This Redesigned Craftsmen Home in Pasadena Turns Tradition on Its Head
When Thomas Wolfe wrote his posthumously published novel You Can’t Go Home Again, he couldn’t have foreseen one Southern California-raised couple’s homeward bound determination—or the design firm that would help them reach the end of their “dream home” journey.
Situated among equally historic properties in an idyllic South Pasadena neighborhood is a Craftsman-style home that bridges its past to the future—and 117 years of history—through a thoughtful redesign. Originally built in 1908, the home had already lived a lot of life by the time architect-designer Cayley Lambur, co-founder of Los Angeles-based Electric Bowery, came along. In fact, it was her friendship with one of the homeowners that stretched years back to time spent on the East Coast that made her client’s forever home a reality. “I was friends with the husband when we both lived in New York and, actually, he invested in a couple of our early development projects when we started,” Lambur explains of the firm she conceived with Lucia Bartholomew in 2013. “He was a fan of our work and always said he hoped we’d design his home one day.”
For the clients, an active, design-savvy couple with three daughters under the age of 14, the idea of home meant digging in close to their roots. “They both grew up in South Pasadena and have deep ties to the community—they were actually living in a Craftsman [nearby] but wanted more space,” shares Lambur. “They’ve always been looking for their dream home, but the one they lived in before this was very traditional. When we started the project, they gave us a really long leash, because he wanted us to have the bandwidth and creativity to design a home we could all be really proud of.”
And, according to Electric Bowery’s design director, Daniella Gohari, what they started with was anything but livable. “When they bought the home, it hadn’t been lived in for several years—think Grey Gardens, but in Pasadena,” she says laughing. “But they’d kept their eye on it for a while; it was historic, and it had really beautiful bones.” So, when it finally hit the market, they pounced. The design team’s ensuing challenge was how to reconcile the original elements of the home while updating it for the way a family would live today. After opening up walls, raising some ceilings, adding onto the existing structure and ultimately reconfiguring the home’s flow, what they ended up with was a two-story, five-bedroom, three-full and two-half-bathroom, 6,188-square-foot urban retreat. “It’s a fresh take on an American Craftsman,” says the firm’s director of interiors, Stephanie Luk. “It’s not super serious and feels very relaxed.”
Entry Lounge
In contrast to a traditional foyer, the home’s front door opens into a light-filled lounge. “We wanted it to feel fresh and not too dark,” says Lambur. “They had this beautiful fireplace that we kept but retreated the surround—before it was this crazy river rock that’s still there, we just covered it.” Olive green tiles from Heath Ceramics frame the fireplace surround and a custom fireplace screen designed by Claire Crowe. Above the mantle is a textured multimedia work by artist Hiroko Takeda that was commissioned by the designers. The Portola chairs in oiled walnut with chestnut Paddington mohair are from Lawson-Fenning. The side table by artist James Naish was sourced by Rhett Baruch Gallery. Beneath the window is a vintage wave bench, and the area rug is from Armadillo Rugs. “It’s a lovely way to enter the home with a seating area around the fireplace.”
Living Room
A pair of Portola sofas from Lawson-Fenning flank a Linteloo Lowtide 1 coffee table in smoked oak from Hive Modern. A set of rustic midcentury oak lounge chairs from 1stDibs complete the seating area. “One of our favorite pieces in here is the Stahl + Band O Branch V chandelier,” shares Luk. “Those shades are actually ostrich eggs, and the client really loved that because there’s a history of ostrich farms in Pasadena.” The metal apple box stools by Emmanuelle Pickett were sourced by Rhett Baruch Gallery, and the Lemieux et Cie Chevrette rug is from Lulu and Georgia. A mix of ceramic vessels and wood sculptures include those by artist Jordan McDonald from Jaqueline Sullivan Gallery and artists James Naish and Benjamin Claudel sourced by Rhett Baruch Gallery. “We also played a little with scale, which is not in keeping in tradition with the Craftsman style,” she adds. “The design inspiration was more in the spirit of California.”
Entry Lounge?
The antique 1940s sideboard by Charles Dudouyt was a find on 1stDibs. The vintage Swedish lamp is from West Palm Beach design gallery Ponce Berga, the Danish ice bucket is also vintage, and the wall-mounted copper sculpture is a work by artist Kieta Jackson.
Dining Room
In the new open floorplan, the dining room connects to the entry lounge and living room that are all part of the original structure. “For the dining table, we worked with a local artisan, Corey Joseph, who is our go-to woodworker for projects,” says Luk. Around the Craftsman-inspired table are a set of Langston side chairs in oak and leather from Community Manufacturing. On the table are a series of vessels from San Francisco’s March showroom, including a terracotta Ferrin pedestal bowl by Frances Palmer. Overhead is a Noguchi Akari 17A pendant light. Wall sconces with customized shades from Workstead provide additional lighting.
