JUST FOR SHOW : Pasadena Junior Philharmonic Gives Designers a 21-Room Salute

FOR ITS 25TH annual Pasadena Showcase House of Design, the Pasadena Junior Philharmonic Committee has undertaken its most ambitious project yet. Thirty-two interior designers have lavishly decorated the 21-room house, which opens today in La Canada Flintridge.

Built in 1924, the Mediterranean villa has Spanish and Italian architectural details such as massive chimneys and oversized urns. The conservatory, at right, was refurbished by San Marino interior designer Libby Ferraro, who explains: “I tried to enhance the dramatic yet ethereal quality of light by warming it with gold and keeping the other colors hushed and mellow.” Outside on the 5-acre estate, 26 landscapers have designed areas that include a motor court, a waterfall, a gazebo, a swimming pool, and sculpture and herb gardens.

The house is open through May 21, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends. Admission, $15. Reservations are required. Telephone (818) 792-4661.

Gilded walls by Joe Fenzl, Decorative Arts of Los Angeles; floors by Jim Byrne; upholstered furniture from Beverly Interiors; draperies from The Only One; antique rug from Pashgian Bros.; antique chandelier from Charles Hollis Jones; art from DeVorzon Gallery; coffee table from DeBenedictis, and fabrics from Scalamandre.

Other Southland Showcases

PALOS VERDES ESTATES, April 28 through May 21: Sandpiper’s 15th Annual Design House, 903 Via Coronel. This newly completed 6,000-square-foot Mediterranean-style house, designed by architect Donald E. Hendrickson, features the work of 20 designers. Open from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays; from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Fridays, and from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekends. Admission, $10. Telephone (213) 541-3481.

WHITTIER, through May 21: Whittier Design House ‘89, 6045 Painter St. Built in 1916, this 3,300-square-foot English-style brick-and-shingle house, damaged in the October, 1987, earthquake, has been restored by 14 designers. Open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily except Fridays; from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays; closed Mondays. Admission, $12. Telephone (213) 694-4344 or (213) 945-8888.

VENTURA, through May 21: Ventura County Symphony League Design House ‘89, 1811 Marisol Drive. Built in 1927, this Mediterranean-style home, which has more than 3,500 square feet in the main house and a guest house, has been transformed by 21 interior designers. Open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and from noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Admission, $10. Telephone (805) 643-8646.