Arroyo Monthly April 2008

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M O N T H L Y APRIL 2008

Design Pasadena TV’s Preston Sharp tattles on design shows

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ARROYO VOLUME 4 ~ NUMBER 4

M O N T H LY

36 DESIGN PASADENA 21 THE INDIANA JONES OF LUXURY CONTRACTORS: Master builder John Finton circles the earth in his quest for the lost ark of architectural detail.

–By Jenine Baines

25 THE SECRET LIFE OF TREES: Green designer William Stranger brings out the spare, natural beauty and clean, modern lines of wood furniture.

–By Brenda Rees

28 LA MINIATURA: Pasadena's rarely seen Frank Lloyd Wright home meets its public.

–By Michael Cervin

36 A DREAM DEFERRED: Architect Bertram Goodhue's only Los Angeles – area residence is reborn in South Pasadena.

–By Brenda Rees

42 DESIGN FOR LIVING: “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's” Preston Sharp lifts the curtain on the design television craze.

–By Michael Burr

62 EARTHLY DELIGHTS: A traditional English-style garden moves into the 21st century with eco-friendly landscaping.

–By Arlene Schindler

DEPARTMENTS 8 FESTIVITIES Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services, the Pasadena Symphony, the Union Station Foundation

11 THE ART OF SCIENCE Frederick Fisher & Partners design the perfect think tank for Caltech.

65 THE LIST Bret Parsons on society architect Gerard Colcord at the Art Center College of Design, the Autry National Center opens “Cowboys and Presidents” and more

70 KITCHEN CONFESSIONS Substance over style marks a great cook.

ABOUT THE COVER: Photo by Johnny Buzzerio, www. johnnybuzzerio.com ARROYO ~ APRIL 2008 ~ 5

EDITOR’S NOTE

In the spring, a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love. But for aesthetically minded Pasadenans, spring is the season for design – ergo, this special issue dedicated to some of the best and most provocative design and designers around town. As you turn these pages, the team behind the Pasadena Showcase House of Design, which runs from April 20 to May 18, is likely putting the final touches on this year’s candidate for the swan treatment: Descanso Gardens’ 10,000-square-foot Boddy House, surrounded by 160 acres of gardens. At the lofty age of 43, the annual fundraiser for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and music education has long been a highlight of the area’s cultural calendar.

That doesn’t mean organizers are glued to the past; on the contrary, look for their promo on Youtube offering a peek into the empty house. Interior design beforeand-afters are virtually ubiquitous on television these days, which isn’t always a good thing, according to our cover subject — Pasadena designer and “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” alum Preston Sharp. A devotee of modernism who just opened a furniture shop in Pasadena called Sharp Design Works, Sharp dishes design television in an interview with Michael Burr.

Jenine Baines talks to Pasadena resident John Finton, a luxury contractor who travels the world in search of treasures for his clients. Michael Cervin opens the door to a treasure much closer to home — Pasadena’s rarely seen Frank Lloyd Wright residence, La Miniatura. While the abode, also known as the Millard House, has been preserved and unoccupied as of late, we also bring you another historically significant home, which has been strikingly married to the present: South Pasadena’s

Passion combined with experience results in perfection. For over

Mi Sueño, the only Los Angeles–area residence by Caltech and LA Public Library architect Bertram Goodhue. Brenda Rees talks to the current owners, Gary and Norma Cowles, about the tricky task of resurrecting a piece of architectural history and bringing it into the 21st century.

— Irene Lacher

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EDITOR IN CHIEF Irene Lacher PRODUCTION MANAGER Yvonne Guerrero ART DIRECTOR Joel Vendette • JUNIOR DESIGNER Alex Prompongsatorn CONTROLLER Michael Nagami • HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER Andrea Baker OFFICE MANAGER Joe Beauvais CONTRIBUTORS Jenine Baines, Joe Beauvais, Jake Belcher, Leslie Bilderback, Michael Burr, André Coleman, Steve Coulter, Mandalit del Barco, Noela Hueso, Carl Kozlowski, Brenda Rees, Arlene Schindler, Kirk Silsbee, John Sollenberger COPY EDITOR John Seeley PHOTOGRAPHERS Michael Germana, Christopher Rainone, Evans Vestal Ward ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Dina Stegon ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Fred Bankston, Dana Bonner, Hilary Chen, Andrea Fitzgerald, Elizabeth Guzman, Leslie Lamm, Rochelle Reiff, Cynthia Wagner ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Maricela Estrada, Carla Marroquin, Julie Olson TRAFFIC MANAGER Jake Belcher • jakeb@pasadenaweekly.com ACCOUNTING SUPERVISOR Angela Wang ACCOUNTING Archie Iskaq, Tracy Lowe, Ginger Wang PUBLISHER Jon Guynn

