This $15M Big Bear Estate Looks Beyond the Traditional Mountain House

Big Bear has long been a low-key escape for Hollywood, with everyone from Britney Spears and Richard Karn to boxer Oscar De La Hoya owning or spending time in the mountain community. But the lake has historically been better known for cozy cabins and A-frames than for the highly designed houses found in Aspen or Tahoe.

That may be starting to change. A new lakefront property called Waterview is coming to market for $15 million, bringing nearly 10,000 square feet of contemporary design to about 1.5 acres with 100 feet of direct frontage on Big Bear Lake. It’s one of the more ambitious residential projects to hit the area and a good example of how the look of Big Bear is evolving.

The house was developed by Los Angeles couple Beau Laughlin and Lindsey Gort, who have previously worked on homes in Palm Springs and Lake Arrowhead. Laughlin, who came to residential design from the restaurant world, launched his design-build firm Framework in 2018. Gort is an actress known for The Carrie Diaries and Lucifer.

The kitchen features white oak cabinetry and views of Big Bear Lake.

Nils Timm

Waterview takes the same focus on natural materials and indoor-outdoor living seen in their earlier projects and scales it up. The exterior pairs exposed beams, stone fireplaces, and a standing-seam roof with black-and-ivory siding. Inside, white oak covers the ceilings, walls, cabinetry, and staircases, giving the house a warm, contemporary feel.

The seven-bedroom house has seven full bathrooms, two powder rooms, and more than 3,000 square feet of outdoor living space. The kitchen has two islands, restaurant-grade appliances, and a wood-fired pizza oven. Three primary suites have lake views and private patios with fireplaces, while a sauna and multiple fireplaces add to the retreat-like setup.

A built-in indoor fire pit is framed by floor-to-ceiling windows.

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There’s also an indoor fire pit built into the main living space, plus a nearly 1,600-square-foot garage and workshop, heated driveway, and room for boats, Jet Skis, trailers, and other lake gear. The sellers will work with the eventual buyer on a custom dock designed around their watercraft.

The property arrives as more buyers look beyond traditional vacation markets. Listing agent Neyshia Go says the post-pandemic shift toward working from home has brought more buyers from Los Angeles, Orange County, Arizona, and elsewhere to Big Bear for its mountain-and-lake lifestyle. Private aviation from the local airport adds to the appeal.

The primary suite opens onto a private terrace overlooking the water.

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Dani Rosenthal, who is co-listing the property with Go, says Big Bear’s top sales have climbed from $4.2 million to more than $8 million in two years. “Buyers who once defaulted to Tahoe or Aspen are realizing they can get direct lakefront with mountain activities an hour and a half from Los Angeles,” she says, “and now, the design quality to match.”

The area is also getting new investment. Alterra Mountain Company, the parent company of Aspen Snowmass, acquired Snow Valley in 2023 and folded it into Big Bear Mountain Resort, while the restored Hotel Marina Riviera and a new film festival are bringing fresh attention to the lake.

Click here to see more photos of this Big Bear home.

Nils Timm

Authors

Abby Montanez

Abigail Montanez is a staff writer at Robb Report. She has worked in both print and digital publishing for over half a decade, covering everything from real estate, entertainment, dining, travel to…

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This $15M Big Bear Estate Looks Beyond the Traditional Mountain House

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