Whimsy from the ground up
Cesar De La Parra, an L.A.-based clothing designer, spent much of his spare time during the last four years working on a house instead of a blouse.
The focus of his attention was a whimsical South Pasadena home that blends multiple styles, including Mediterranean and French Revival.
The result is what listing agents are marketing as “a restoration rarely seen.”
The masonry home was the subject of an episode of HGTV’s “Landscapers’ Challenge,” in which Pasadena-based landscape designer and contractor Gary Sewell Jr. worked with De La Parra to upgrade the frontyard by adding terraced steps and water features.
The show described the towering three-story residence, which has elaborate brickwork and a mansard roof, as an Italian castle.
De La Parra now lives half of the year outside of the United States, however, and that leaves him with little time to spend on a house. So he has put it on the market.
About this house: Even from the time it was constructed in 1925, the house was distinguished by its design and craftsmanship, according to research by Pasadena-based historian Tim Gregory, also known as “The Building Biographer.”
It was built by Dr. Elwood Webb, a physician, “with the help of day workers,” according to the building permit.
The cost of construction was $20,000, a substantial sum considering that the average home could be built at the time for $5,000 or less. Gregory surmises that the wrought-iron front gates’ spider-web design is a play on the last name of the original owners.
Asking price: $3,190,000
Size: The home has five bedrooms and 4 1/2 bathrooms in 5,292 square feet. The lot size is 20,778 square feet.
Features: There are dramatic canyon views, eight fireplaces, a fully restored grand ballroom, a two-story atrium and a one-bedroom guesthouse. De La Parra also installed two waterfalls, one of which empties into a spa in the lower yard.
Where: 1324 Gates Place, South Pasadena, where an open house will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. today.
Listing agent: Randal Smith, (310) 859-6278, and Mark Bessey, (310) 281-3906, both of Coldwell Banker, Beverly Hills East.
To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, please send color interior and exterior photos on a CD with a brief description of the images and details on the house, including what makes the property unusual, to Ruth Ryon, Real Estate Section, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012; or e-mail homeoftheweek@latimes.com.