CONTACT US ADVERTISING dinas@pasadenaweekly.com • EDITORIAL editor@arroyomonthly.com PHONE (626) 584-1500 • FAX (626) 795-0149 MAILING ADDRESS 50 S. De Lacey Ave., Ste. 200, Pasadena, CA 91105 www.ArroyoMonthly.com ©2008 Southland Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

6 ~ APRIL 2008 ~ ARROYO

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ARROYO ~ APRIL 2008 ~ 7

FESTIVITIES

Nearly 250 supporters of Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services dined and drank all over town to benefit the organization’s 9,000 clients as part of the Dinners from the Heart event on Feb. 20. Supporters made donations of at least $50 to $150 each to dine at 35 participating restaurants, which included Green Street Tavern, Arroyo Chop House, the Kitchen for Exploring Foods, Maison Akira, SaladangSong, Five Crowns, Mojitos Restaurant & Rum Bar and many more.

The event, which raised $50,000, had five co-chairs: Altadena Junior Circle members Sheila Rossi of South Pasadena and Miho Tyszka of Sierra Madre; HathawaySycamores board member Renee LaBran of La Cañada Flintridge; and Bob and Gregg Smith, owners of five participating restaurants, including Parkway Grill and Vibrato.

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1. (Left to right) Tracey Bellack, Janna Gosselin, Greg Boreham, Nancy Fairchild, Renee LaBran, Laura Hobart and Craig Gosselin at Bistro 45; 2. (Left to right) Bonnie Fisher, Tracy Hall, Rita Henderson (Hathaway-Sycamores vice president), Debbie Manners, Laurie VanLeeuwen and Sylvia Luna at Firefly Bistro; 3. (Left to right) Bob Woolway, Jim Shelton, Ruth Kokka, Cathy Woolway and Scott Hodgkins (both board members) and Boris Beljak at Smitty’s Grill; 4. Hathaway-Sycamores president/CEO Bill Martone (far right) and his wife, Mary (second from left), dined with Jean (far left) and Ann Horton at Bistro de la Gare.

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The Pasadena Symphony Association toasted arts philanthropist Gerri Lee Frye at its Brava Ball on March 8 at the California Club in downtown Los Angeles. Frye, who has underwritten numerous opening-night events and concerts for the symphony, was honored for her longtime support. The Broadway producer, whose many hit co-productions include “Avenue Q,” “Fosse,” “Ragtime” and “Miss Saigon,” was also saluted for underwriting Los Angeles Opera’s critically acclaimed 2005 production of “Der Rosenkavalier.”

The evening kicked off with Frye’s grand entrance into the ballroom on the arms of the events co-chairmen: her cousin Benjamin Oberman and Jim Watterson, Pasadena Symphony Association board vice president-marketing. The trio sailed in to the strains of “The Sound of Music” and passed under flower boughs held aloft by Pasadena Dance Theatre artists.

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Mezzo-soprano Karin Mushegain and singer Daniel Segura, accompanied by the Art Deco and Society Orchestra, serenaded the black-tie crowd, which feasted on lamb chops and scallop salad with sea urchin sauce. LA Opera General Director Placido Domingo thanked Frye for her support in a taped address. The annual benefit raised $237,000 for the symphony, the Pasadena POPS and the symphony association’s outreach programs.

3 1. Gerri Lee Frye, with gala co-chairmen Benjamin Oberman (left) and Jim Watterson (Pasadena Symphony Association vice president-marketing); 2. Elisa Callow, board member Harvey Knell with wife Ellen, and Liz Wilson; 3. Bill Horsfall and Glenn Wallmark (vice president–finance); 4. Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard with board member Anita Fromholz; 5. Chris Johnson, Mary Trigg, Jerry Ruiz (vice president–community relations) and José Miguel Vazquez

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ARROYO ~ APRIL 2008 ~ 9

FESTIVITIES

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Actor Bradley Whitford joined a sporty throng of 200 at “Strike Out 2

Homelessness!” — the Union Station Foundation’s third annual Bowl-A-

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1. (Left to right) Yasmine Khalil (special events committee), Margo Kidushim (special events committee chair, member of Union Station Foundation board of directors), Lauren Arant (staff), Nancy O’Hara, Bradley Whitford, Wendy Bienvenue (staff), Juana Turcios, Lisa Nelson and Marvin M. Gross (executive director); 2. JPL teams: the Rocket Bowlers, the Castoffs and Rocket Bowlers Junior; 3. Team Chevrolet’s Team Malibu (Team Chevrolet President Dan Gaby in hat).

