For the past couple of decades, Hollywood director Michael Bay has been pulling from his $450 million billfold to buy up several ritzy properties along both U.S. coasts. There’s the 17,500-square-foot Miami manse along the Intracoastal Waterway Bay, which he purchased from former wrestling superstar Hulk Hogan back in 2007 for $17 million and still owns today, plus a custom-built contemporary megamansion in Bel Air.
One lesser-known home of the filmmaker behind the action-packed, big-budget blockbusters like the “Transformers” series, “The Rock,” “Armageddon” and “Pearl Harbor,” though: his onetime starter pad in Brentwood’s rustic Mandeville Canyon area. Long occupied by his mother, Bay plunked down $3.4 million to purchase the relatively modest three-bedroom, four-bath dwelling way back in 2005. Now, the place has popped back up up for grabs with a $4.5 million ask.
Designed by Los Angeles-based Rockefeller/Hricak architects and built in 2002, the modern, boxy abode was crafted using steel, glass, concrete, and wood, and rests on a 0.3-acre parcel of land. Nestled in a secluded canyon locale that’s gated and set off from the street by a private drive, the house has 3,248 square feet of light-filled/indoor-outdoor living space on three levels, all of it enhanced by walls of glass, hardwood floors, and maple and cherry wood built-ins throughout.
On the main floor, a step-down living room features a fireplace. There are also family and dining rooms, each sporting fireplaces and vaulted ceilings. A gourmet kitchen is equipped with a center island and stainless appliances, and there’s also a den and separate office. The home’s upper level holds all three bedrooms, including a master retreat with wraparound windows, a private balcony, and limestone-clad bath outfitted with dual vanities, a soaking tub and walk-in shower.
Rounding it all out: a large open space on the lower level that could easily function as a playroom, gym or movie theater, and park-like grounds dotted with eucalyptus and sycamore trees, gravel paths, a grassy lawn, courtyards and patios.
David Offer of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties holds the listing.