Trousdale Estates: Beverly Hills' Premier Mid-Century Modern Neighborhood

MCG Official ✓ Fact Checked by For The Writers
Feb 17
6 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

Perched high above the city, Trousdale Estates remains one of the most exclusive and architecturally significant enclaves in Los Angeles. Developed beginning in the mid-1950s by real estate visionary Paul Trousdale, the neighborhood was conceived as a luxury showcase for modernist living—pairing sleek design with panoramic views stretching from downtown L.A. to the Pacific. With strict design covenants and a roster of legendary architects, Trousdale became a curated haven of mid-century elegance. Today, it continues to attract collectors, celebrities, and design aficionados drawn to its rare combination of privacy, prestige, and architectural pedigree.

2025 Trousdale Estates Market Overview

As of February 2025, the average home value in Trousdale Estates is approximately $7,420,000, reflecting a 6% decrease year-over-year.

Home Age: Predominantly built between 1954 and the early 1970s, with later renovations and occasional rebuilds

Median Sale Price: $10,550,000
Current Listing Prices: $8,995,000 to $54,850,000
Recent Closed Sales: $4,100,000 to $28,000,000
Median Price per Square Foot: Ranges from $2,300 to $2,900, depending on condition and location

As a point of comparison, the median sales price for a single-family home in Beverly Hills was $8.475 million in Q4 2024, marking a 21.1% increase from Q3 2023. While the broader Beverly Hills market has seen substantial appreciation, Trousdale Estates has experienced a modest softening in prices, driven in part by limited inventory and the cyclical nature of the ultra-luxury segment.

Still, demand remains strong for historically significant homes—particularly those with architectural provenance and unobstructed views.

The History of Trousdale Estates in Beverly Hills

Trousdale Estates occupies land that was once part of the expansive Doheny Ranch, formerly owned by oil tycoon Edward L. Doheny. In the mid-1950s, developer Paul Trousdale acquired the property with a bold vision: to create a prestigious residential enclave that married luxury living with the cutting-edge principles of modernist architecture.

To bring that vision to life, Trousdale assembled a roster of iconic architects who shaped mid-century design. Each home was required to meet rigorous architectural standards set by a dedicated design review board. Among those who contributed to the neighborhood’s architectural pedigree were:

A. Quincy Jones – Celebrated for his refined, indoor-outdoor spatial concepts
Wallace Neff – Known for his influential California architecture, though less aligned with mid-century modernism
Lloyd Wright – Son of Frank Lloyd Wright, incorporating organic modernist ideals
Harold Levitt – Designer of glamorous modernist residences for Hollywood’s elite
Richard Neutra – A pioneer of International Style and minimalist residential design
Paul R. Williams – One of the most prolific architects in Los Angeles, blending elegance with innovation
Cliff May – Credited with developing the California Ranch style

Despite the diversity of voices, the homes adhered to a cohesive ethos: low-slung profiles, clean lines, and a seamless connection to the landscape. The result was a curated modernist community unlike anything else in Beverly Hills.

From its inception, Trousdale Estates attracted a roster of high-profile residents—from Hollywood royalty to industry moguls—cementing its legacy as one of the most exclusive and architecturally significant neighborhoods in Los Angeles.

Mid-Century Modern Design in Trousdale Estates

What sets Trousdale Estates apart isn’t just its location—it’s the architectural mandate that shaped nearly every lot. From the outset, Paul Trousdale enforced strict design standards to ensure a unified aesthetic grounded in the emerging principles of mid-century modernism. The result is one of the most concentrated and intact neighborhoods of mid-century architecture in the world.

Signature design features in Trousdale Estates include:

Expansive Glass Walls – Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass panels frame uninterrupted views from the hills of Beverly Hills toward the Pacific Ocean, Downtown L.A., and the San Gabriel Mountains. These walls often disappear entirely, dissolving the boundary between interior and exterior.
Flat, Shed, and Butterfly Rooflines – Roofs were intentionally kept low and linear to preserve views across neighboring lots. Many homes feature dramatic overhangs for passive climate control and a clean horizontal silhouette against the ridgelines.
Open Floor Plans – Interior spaces were designed without excess partitioning, encouraging flow between living, dining, and outdoor areas. Many original homes included sunken living rooms and custom furniture to enhance that openness.
Post-and-Beam Construction – Exposed beams and floating planes give the structures a sense of lightness and rhythm. This method allowed for greater spans of glass and fewer load-bearing walls, reinforcing the feeling of openness.
Indoor-Outdoor Living – Many Trousdale homes wrap around internal courtyards or feature rear-facing infinity pools, landscaped terraces, and outdoor lounges—all oriented to maximize privacy and embrace Southern California’s climate.