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THE ART OF SCIENCE

The Fisher Bowl

Artist’s rendering of the Annenberg Center’s north face.

FREDERICK FISHER & PARTNERS TEARS DOWN THE WALLS TO DESIGN THE PERFECT SCIENTIFIC THINK TANK.

BY STEVE COULTER Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: A physicist, a mathematician and a biologist

based architecture firm that received the commission. “They are bringing two pro-

walk into a bar to discuss the impact of information on science and engineering…

fessors from eight different divisions together to see how their research can cross-

Actually, a bar probably wouldn’t be the best place for them to get together because

pollinate, so they can figure out how they might support each other.”

it would be dark and full of distractions.

Let’s say they walk into a coffee shop instead. The biologist turns to the physicist and says… You know what? A coffee shop would probably be crowded, and they would most likely be surrounded by people yapping on cell phones.

So let’s see. Maybe a restaurant? No, too noisy. A library? Too quiet. A laboratory? Too isolated. What would be the best place for scientists from different disciplines to get together to discuss what they’re working on?

That is exactly the challenge Caltech encountered when it searched for an

doors, completely surrounded by electric fencing and razor-sharp barbed wire.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, to get an idea of how this cutting-edge center will look and function, you need search no further than your average elementary school ant farm or fish bowl – complete with see-through walls.

“Much of the campus is covered with concrete buildings that have little punched windows, but our building is made of glass. It was designed to

architect to design the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Center for Information

demystify the whole notion of knowledge, for the public and for people within

Science and Technology (IST), a $25-million facility designed to foster collaboration

different disciplines at Caltech,” Coriaty said. “It’s set up as a casual, open

and interdisciplinary research on campus.

environment where scientists might have a chance encounter to discuss what

Among other things, the building will serve as home to participants in Rendering by Audrey Wu

Information science and technology? Think tank? By now, you’re probably picturing some kind of steel-and-concrete bunker with 20-foot-thick titanium

they’re working on.”

Caltech’s progressive IST initiative, an emerging academic discipline that address-

In order to tackle the problem of creating the perfect fish bowl, Fisher &

es the impact of information on the sciences. The university describes its program

Partners did some research of its own. Once the firm had a clear understanding of

as the “first integrated research and teaching activity in the country that investi-

the IST initiative and the faculty as a whole, the team developed a series of dia-

gates information from all angles.” Caltech broke ground on the Annenberg Center

grams that demonstrated how its building design would promote social interaction.

in December of last year and plans to have it completed by the summer of 2009.

“You can think of it in simple terms as a think tank,” said Joseph Coriaty, the partner in charge of the project for Frederick Fisher & Partners, the Los Angeles–

The result promises to help change the face of institutional architecture, with several distinctive attributes, including a two-story lounge, offices and studios —CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 ARROYO ~ APRIL 2008 ~ 11

12 ~ APRIL 2008 ~ ARROYO

Top: A Caltech graphic designer conceived the computer-generated pattern for the bamboo over the glass wall of the atrium. Bottom: The two-level “resident lounge” offers a spot for creative interdisciplinary mingling, as well as views of the Verdugo Mountains across Moore Walk.

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

that face an enormous atrium, plus an outdoor meeting area with electrical power and wireless access. The center will also feature a computer lab, classrooms and an 80-seat lecture hall.

Coriaty believes that his firm was able to strike the delicate balance between comfort and functionality by drawing on its previous designs, including the Eli Broad Family Foundation building in Santa Monica; the Erburu Gallery at San Marino’s Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens; and the Fine Art Studio Building at Otis College in Westchester. In a testament to the firm’s prominent reputation, Frederick Fisher recently won the prestigious Rome Prize for architecture in the design and preservation/conservation category for 2007-08.

“We also do a lot of custom residential work, studios and art galleries and restaurants, so we try to bring all of these things into our practice to break down the institutional barriers you would typically find at a research facility and make it a more domestic environment,” Coriaty said.

Speaking of the environment, no project in this day and age would be worthy of mention if it didn’t address the issue of sustainability. To that end, the Annenberg Center is being built in compliance with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green-building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.