Kitchen
Before reconfiguring the room-to-room flow, entering the kitchen meant walking through a powder room. “The original layout was unworkable, but now it functions as a modern-day home,” says Gohari. Here, the team was able to reuse—and reposition—one of the original stained-glass doors. The counter stone is Meridian leather quartzite, and the cabinetry has been bathed in Farrow & Ball’s Studio Green. The elm and forged steel counter stools are from Furniture Marolles, green clay pendants are from In Common With and the copper hood is custom. The antique waxed terracotta floor tiles are from Rock Mill Tile and Stone. “Just a few steps down from the living room, you reach this terra cotta floor,” explains Luk. “It was fun to play with the dimension of the tile—it’s a little unexpected with the basketweave pattern we [laid out] to create texture.”
Kitchen
Light floods into the previously dark kitchen. Above the Wolf Subzero range is a custom copper hood. Keeping the range company are a small painting and copper candle holder by artist Skye Chamberlain and a group of ceramic candle holders from Ani Ceramics. The strawberry sculpture is by Francis River.
Breakfast Nook
The breakfast nook is one of the family’s favorite places to convene throughout the day. “They really spend a lot of time here,” Gohari says. “The girls are always doing homework here—it’s a major gathering spot.” The custom blackened oak table was fabricated by Corey Joseph and is flanked by a custom-designed banquette and modernist Italian oak and straw chairs found on 1stDibs. The wood Totem sconces are from Allied Maker, and the ceramic vessel and glass vase are by artists Vince Palacios and Austin Fields, respectively.
Primary Bedroom
“This is where we go from the flat roof to the new part of the home with a pitched roof,” Gohari explains. “We brought beams in, but the more simplistic design details keep it fresh and light.” The Thompson canopy bed in charcoal and mink mohair is from Maiden Home. On either side of the bed is a Zach oak side table from Studio Giancarlo Valle alongside Alien Surface Light terracotta sconces from In Common With. Above the bed is textural work by Hiroko Takeda.
“I’d say, in terms of the scale of the room, it still feels intimate and cozy,” adds Luk. “We used wood elements thoughtfully and sparingly in here.” The four-door Ojai cabinet in oiled oak is from Lawson-Fenning topped with Noguchi Akari 26N lamp and decorative objects by Francie Bishop that were curated by Rhett Baruch Gallery. Above the credenza is a vintage Japanese screen sourced through 1stDibs. Laying the groundwork for the room is a jute and leather rug from Lulu and Georgia.
Primary Bathroom
“We wanted to be playful with the pattern of the blue-grey and off-white Pratt + Larson tile,” says Gohari. “It creates another unexpected texture to the floor.” Above the Andrea undermount tub from MTI Baths is a Hashira pendant lamp found at Menu Space, and the deck-mounted tub fixtures in vintage brass are from Watermark. Artist James Naish designed the side table, and on the wall above the tub is an 18th century French tapestry fragment found on 1stDibs.
Guest Bedroom
“One fun thing we did was crate a tray ceiling that gives you about 18-inches more height,” says Luk. “We also wanted to be really bold, so we took an opportunity with this super-saturated golden yellow color [for the walls].” Benjamin Moore’s Citrine paint color is a sunny base for this welcoming guest bedroom. The bed is dressed in a vintage crochet bedspread and linens from Kneeland Co. Rarities. A rattan weave pendant hangs overhead and a vintage minimalist teak lamp with a rattan shade from 1stDibs sits bedside. On the wall is a work by artist Saxon Quinn.
Kids Bathroom
Again, the team was able to repurpose one of the home’s original stained-glass windows for their daughters’ bathroom. The dark stained oak vanity with an absolute black Zimbabwe brushed granite top is custom. The fabric vanity skirt is a Zak + Fox fabric and the Pratt + Larson Pinwheel glazed tile floor adds a playful texture to the space.
Powder Room
“It’s a huge, huge space that we converted into a powder room,” Gohari explains. “We painted it this really deep red and we created the matching marble countertop with deep red veining.” The custom solid oak vanity is home to a custom Belgian red marble sink with a deck-mounted faucet from Watermark. On top of the vanity, the team created matching cabinets on either side, each housing a vintage Danish table lamp found on 1stDibs that have both been crowned with custom Claremont fabric shades by Hollywood Shades. “We really leaned into the details and added these [additional] cabinets, and it feels like the millwork was already there.”
Study
Phillip Jeffries’ cream Horsehair wallcovering and Farrow & Ball’s rich Hague Blue paint color are a winning combination as a backdrop for this moody study. The imposing—but completely functional—desk was custom designed by Electric Bowery and fabricated by Corey Joseph, and the Management chair is custom Herman Miller. On the desk is a lamp by Analuisa Corrigan and just above is a large saucer lighting fixture from Olampia. On the wall is a modest work by artist Colt Seager.
“When we first walked into the house it felt like you were on a boat because everything was out of plumb,” says Gohari, referring to the small dark rooms and incomprehensible flow. “To get into the kitchen you had to enter through a powder room—I don’t know anyone who would want to live that way, then or now.” But revitalizing—and reusing—original details was important to the designers. “A lot of the leaded glass windows were damaged and had to be restored,” adds Lambur. “Keeping those details was really important, as was brightening the [interiors] to achieve a certain level of warmth.” And, as most designers would agree, color is key. “We took traditional Craftsman colors—those saturated blues, reds and greens—and applied them intentionally to the more intimate spaces, like the study.”
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