February 15, 2025 Your Source for Brentwood News

Tech Entrepreneur Saves Classic 1930s Brentwood Estate From Demolition

John Herring buys Brentwood Park estate for $12.8 million

By Dolores Quintana

Tech CEO John Hering has saved a classic home in Brentwood Park as reported by The Dirt.com

Hering is a co-founder of Lookout, a company that provides security for mobile devices which is a bit ironic since he was known for scanning the cell phones of celebrities while they attended the Academy Awards. He was a hacker in his youth and also performed the feat of hacking into a Nokia headset from 1.2 miles away, which was a record at the time. 

Unfortunately in the history of real estate in Los Angeles, too many historic mansions and other properties have been demolished by new owners. Some of the more famous examples of this happening were the demolition of the Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford’s Pickfair Estate in Beverly Hills by Pia Zadora and her former husband Meshulam Riklis in 1990 and the destruction of The Enchanted Hill in Beverly Crest which was designed by architect Wallace Neff. Many times the vanity of the new owners takes over and the classic homes are replaced by modern eyesores but even more egregious is when the historic building is destroyed and the new owner never bothers to build a new home on the site. 

The Los Angeles real estate market is extremely competitive and prime properties are both expensive and rare. With this type of highly competitive market, it is a situation that can lead to the loss of more historically valuable structures. Many rich potential buyers have no interest in sinking money into maintaining a property that needs care and attention. 

The home that Hering bought is described, according to The Dirt.com as a “nearly 5,000-square-foot place as an “enchanting 1936 Neo-Georgian Revival manor” that had been “well-maintained” for the past 61 years by the same family, but also noted that buyers were free to demolish the structure and “build an elegant new home” in its place.” The sellers listed it as a tear down costing $14 million but the San Francisco-based Hering picked it up for $12.8 million. 

Even though the area is filled with new and larger estates, Hering decided instead to give the property a renovation and update the decor. While people might criticize the renovations, although no one really knows everything about them, the key point is that the house has survived intact and has not fallen victim to the urge to raze estates to custom build new ones. 

Hering is actually from Newport Beach and graduated from USC. He is 39 years old and a VY Capital partner. His company Lookout was valued at $1 billion in 2014, which means that Hering is a very rich man. 

The estate is located in the middle of the street’s block on an exclusive street in a very prestigious neighborhood. The home is 86 years old and still retains an awe-inspiring aura. The home has an ivy hedge, and gates that open into the driveway that passed through an old-style formal lawn area to a porte-cochère.

The site is nearly three-quarters of an acre has a detached garage with tandem parking that can hold three cars and has a workshop. 

The home itself has a curved staircase inside the foyer that leads up to the second floor which houses all four of the home’s bedrooms. Left of the foyer on the first floor is a living room with a fireplace, hardwood flooring and rich green wallpaper. The glass solarium gives the residents a view of the backyard and there is yet another fireplace within the area. 

The family room is wood-paneled and comfortable and yes, has another fireplace. There is a formal dining room that has a more delicate wallpaper color scheme. The kitchen is not the large gourmet showcase that many contemporary have but it has been significantly upgraded with stainless steel appliances and has ample storage space. 

The master bedroom upstairs comes with a separate sitting room that links to one of the other bedrooms. The walls are yellow and green mixed together and the doors are blue. The hardwood flooring on this level is much darker than on the first floor. 

Outdoors, the lawns surround a swimming pool of much more recent vintage that comes with an inset spa. The backyard has mature trees that provide luxuriant shade.

Related Posts

UCLA Suspends Pro-Palestinian Student Groups Following Protest at UC Regent’s Home

February 13, 2025

February 13, 2025

Chancellor Cites Potential Student Code Violations; Student Groups Reject Allegations UCLA has suspended two pro-Palestinian student organizations following a protest...

Flash Flood Warning Issued for Burn Areas, LAFD Officer Swept off Road by Debris

February 13, 2025

February 13, 2025

Storm Damage Closes Pacific Coast Highway, Officials Urge Caution Not even members of the LAFD are being spared from the...

Brentwood Crime Report: February 1, 2025 – February 8, 2025

February 13, 2025

February 13, 2025

By Senior Lead Officer Matthew Kirk For the first week of February 2025, Senior Lead Officer Matthew Kirk has written...

Culver City Police Investigate Disturbing Incident in Culver City Park

February 13, 2025

February 13, 2025

Police Secure Area as Investigation Unfolds on Thursday Morning The Culver City Police Department received a call around 7:23 a.m....

Here are Your Last Minute Ideas if You Still Haven’t Planned Your Valentine’s Day Date

February 13, 2025

February 13, 2025

Luscious Cookies, Delightful Drinks, Full Dinners at Home or In House, We’ve Got Them Okay, maybe you have been a...

Beloved Baldwin Hills Family-Owned Restaurant Post & Beam to Close After 13 Years

February 12, 2025

February 12, 2025

Community Icon Shuts Doors as Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza Redevelopment  In yet another loss for the Los Angeles culinary community,...

Santa Monica Hotel Event Space Offers Affordability, Accessibility

February 12, 2025

February 12, 2025

Elevate Your Events with Versatile Venues and Exceptional Service Coastal stays and eclectic event spaces don’t have to be expensive....

Flour Pizzeria & Cafe to Bring Brooklyn-Style Pizza to Brentwood This Week

February 12, 2025

February 12, 2025

Family-Owned Favorite from the Palisades to Open on San Vicente  Flour Pizzeria & Cafe, a restaurant from Pacific Palisades run...

(Video) The Willows Students Bring a 50-Foot Dragon to Life Through Art and Teamwork

February 12, 2025

February 12, 2025

Kristy Acero, The Willows DK-4th Grade Art teacher, led her students in a large-scale, collaborative project, with each grade creating...

ART& 2025: NeueHouse Unveils Inspiring Lineup Celebrating Feminine Leadership

February 12, 2025

February 12, 2025

Four-Day Event in Venice Beach Explores Creativity, Activism, and Cultural Impact NeueHouse has unveiled the schedule for ART& 2025, a...

Brentwood Community Council Meeting For February, First Meeting After Palisades Fire

February 11, 2025

February 11, 2025

Local Leaders, Crime Updates, and Community Discussions on the Agenda The Brentwood Community Council will host its next meeting on...

Canned Tuna Pulled from Shelves Over Botulism Contamination Risk

February 11, 2025

February 11, 2025

El Segundo Seafood Company Issues Voluntary Recall Through FDA Tri-Union Seafoods has issued a voluntary recall of certain canned tuna...

Powerful Storm to Bring Heavy Rains, Possible Debris Flow to Los Angeles

February 11, 2025

February 11, 2025

Officials Warn of Risks, Urge Residents to Prepare for Severe Weather A Pacific storm system is expected to bring widespread...

Retailers Impose Egg Purchase Restrictions as Supply Chain Disruptions Cause Concern

February 10, 2025

February 10, 2025

Egg Limits Are Back – What’s Causing the Shortage? Retailers across the United States, including Costco and Trader Joe’s, have...

Esteemed Brentwood Entertainment Reporter Sam Rubin Honored at Major Awards Ceremonies

February 10, 2025

February 10, 2025

Industry Pays Tribute to a Broadcasting Legend With Special Recognition The late Sam Rubin, a longtime and beloved entertainment reporter...