Craftsman-inspired compound in Pasadena
This Pasadena compound, with a house, guesthouse and separate guest studio set in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, was built with a craftsman’s eye for detail and a passion for nature and art.
Inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, the main house was designed by owner Larry Lenander and his wife, Alma Thomas. Rebuilt from an 1887 Victorian home, it was renovated from the studs up in 2002 and transformed into a modern Craftsman.
“I’d been in construction for a long time and wanted to do our version of a Craftsman,” Lenander says. “Most Craftsman homes have low ceilings, so this is not a purist translation, but we wanted it to be nice and bright.”
In front of the main house, a 600-square-foot porch sits beneath a roof supported by steel columns hidden inside sycamore trunks split in half to wrap around the support beams. Stone masonry walkways, fountains and an orchard of 27 fruit trees — including orange, lemon, peach and pomegranate — are part of the more than half-acre property.
Inside, nooks and alcoves create natural display spaces for artwork. Period touches such as window seats and Art Deco light fixtures blend with the modern convenience of multi-zone central air conditioning and a four-camera security system.
Windows from the original 1887 house are incorporated into the modern framework, along with reclaimed material. The ceiling in the library uses lumber and beams from a demolished commercial building in Pasadena, and wide plank flooring throughout the house was fashioned out of bleacher seats from Norwalk High School.
The foyer leads to a game room and half bath. The dining room opens to a sitting room with a view of the backyard and patio. Off the sitting room is a master bedroom and a bathroom with a tub and rainhead shower. A guest bedroom completes one wing of the house.
On the other side of the sitting room are the library and the kitchen, which features a 4-by-8-foot chopping block with stools as a center island. On one side of the room are a pastry bar with a wood-burning pizza oven and a built-in espresso bar with a sink.
Upstairs is a second master suite with a balcony, walk-in closet and laundry room.
The grounds feature an outdoor fireplace, a barbecue area with fountains, and a heated saltwater lap pool. The nearby guesthouse includes a bedroom, bathroom, living room with fireplace and kitchen with built-in vintage banquette seating.
On the other side of the guesthouse, a driveway doubles as a basketball half court with a Craftsman-style wooden backboard. Adjoining a two-car garage is a studio apartment with a built-in Murphy bed and bathroom.
A barn built in 1887 can function as a second two-car garage. It is now used as a wood shop.
To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, send high-resolution color photos on a CD, caption information, the name of the photographer and a description of the house to Lauren Beale, Business, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Questions may be sent to homeoftheweek@latimes.com.
