Although the property actually sold back in March, right as the Los Angeles COVID-19 lockdowns were just beginning, it’s only now that Reese Witherspoon‘s stealthy acquisition of a trophy Brentwood compound has become public knowledge. The Academy Award-winning actress-turned-media mogul and her husband Jim Toth quietly bent and snapped their way into the bucolic estate, which happens to be one of the most private properties on L.A.’s Westside.
That’s not an exaggeration. The house is tucked securely away in nature, lying deep within one of Brentwood’s best-known canyons, on a private road and behind a massive driveway gate that effectively shields the entire three-acre property from prying eyes. Behind the gate, a winding driveway leads down to a formal circular motorcourt beside the English Country-style mansion, with its three-car attached garage.
Built in 1993, the house is of “massive scale,” per the listing, and packs seven ensuite bedrooms into more than 9,500 square feet of rambling living space. Behind the stone-clad façade lies an enormous foyer with dark brown hardwood floors, dark brown ceiling beams, and an elegant staircase that soars up to a spacious landing. Public rooms include a fireplace-equipped living room, a wood-paneled library, formal dining room, and a more intimate breakfast room off the kitchen, where the marble countertops and abundant stainless appliances — four huge ovens, no less — are guaranteed to impress any chef.
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The upstairs master bedroom is best described as cavernous, with its vaulted ceiling nearly touching the heavens and a private sitting area that’s bigger than some living rooms. There are dual master baths, at least one of them with a built-in soaking tub, and an oversized closet with built-in shelving. Elsewhere on the upper level are four additional family bedrooms, plus two staff suites downstairs for the live-in help. Running an estate of this size, with a massive main house and acres of manicured grounds requires the help of a well-oiled staff machine, of course.
Speaking of the grounds, most of the main floor rooms have banks of French doors that open to various parts of the gardens. The verdant and abundantly private yard is best described as park-like or heavenly. Squint your eyes and the sprawling lawns and dozens of mature trees all appear to be touched by an angel, plus there’s a full-size saltwater swimming pool with spa, and an outdoor kitchen services the al fresco dining patios, some of them warmed by a large outdoor fireplace.
It isn’t a surprise that Witherspoon would be in the market for a new home, though she has yet to move into this particular property. Over the last year, the “Legally Blonde” star has been on a selling spree of sorts, dumping her $17 million Pacific Palisades mansion to AutoZone heiress Robin Formanek and offloading her charming Malibu ranch for $6.7 million to real estate heiress Meg Haney. For now, though, she’s still holding onto an elegant part-time home in Nashville, back in her native Tennessee.
Drew Fenton of Hilton & Hyland and Dena Luciano of Douglas Elliman jointly held the listing; Tami Pardee and Matt Freeman of Halton Pardee and Partners repped Witherspoon.