In Trousdale Estates, some homes are memorable because of their architecture, some because of their views, and some because of the names attached to them. 610 Cole Place manages to capture all three. Tucked into a quiet cul-de-sac in one of Beverly Hills’ most famous mid-century enclaves, the home carries the layered identity that makes Trousdale so fascinating: late 1960’s modernism, celebrity ownership, major design reinvention, and a second life as a refined contemporary showpiece.
What makes 610 Cole Place especially compelling is the way its story spans two distinct eras. The earlier chapter is tied to Burt Reynolds, whose ownership gave the property a direct connection to the old-Hollywood celebrity culture that has long shaped Trousdale Estates. Even without the later restoration, the house already embodied the neighborhood’s core formula: a low-slung, view-oriented plan, broad glazing, strong privacy from the street, and that classic Trousdale idea of living outward toward the horizon. Contemporary property descriptions place it on a lot of nearly half an acre with broad basin and ocean-facing vistas, a setting that helps explain why so many Trousdale properties have remained so enduringly desirable across generations of homeowners.
The home’s “before” history matters because it places the property squarely within the later maturity of Trousdale Estates. By 1967, the neighborhood had already established itself as a proving ground for sleek, single-story luxury living above Sunset Boulevard, where celebrity owners, entertainment executives, and design-conscious buyers wanted homes that felt private from the approach yet dramatically open to the rear. 610 Cole Place appears to have fit that mold from the start. While not every Trousdale house became architecturally famous by name, many of the neighborhood’s best homes shared the same essentials: generous setbacks, glass walls, strong indoor-outdoor flow, and a lifestyle built around terraces, pools, and panoramic views. 610 Cole Place clearly belonged to that lineage well before its restoration.
Its modern rebirth began in 2008, when designer and developer Steve Hermann purchased the property. Hermann then embarked on a large-scale, roughly three-year transformation, investing several million dollars to push the residence into a sharper, more sculpted, more luxurious register of California modernism.
This restoration is really the hinge point in the property’s story. Before Hermann’s intervention, 610 Cole Place was already a desirable Trousdale house with history and views. Afterward, it became something else: a highly stylized modern retreat designed to appeal to a luxury buyer looking for both architectural atmosphere and turnkey glamour. The updated residence is nearly all glass, emphasizing its transparent pavilions, direct sightlines, and the kind of indoor-outdoor drama that defines upper-tier Beverly Hills living.
The next celebrated chapter came when Vera Wang acquired the home in August 2011. Shelter and lifestyle coverage from the time makes clear that Wang was drawn not only to the home’s commanding views, but also to the sophistication of Hermann’s redesign. Harper’s Bazaar described the property as a light-filled Trousdale Estates escape with “insane” views over the Los Angeles Basin and Pacific Ocean, while also noting Wang’s appreciation for Hermann’s ability to do modern “in a light way” that still felt highly sophisticated. That sensibility is important, because it suggests the restoration did not merely harden the house into a glossy object; it also preserved a sense of calm, openness, and visual ease that fit both Trousdale and Wang’s personal taste.
Seen in full, 610 Cole Place is not just a celebrity house. It is a case study in how Trousdale Estates evolves while staying true to its original DNA. The first life of the property was very much about classic late-mid-century Beverly Hills living: privacy, horizon views, and a sophisticated but understated modern plan. The second life, under Steve Hermann, amplified those qualities through a more luxurious contemporary lens, sharpening the architecture, intensifying the atmosphere, and reintroducing the home to the market as a fully reimagined design object. Vera Wang’s ownership then added another level of cultural cachet, linking the house to fashion, taste, and a broader idea of Los Angeles as a place for stylish retreat as much as public visibility.
That is what makes 610 Cole Place so memorable today. It captures the essence of Trousdale in layers: the original 1967 modern house, the Burt Reynolds chapter, the Steve Hermann restoration, and the Vera Wang era that followed. It is the kind of property that reminds you why Trousdale continues to matter. These homes are not static trophies. At their best, they are living pieces of Beverly Hills design history, continuously reinterpreted for new generations while still holding onto the qualities that made them special in the first place. At 610 Cole Place, those qualities are all still there: privacy, glass, elegance, celebrity pedigree, and that unmistakable sense of living above Los Angeles.
This property is no longer for sale.
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