Because Trousdale was developed from scratch with modernism in mind, the entire neighborhood operates as a curated gallery of architectural experimentation—one that still honors the original design language while adapting to modern luxury. It’s not just that the homes are beautiful; it’s that the landscape, the views, and the architecture were planned to work as one.

A Celebrity-Favorite Neighborhood

From its inception, Trousdale Estates was built to attract the elite—and it did. Designed with strict architectural guidelines, sweeping views, and discreet lot lines that preserved privacy without sacrificing drama, the neighborhood quickly became a magnet for Hollywood’s biggest names. Elvis Presley purchased his Trousdale home in 1967, a mid-century stunner on Hillcrest Road where he lived for several years and famously entertained guests. Frank Sinatra was another early resident, drawn to the neighborhood’s modernist appeal and seclusion, as was Dean Martin, whose striking Harold Levitt–designed home became a social hub of the Rat Pack era. Comedian Groucho Marx and former President Richard Nixon also lived in Trousdale, underscoring the neighborhood’s broad appeal across cultural and political lines.

In more recent decades, Trousdale has continued to attract high-profile residents who value both its history and its design pedigree. Jennifer Aniston, Ellen DeGeneres, and Ringo Starr are among the celebrities who have purchased and restored original mid-century homes in the area, often working with architects and preservationists to retain their homes’ character while integrating modern amenities. These restorations have helped maintain the architectural integrity of the neighborhood, keeping Trousdale Estates not just relevant, but revered—as much a status symbol for the design-obsessed as it is a private refuge for the world’s most watched.

Preservation and Modern Revitalization

In a city where teardown culture often reigns, Trousdale Estates stands as a rare example of architectural stewardship. While many Los Angeles neighborhoods have seen their original mid-century homes gutted or replaced by oversized new builds, Trousdale has remained a stronghold for preservation. Thanks to vigilant homeowners, thoughtful developers, and strict city-imposed covenants established by Paul Trousdale himself, the neighborhood has retained much of its original character. Many of the homes have undergone painstaking restorations—replacing clerestory windows with period-accurate glass, restoring redwood siding, reviving original terrazzo floors, and sourcing or recreating built-in furnishings originally designed for the space.

At the same time, a wave of modern revitalization has brought these homes into the 21st century without compromising their architectural soul. Smart home integrations, discreet solar panels, and expanded glass-walled living areas are increasingly common, as are subterranean additions that preserve the low-slung silhouettes of the original structures while adding contemporary functionality. High-end renovations often include custom kitchens, luxury baths, and climate-control upgrades, all executed with deference to the original vision. Trousdale’s strict building regulations—limiting roof height, restricting second stories, and requiring architectural review—continue to serve as a bulwark against incongruous development. The result is a rare balancing act: a neighborhood where history and innovation coexist, and where mid-century modernism is not only preserved, but actively lived in and reimagined.

The Real Estate Market in Trousdale Estates

Today, Trousdale Estates ranks among the most expensive and competitive neighborhoods in Beverly Hills, with home prices ranging from approximately $9 million to well over $50 million, depending on architectural pedigree, lot size, and view orientation. Properties with unaltered mid-century provenance—particularly those designed by iconic architects or once owned by celebrities—often command premiums and attract global buyers seeking one-of-a-kind estates.

The value proposition is rooted in four defining traits: architectural significance, panoramic views stretching from Downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific, unmatched celebrity cachet, and a prime location minutes from the Sunset Strip and Rodeo Drive. These qualities make Trousdale Estates one of the most desirable luxury real estate markets in the country, where bidding wars are not uncommon, and well-restored homes frequently sell for record-breaking prices per square foot.

Final Thoughts

Trousdale Estates is more than a neighborhood—it’s a curated archive of mid-century modernism set against the hills of Beverly Hills. With its low-slung silhouettes, glass-walled living spaces, and master-planned design integrity, the area preserves some of the most important residential architecture of the 20th century. It’s a place where design history and market demand intersect, where the vision of Paul Trousdale and the legacy of modernist greats continue to shape how we define luxury, livability, and architectural relevance in Southern California.

For collectors, preservationists, and lovers of design, Trousdale Estates remains a crown jewel—living proof that timeless architecture not only endures, but continues to lead.

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