Built in 1962-'63, the home is known as the Sherwood residence for its first owners. The designer, A. Quincy Jones, is among a number of prominent midcentury Modernist architects whose buildings are experiencing a surge in interest from the area's well-heeled prospective buyers. Mr. Jones, who died in 1979, became prominent for bringing new ideas to what middle-income housing can look like, as well as new ideas in sustainable design, according to the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, which recently opened an exhibition on the architect's work.

Mr. LaFetra estimates putting more than $1 million into the restoration of the home, which he undertook with the aid of archival materials and blueprints. He calls his approach 'forensic,' because of his attention to detail, but also for the intuitive decisions he often has to make when faced with incomplete, and sometimes conflicting schematics he finds in his research. This walkway water feature is a new addition.

Mr. LaFetra said he scanned 'about 100 pages' of correspondence between the owners, the architect and the contractors to piece together his understanding of the space. When he bought the home, there was red brick flooring in the living space. After some research, he decided that terrazzo flooring, a composite-stone mix, would be more period-relevant to the space. The new flooring and sunken living area is shown.

'You would expect when you walk into such an epic space to feel dwarfed, like walking into Grand Central station,' Mr. LaFetra said, 'It's actually almost a calm that hits you as you walk into the front door,' he said. A sitting area in the home's high-ceiling living space is shown. The roughly 6,000-square-foot home has four bedrooms and 4½ bathrooms. He said he added about 600 square feet to the home to create a new room and deck area.

Mr. LaFetra is the owner of Foundation Films, a movie-production company that has produced films like the HBO documentary 'Kevorkian.' A view of the new water-feature walkway is shown.

As with many midcentury Modern restorations he has been involved with, Mr. LaFetra says much of the work involved replacing infrastructure. 'Name an issue and we had [it],' he says, including replacements in plumbing, electronics and the addition of some solar panels on the roof. The kitchen is shown.

Other changes can be immediately appreciated. Mr. LaFetra said he installed a 'disappearing' window in the kitchen that overlooks the water feature. The large glass panel, shown in this nighttime image, can be fully retracted into a hidden compartment to open the space to the outdoors. 'I lovingly refer to it as the Prius [window], because that's about what it cost,' he said, laughing. He estimates it cost about $35,000.

Mr. LaFetra always planned to sell the home, but as with other restorations he has been involved in, there's always a bit of hesitation. 'There's a moment where I think 'OK, we're going to move here,'' he said. So far he has decided to keep three of the homes he has restored for his personal use. His primary residence is in Brentwood, Calif., he said.

The home was listed in June for just under $12 million with Cory Weiss of Partners Trust Real Estate in Beverly Hills.