Second homes are often framed as vacation pads. But for Hollywood’s film and TV actors, they’re more often work homes. Even with the total number of shooting days shrinking as productions move to other hotspots like Toronto or Atlanta, Los Angeles still hosts roughly a fifth of scripted projects in North America. Proximity matters. For actors flying into LA for spells in front of the camera, the solution is a low-key base they can occupy for the stretch, then leave.
Rob Lowe is one such star. His primary base is in Montecito. When work called, he tucked into a private canyon aerie at 1853 Franklin Canyon Drive. Now, perhaps because of recent projects—from hosting The Floor to the forthcoming The Third Parent—pulling him out of the country, he’s letting his LA hideaway go for $4.2 million.
Followers of Lowe’s recent real estate comings and goings will know that the star has been quite active. In October 2020, Lowe and his wife, Sheryl Berkoff, sold their custom-built Oakview estate off-market for about $45.5 million. Weeks later, they picked up a smaller Montecito property near Coast Village Road for roughly $5.2 million, then renovated and resold it off-market in early 2022 for $14.9 million. That same season, local records tied the couple to Stonehedge on Hot Springs Road at around $13 million, reinforcing their foothold in the area.
To call Lowe’s home in the Beverly Hills Post Office district (BHPO) a pied-à-terre undersells it. The house spans just under 3,000 square feet across two levels, with three bedrooms and four and a half baths. Built in 1950, it reads clean and contemporary today, thanks to renovations overseen during Lowe’s tenure.
The house opens with a single sweep of public space. Wide-plank oak underfoot. An inky fireplace anchors the living room and carries its warmth into the adjacent kitchen, sleek with black surfaces and streamlined with custom cabinetry and Viking appliances. A nearby wet bar tucks in a Monogram wine-and-beverage fridge.
Oversized glass French doors open to a covered patio that hangs above the canyon. Up here, dinner stretches long into the evening while hillside views shift from green to shadow. Along the main hallway, two bedrooms offer privacy from the public rooms, including the primary suite. The suite adds a fitted walk-in closet and a balcony set behind more windowed French doors.
Downstairs brings a second living zone, more casual and ready to take advantage of the backyard amenities. A den with French doors leads to a covered patio, a powder room, a corner office niche and a full guest-bedroom suite. The gym and laundry sit nearby and could be reimagined as additional bed and bath if needed.
Outside, privacy is not just a promise on a listing sheet, it’s the product of siting and careful planting. The property rests at the end of the street as the road curls into the hillside, while tall ficus hedges wrap the backyard to close the loop. Within that green envelope are the pieces that define off-duty Los Angeles. A pool and spa for hot days and late nights. A shaded terrace for meals when the California sun proves too strong. A small putting green set off to the side for a quick reset between calls.
Lowe wired the property for vigilance, adding a full security suite. Discreet cameras read the angles and the approach, fitting for someone long used to a life in front of lenses. And it isn’t only the house, but the neighborhood as well. At the mouth of the street, a sign signals filming in progress while additional cameras keep watch from above.
Security is part of BHPO’s draw. So is the map. The enclave offers a Los Angeles address with a woodsy Beverly Hills canyon mood and fast routes to studios on the Westside and in the Valley. And for those not part of the sound stage set (or not yet) it’s a rare pocket of privacy where commuters and hikers cross paths each morning.
The listing for 1853 Franklin Canyon Drive is held by Shana Tavangarian of Carolwood Estates. Carolwood Estates is a member of Forbes Global Properties, an invitation-only network of top-tier independent brokerages worldwide and the exclusive real estate partner of Forbes.