry, a kitchenette/bar with portal design and recessed cabinetry, a temperature-controlled wine cellar, and a movie theater with plush seating. The movie theater's projector placement is questioned, as it is off-center. The lounge area on the lower level, with a pool table, is criticized for a noticeable drop in ceiling height, making it feel cramped. This level also includes a junior primary bedroom suite with hardwood floors, plaster walls, and a private terrace. However, the terrace's privacy is compromised by neighboring houses, and the views from this level are significantly diminished. A major architectural flaw is highlighted: the primary entertaining floor (lower level) lacks a swimming pool or large jacuzzi, with the main infinity pool located on the upper level, creating an inconvenient separation for entertaining. The guest suites on the lower level are spacious but feature basic closets with only racks, which is deemed inadequate for a $57 million property. The reviewer dismisses the outdoor views from this level as "hazy" and "suck." The extensive use of travertine throughout the property, including in the spa, steam shower, and sauna, is consistently mentioned. The massage room opens to a smaller, off-center internal courtyard, which the reviewer prefers for its strategic placement in bringing natural air and a calming backdrop to the lower level. The primary bedroom suite is accessed through double oak doors and features a large king-size bed, warm tones, a small seating area, and a fireplace. An office nook is incorporated into the primary suite, which the reviewer finds impractical for focused work given its proximity to the spouse. The primary suite also opens to a private courtyard, approximately 100 square feet, which floods the office, bathroom, and entry with natural light and air, a design element the reviewer highly praises for its strategic benefits in the dry Los Angeles climate. The property receives an "Arvin score": * **Location:** 7/10 (best street, worst part of Burt Street) * **Lot Quality:** 2/10 (good dimensions/ratio, but heavily sloped, poor utilization with no frontage, minimal setbacks, and a non-existent backyard due to the internal courtyard) * **Privacy:** 8/10 (perched from the street, internal courtyard creates setback, but some houses look down) * **Lot Orientation:** 10/10 (dead center, south-facing, no obstructions) * **Architectural Style:** 4/10 (literally a box, internal courtyard is not groundbreaking) * **Views:** 5.5/10 (obstructed by trees, not panoramic, far from city, hazy) * **Layout:** 5/10 (no wow factor at entry, primary bedroom separated from family room, no other upstairs bedrooms, central stairway blocks courtyard connection, insufficient bedrooms downstairs) * **Scale and Volume:** 6.5/10 (missed opportunity for internal wow factor and double-height ceilings to differentiate, lower level repeats upstairs instead of being a dedicated "fun" level) * **Finishes:** 7/10 (as long as travertine is in style) The overall critique suggests that while the property has some appealing features like the extensive use of travertine and good spacing in some areas, it suffers from significant design flaws related to its location, lot utilization, and a missed opportunity to create a truly luxurious and functional living experience, especially for its $57 million price tag. The reviewer recommends a previously critiqued property by the same developer as a significantly better investment.