Brits & Mortar

HISTORY & CONCEPT

In Hollywood’s golden years, celebrities and LA’s biggest stars occupied massive, teetering hillside homes – with unmatched views and the drama to parallel their careers. Unfortunately for Los Angeles, earthquakes are a very real threat for hillside dwellers, and occupying a stilted home means literal collapse when they happen. This style of luxury home was abandoned in the late 60s, but California builders still remain wary of the property too close to the cliff’s edge.

At the heart of Jon and Dougal’s business is providing the luxury market with an innovative new way to get those jaw-dropping Hollywood views: the secret is in the foundation. Because stilted houses are dated and unsafe, the team at Racing Green invests upwards of half a million dollars into custom, state-of-the-art foundations so that cliffside views can still be a reality for buyers with deep pockets- even though other builders have timidly written them off as too dangerous. They probably don’t ride motorcycles either.

1. REAL ESTATE: APARTMENT & HOME

As licensed real estate agents, Jon and Dougal’s work doesn’t just start and end at the construction site. They have perfected the role of greater LA’s go-to elevated fixer-upper duo, taking on Pasadena canyon homes with hidden potential or a downtown LA loft apartment in need of some TLC. Every episode, as a beat beneath their big-scale construction, they’ll work with a deep-pocketed buyer to tour LA properties, helping clients unlock the possibilities in houses with the potential to turn heads. In a world where everything looks like Joanna Gaines, their design style is as diverse as the city itself. A Spanish- Style Colonial, Concrete Contemporary, industrial-chic Loft, or Mid-Century Classic-- nothing is out of their range of prospective design.

2. DREAM-SCAPING

Occasionally, Jon and Dougal’s celebrity clientele manage to secure the perfect home, but the new owners have yet to capitalize on the view. Launching their custom concrete and paving division a few years ago, the team has yet to meet an exterior they couldn’t turn into a tricked-out vista or a calming cabana. At Racing Green they believe that the outdoor ‘money shot’ design is just as crucial as stunning interiors. After all, in LA, people shamelessly judge a book by its cover.

3. PERSONAL PROPERTY & ENDEAVORS

Recent personal purchases have the guys running together –and separately- through the neighborhoods of LA and beyond to manage their own risky purchases ... and their significant others. Jon, having just taken things to the next level in his relationship, is preparing a converted loft in the center of West Hollywood so he and his girlfriend can move in together. Gulp. Dougal cruises back and forth to Palm Springs with his wife in tow, as the process of revamping their stunning Spanish-style home is underway. Upon completion, Dougal wants to sell this desert oasis but his wife may have other ideas. In fact, she definitely has other ideas.

4. MANAGING JOB SITES

Waking up on a typical Monday morning, Jon and Dougal head to the job site of their largest build- a $7 million hillside home being constructed from the ground up. Casual. Beyond the nuts and the bolts (really, really big bolts), the even more unpredictable challenge begins: managing a team of 30-40 men in 110-degree heat after a weekend of heavy drinking and who knows what else. To quote Dougal when asked about this part of the job, ‘It’s more drama than a Colombian soap opera’. Understood.

5. RENTAL PROPERTIES

Since moving across the pond to LA, Dougal has lived entirely mortgage free (what?) in his predictably stunning home by managing and maintaining fabulous rental properties. With hopeful renters booked up to five months in advance- he knows the earning potential that lies in catering to tourists who want to see La La Land in style. When you have the design chops to create a luxury short-term rental experience with premium locations and views, collecting top-dollar from bougie travelers is a breeze. Dougal never tires of pinpointing these untapped gems- even helping clients do the same- and using his real estate savvy to market these bad boys to death.

6. CLIENTELE

From music producers to Hollywood directors, the Racing Green client roster is star-studded.  And getting them to show up is only half the battle.

• Kathleen Kennedy

• Frank Marshall

• Pat Crowley

• Vanessa Hudgens

• Amazon Executives

• Industry Lawyers

• Jeremy Rose (Producer for the Wknd)

• Datzik

• Celebrity DJs