Pasadena’s taste of France

The south of France meets Pasadena’s South Arroyo in a 1923 Mediterranean Revival house designed by renowned Southern California architects Reginald Johnson, Roland Coate and George Kaufmann. Built near the edge of a bluff, the home has expansive views of the Colorado Street Bridge, the Vista del Arroyo and the San Gabriel Mountains from most of its 15 rooms.

A sloping, curved driveway winds from the street past a three-car garage and attached guesthouse up to a circular motor court at the front of the home. Mature oaks, maples and eucalyptuses tower over the verdant ground cover and add privacy. From the front, a rounded section of the façade sits at the center of a pair of rectangular wings with exterior walls sheathed in a light lemon-color stucco. Small awnings and shutters accent white-framed windows, and the pitched, shingled roof has shallow eaves.

The recessed front doorway opens into a two-story entrance hall with checkerboard black-and-white tiled floors. Straight ahead is the den, with the home’s signature dark oak floors, iron curtain rods, crown moldings and high ceilings. On one side of a fireplace, double doors open to a covered loggia and a pool area with a vine-covered cabana and a stand of large palm trees. On the other side, an arched glass door opens to the main yard. A brick walkway snakes across a wide lawn and by an outdoor living room with a fireplace set near the arroyo.

The den and entrance hall both access a large living room with frescoed walls, floor-to-ceiling windows and a fireplace with a carved wooden mantel. Double glass doors lead to a formal dining room centered by a brass and crystal chandelier. A covered porch off the dining room has been converted to a sunroom with tiled concrete floors and a bank of windows.

Beyond a remodeled butler’s pantry, the professionally updated kitchen has Thermador appliances, including a six-burner range, double oven and oversized refrigerator and freezer hidden by custom-fitted alder cabinetry. The kitchen also features Venetian plaster walls, soapstone counters, Brazilian slate and copper flooring and a set of painted tiles from Walker Zanger. A maid’s quarters off the kitchen has been converted into a home office, and a wood-and-tiled staircase with a carved balustrade winds from the kitchen to the upstairs.

The main staircase rises from the entryway to a wide landing. Double doors lead to a master suite that includes a fireplace, a narrow balcony and two walk-in closets. The master bathroom features an oversized shower and spa tub, dual copper sinks and limestone counters. A hallway off the landing provides access to three additional upstairs bedrooms, two of which include enclosed sleeping porches.

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To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, send high-resolution color photos with caption and credit information on a CD and a detailed description of the house to Lauren Beale, Business, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A., CA 90012. Questions may be sent to [email protected].