Sam Palmer and his wife have a hard time staying in one place.
“Me and Petra can never sit still for more than two minutes,” Palmer said in an interview, referring to his wife, Petra Ecclestone. “We get the itch.”
That’s what inspired them to purchase a newly built mansion in Brentwood, California, for $30.5 million in 2023. They’ve spent much of the past two years making the seven-bedroom, 12-bathroom, 13,500-square-foot property their own, according to Palmer.
“It was just a pure flat dirt lot — with a house on it,” he said of the home. “There was nothing at the back of our house when we bought it. It was a chain-link fence, so we had to literally build a garden.”
Now, “the itch” that drove the couple to buy the house is part of what's inspired them to sell it, Palmer said.
The property hit the market on May 7, according to a listing on Homes.com. It’s listed for nearly $42 million. Palmer holds the listing alongside Blair Chang. Both agents are with The Agency.
A spec house becomes a 'cozy' home
Palmer and Ecclestone — the heiress to Formula 1 racing — have a track record of buying, renovating and selling houses in the Los Angeles area, Palmer said.
“We’ve done it now multiple times, and it always gets better than the last,” he added. “We’ve been quite successful at it.”
When the couple found the property at 205 S. Rockingham Ave. in 2023, Palmer said they were attracted to its location and land.
“[It’s an] amazing street with walkability to Brentwood Country Club, and that was really what drew us to it,” he said. “It’s got insane privacy, so it’s not overlooked by anybody. The lot was amazing.”
After purchasing the property, the couple got to work turning the spec house into a place they could call home. Palmer handled the landscaping, while Ecclestone managed the interior updates.
Inside, the focus was on “neutral tones” and creating a “very cozy, very homey” feel, Palmer said.
“She is always right on the interiors,” Palmer added. “I’ve learned, never go near the interiors because she is the best at it.”
Other interior amenities include a guest suite, golf simulator, gym, theater and staff area, according to the listing on Homes.com.
A backyard that was built for wellness
When it came to landscaping the property, Palmer said he had a themed approach: “We wanted wellness.”
That meant adding a pool and a wooden deck. A cold and hot plunge pool is nestled into the deck.
Beyond the pool area, there’s a soccer pitch that could be turned into other types of sports courts, Palmer said.
In the back corner of the yard, the couple — who share four kids — also added a “fantastic tree house, which is kind of like an architectural masterpiece,” Palmer said.
“We really wanted to utilize everything,” he added.
The couple doesn't have plans to settle down anytime soon
Now, Palmer said his family is looking for their next project, likely in a new part of Los Angeles, maybe somewhere with a horse farm for his daughter, he added.
"We're definitely staying in L.A.," he said. "Moving is a little bit based on the kids' school and things like that because our kids lost their schools in the fires. So that's been a little bit of a thing for us."
Brentwood borders Pacific Palisades, one of the neighborhoods destroyed in January's Palisades fire. Though that's had some impact on the way people in the neighborhood live — for example, kids finding new schools — Palmer said he thinks the property is unique enough to find a buyer quickly.
"Special homes are selling at higher prices across Los Angeles,” he said. “There’s been clamor for big properties and trophy listings.”
As for their future plans, Palmer said he doesn't think he and his wife will ever really stay in one spot. But he did note that leaving his Brentwood home will be more difficult than usual.
"This will be the one home that will be really, really, really difficult to let go. I literally love this place,” he said.