But where was I? Oh, right. So the mathematician turns to the biologist and says, “Erasion?! I thought you said ‘equation’!” AM

Interior renderings courtesy of Frederick Fischer & Partners

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THE ART OF SCIENCE

ARROYO ~ APRIL 2008 ~ 13

Interior renderings courtesy of Frederick Fischer & Partners

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Novotny’s Antiques- Everyone is talking about Novotny’s Antiques new location in Pasadena’s designer destination in the Heart of East Pasadena. Novotny’s Antiques Gallery is owner operated with over 25 years of experience. Shauna’s staff at Novotny’s is very enthusiastic and motivated. Novotny’s offers quality dealers with fine furnishings, antiques, rugs, art, lighting, estate jewelry, and one of a kind decorative items. They offer appraisals and estate services. Stop by or call today and you will be pleased at what they have to offer! Novotny’s Antique Gallery 2552 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. (between Altadena Dr. and San Gabriel Blvd.) (626)577-9660 Rick Kaplan Antique and Fine Arts- A New York-style antique store, located right in Antique Row in Pasadena, Rick Kaplan Antique and Fine Arts has been buying and selling fine quality antiques for over 35 years! Whether you are a collector, decorator, or dealer, Rick offers the best selection of authentic antiques in all Southern California. Top dollar paid for fine antiques. Come see for yourself. www.rickkaplanantiques.com. 450 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena. (626)793-6841.

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Whites Art, Framing & Restoration- Serving the community since 1944, Whites offers the most complete and comprehensive fine-art framing and restoration services in the San Gabriel Valley. Nestled in the charming town of Montrose, Whites specializes in archival conservation and custom framing, sophisticated matting, shadow boxing and other creative display solutions for unique and unusual works of fine art. You can also experience an exquisite collection of fine art on display. 2414 Honolulu Ave., Montrose. Call (818)957-4071.

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Tirage Gallery- Located in the heart of Pasadena’s art and antique district, Tirage Gallery features one of the largest selections of plain air paintings & representational fine art in the Western states. With more than sixty nationally recognized artists in scheduled themed exhibitions, Tirage Gallery offers an extensive variety of oil paintings, pastels, and watercolors of landscapes, urban impressionism, still life’s, interiors, and figurative imagery along with sculpture and commissioned portraiture. As a full-service gallery, Tirage is a specialist in corporate collections, site specific artwork, and a provider of fine art for film and television projects. Tirage Gallery was a curator and sponsor of the recent nationally acclaimed “Contemporary Masters, Artistic Eden” exhibition at the Pasadena Museum of History. Tirage Gallery also provides custom framing and fine art restoration. One West California Blvd., Pasadena, (626)405-1020, www.tirageart.com

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CELEBRATIONS Inspired Gifts for Engagements, Showers & Weddings Fancy That! • (818) 790-6525-838 • 1/2 Foothill Blvd. La Canada, CA 91011

MASIS BAKERY Fine Continental Pastries

Contact Your Wedding Cake Specialist at (818) 919-8020

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•Wedding Cakes •Mini Deserts •Mini Snack Foods for Weddings & Special Occasions •Delivery Service Available 2064 Verdugo Blvd, #E Montrose, CA

Fancy That! has certainly mastered the art of gifting for the upcoming season of engagement parties, showers & weddings, including personalized gifts for the bridal party and reception guests. No toasters or blenders here, but rather an amazing selection of gifts the Bride & Groom will enjoy for years to come. Continuing in their tradition of finding unique contemporary & traditional accents for the home from Italy, Poland, Mexico and the US, Jim & Paula have added a collection of gifts & home accents from Spain & Germany featuring unrivaled workmanship & design in glass, leather and metal. (818) 790-6525.

Carmody & Co.- Looking for one of those wonderful, old-fashioned stationery stores that you might find in London? Here, in the heart of Old Pasadena you?ll find it, at Carmody & Co. Owner, Terry Clougherty, has gathered a fantasy of cards, “every imaginable” invitation, custom stationery and gifts, in her beautiful, corner shop. Terry even has custom printing and albums you can order directly from Crane, Sweet pea and William Arthur to name a few. Friendly, helpful service, great product selection and good prices; why go anywhere else? Open 10 AM - 5 PM, 121 E. Union Street, Old Pasadena.

Call (626)795-2924.

Masis Bakery- When you walk into Masis Bakery you feel as if you have walked into one of those wonderful European bakeries. Everything looks elegant and delicious! Everything is made with the fresh ingredients, real butter and dedicated to pure excellence. Masis Bakery is filled with a fresh, flavorful and unique assortment of pastries and mini deserts.

Owner, Martin Minasyan is a second generation baker and will cater your wedding or special event. Wedding cakes are one of his specialties and can be made in every shape, size and flavor combination from 5 inches to 10 feet tall.

