Given the temperate weather and stunning scenery of Los Angeles, it’s not hard to understand why the bright lights of Hollywood’s entertainment industry landed on the region’s sun-drenched shores. But within the vast city and its surrounding subregions lies a diverse web of culture that draws people from all over the world, including many of La-La Land’s biggest stars. AD’s March issue celebrates the style, history, and resilience of this storied, and starry, city (and we’ve partnered with the Foothill Catalog Foundation and the San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity to help raise funds to rebuild homes in the Altadena neighborhood).
Leaning into the LA love, we took a look through some of our favorite Los Angeles Open Door tours to highlight different neighborhoods, from Ellen Pompeo’s midcentury escape on a bluff in Malibu to John Legend and Chrissy Teigen’s palatial spread in Beverly Hills. Read on for a set of stunning Los Angeles Open Doors videos that just might have you dreaming of ditching the cold and heading west to the vibrant, resilient City of Angels (and celebrities).
Dakota Johnson’s Lime-Filled Lair in Hollywood
When it comes to unique features of Los Angeles Open Doors that go viral, Dakota Johnson’s predilection for citrus fruits will always reign supreme. During her 2020 tour of her Hollywood home, the star of The Materialists charmed viewers with her green kitchen and fondness for a bowl of limes. “I love them. They’re great. I love them so much, and I like to present them like this in my house,” she said, delighted by her bowl of fruit. Other gems include her outdoor table made of wood from Winston Churchill’s yacht (which no one can really sit at), a photo of her grandmother Tippi Hedren relaxing with her pet tiger, and the moment she pointed out the location where her dead cat, Chicken, is buried. We also often wonder what happened to the neighbors who squabble with her over the bamboo growing in her driveway—who she says can “shove it.” It may be important to note that a year later, Johnson shared with Jimmy Fallon that she is, in fact, not really a big fan of limes. Instead, she’s actually allergic to them. Never change, Dakota.
Jennifer Garner’s Farm-Style Spread in Brentwood
Nestled against the Santa Monica Mountains, Brentwood is one of Los Angeles’s most coveted and celebrity-filled neighborhoods. No wonder Hollywood’s most likable star, Jennifer Garner, chose the affluent hood as the spot for her farm-style home inspired by her childhood in West Virginia. Despite the nostalgic West Virginia vibe, this Brentwood beauty is overflowing with California style. Don’t miss the kitchen, where wide-beam hardwood floors and ceilings and a toasty fireplace coexist perfectly with a glass wall of windows that fully opens up to embrace that indoor-outdoor aesthetic that California living is famous for. Dip into her small backyard orchard, where apricots, cherries, and figs sit surrounded by leafy trees and Garner’s very own vegetable house. With or without a bird’s nest in the nearby passion fruit vine, the outdoor living room, where Garner entertains friends in the evening by the fire, is a dreamlike oasis for curling up next to the space heaters with a cozy blanket. She may be West Virginia-bred, but she’s a California girl these days.
Mandy Moore’s Picturesque Pasadena Home
Before Mandy Moore and family moved to another home in nearby Altadena in 2024, the actress was kind enough to show us around her then-new gem in Pasadena in this 2018 video. Perched on a ledge overlooking the mountains of the San Gabriel Valley, the sun-drenched home surrounded by flora and fauna has some serious design credentials: It was designed by architect Harold Zook. Boasting the classic midcentury features of brick accents and floor-to-ceiling glass walls, the home is exactly what one dreams of when they think of sunny Los Angeles pads: Backyard swimming pools, outdoor kitchens, and nighttime views of the shining lights of the City of Angels.
Ellen Pompeo’s Midcentury Malibu Dream House
It’s a long way from the rainy skies above Seattle Grace, but Ellen Pompeo has found her peace on the sunny shores of Malibu. A known lover of midcentury architecture, Pompeo leaned into working on the home after taking a bit of a step back from her longtime role on Grey’s Anatomy, replacing many of the walls, which had been damaged by the sea air, with glass. Tucked on a bluff overlooking the ocean, the home features a midcentury living room with a vintage sofa, marble bookshelves, and tequila-filled bar cart. And there’s the requisite pool, pool bar, and fire pit. But the home’s biggest showstopper may be the primary bathroom that’s the stuff of dreams: a glass door that opens to a private outdoor sitting area and a gigantic marble room that features an in-ground marble tub. (Pompeo admits marble isn’t exactly conducive to keeping the water warm for that long, but hey, like everything else in the house, it looks amazing.)
John Legend and Chrissy Teigen’s Beverly Hills Hideaway
No Los Angeles neighborhood has earned its rep as the iconic hotspot for wealth and grandeur like Beverly Hills, where the population of celebrities is as high as the property taxes. At John Legend and Chrissy Teigen’s peaceful Beverly Hills pad, the children’s rooms are so luxe that they fit the neighborhood’s grandiose reputation like a glove. Their daughter Luna’s bedroom is the dream of any kindergartener in or out of the 90210, fit with a jumbo slide that lands in a pastel ball pit and a purple swinging couch filled with stuffed animals. In their son Miles’s room, a Jeep bunk bed that’s the size of an actual vehicle sits next to a gigantic stuffed giraffe, while a cave and a little climbing wall are the perfect spot to get out some extra kid energy. For mom, there’s also a dual-stove open kitchen (which allows the chef to watch the swivel TV in the living room), and for dad, a piano bar that showcases the EGOT’s awards. It’s safe to say we know plenty of kids (or adults) who would choose to hang out here.
