California’s Ultra-Wealthy Are Building Secret Mansions Underground
If you think Southern California’s luxury homes are impressive, wait until you see what’s underground. These "iceberg homes" hide lavish basements with wine cellars, home theaters, and even intimate spaces—flooded with sunlight through clever skylights.
Category
🤖
TechTranscript
00:00You have to see the basement of this $40 million home in Brentwood.
00:03Scoring a home in California is tough enough, but the ultra-rich are literally taking it to
00:08another level. They're digging deep and building quote-unquote iceberg homes, where the real
00:13luxury lies underground. To preserve Ellie's iconic views, millionaires are building down
00:18instead of up to create spacious escapes hidden underground. As writer Candace Jackson noted,
00:24the once lowly basement has become the hottest area in home design. These spaces feature
00:29everything from wine cellars and home theaters to gyms, spas, and secret emergency bunkers.
00:34Some homeowners even add natural light wells to bring in that famous California sunshine.
00:39The concept of iceberg homes started in London, where zoning laws forced the elite to build down
00:44instead of up. The trend caught on in places like Palo Alto, and now LA has put its own glamorous
00:48spin on it. But here, no one calls them basements. Instead, they're lower levels. And they're cooler
00:54and more glamorous than you'd ever imagine. Picture billiard rooms, movie theaters, bowling
00:59alleys, and even James Bond-style hideaways. In neighborhoods like Beverly Hills, Bel Air,
01:04and Malibu, these spaces are almost a second house. And luxury developers like the Arzeman
01:09Brothers say half of their homes have basements that are fully-fledged living spaces. Building
01:14one of these spaces doesn't come cheap. A 2,000 square foot lower level can easily cost over $1.5
01:19million. And with some homes, the cost climbs into the double-digit millions. But for the wealthy,
01:25it's worth every penny, adding major value and turning their homes into private compounds where
01:30they can live, work, and play without stepping outside. And it's not just the super rich. Even
01:35in more typical neighborhoods, homeowners are getting in on the action, adding cozy lower
01:39levels with extra bedrooms and entertainment spaces. So while most of us are dreaming of
01:44upgrading, the wealthy are digging deeper, creating entire worlds beneath their homes
01:48that redefine luxury living in L.A.