Delivery service is available. Be sure to stop by one of his convenient locations in Burbank or Montrose!

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

ARROYO ~ APRIL 2008 ~ 19

VOTED BEST DERMATOLOGIST

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DESIGN PASADENA

THE

INDIANA JONES OF LUXURY CONTRACTORS MASTER BUILDER JOHN FINTON CIRCLES THE EARTH IN HIS QUEST FOR THE LOST ARK OF ARCHITECTURAL DETAIL.

Photo: Todd Weaver

BY JENINE BAINES COLLEAGUES AREN’T EXAGGERATING WHEN THEY DESCRIBE LUXURY BUILDING PRO JOHN FINTON AS A “MODERN-DAY INDIANA JONES.” WHILE THE LUCAS/SPIELBERG HERO HAS BEEN ENJOYING HIS NEARLY 20-YEAR-LONG SABBATICAL, WHICH ENDS NEXT MONTH WITH THE RELEASE OF “THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL,” FINTON CONSTRUCTION’S MASTER BUILDER HAS KEPT THE INTREPID ADVENTURER’S SPIRIT PLENTY BUSY. SINCE FOUNDING HIS FIRM — WHICH SPECIALIZES IN BUILDING HIGH-END, CUSTOM HOMES THROUGHOUT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — IN THE MID-1980S, FINTON HAS TIRELESSLY EXPLORED THE FAR (AND SOMETIMES DANGEROUS) REACHES OF THE GLOBE IN HIS QUEST TO FIND THE ARCHITECTURAL WORLD’S EQUIVALENT OF THE LOST ARK FOR HIS CLIENTS. —CONTINUED ON PAGE 22 ARROYO ~ APRIL 2008 ~ 21

DESIGN PASADENA

Finton’s company executed a design by architect Richard Landry on this magazine publisher’s contemporary home in Beverly Hills, using dry-stacked Pennsylvania bluestone to break flat modernist planes.

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

Treks the separated Pasadena resident has undertaken include crossing armed checkpoints in a dilapidated bus to meet a master stonecutter in a remote Jordanian village; locating the one tile factory in Central America where clay is still brought in on donkeys and tiles are fired in an underground oven; and making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to find stone floors said to have been walked upon by Jesus.

“Older materials lend depth, character and history to a house,” Finton said recently, before taking off for Paris, Luxembourg and Alabama in search of such treasures as “really cool” reclaimed French floors and wood from 18th-century wagons. Past finds have included a coffered ceiling from France, beams from Scotland’s Corn Exchange, a nickel-plated bar from a Paris bistro and flooring from chateaux across Europe. A fireplace left abandoned in a French yard now graces Finton’s living room. “It’s gotten to the point where people call me with information about materials,” said Finton, 45.

Hollywood is calling as well. A pilot for a cable television series, based on Finton’s exploits worldwide, will be shot in Mexico this month. “It’s a reality-based show following John through the various stages of a project, solving the unimaginable design challenges set by the architect, designer and überclient,” says producer Penelope Francis, who came up with the idea for the show after finding herself referring to Finton as the “Indiana Jones of contractors.” “We’ll juxtapose the glamorous locations of the projects with John’s exotic quests worldwide.”

A quest for reclaimed materials doesn’t just make good entertainment; it also makes good environmental sense. Indeed, it’s the ultimate in stylish recycling. “Everyone thinks building green means using solar panels and collecting water,” explained Finton, a national spokesperson for Bank of America’s “Building Green Effort.” “But when you use reclaimed materials, you’re not tearing a tree down or quarrying stone.”

It’s also cost-effective. Reclaiming a wooden beam from a French chateau is often less expensive than replicating it, he said. “My clients want the best materials, the best craftsmanship,” said Finton. “But that doesn’t mean they don’t have a budget or that they want to waste money.”

What amenities are worth the investment? Outdoor living spaces are a safe bet, as are “greener” building materials requiring little maintenance – a stone exterior rather than stucco, for example, or bronze windows rather than wood.

New homes are often “sited” to take advantage of natural light.

In other words, God is in the details. Finton first absorbed this architectural credo while working summers as a teenager on construction projects.

After earning degrees in finance and real estate development from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, he founded Finton Construction with Cal Poly classmates Michael Reeves and Dan Tontini.

22 ~ APRIL 2008 ~ ARROYO

Photos: Erhard Pfeiffer (opposite and top); John Finton (bottom)

Top: Finton built this contemporary palace in Beverly Park for a publisher, based on Landry’s design. Left: A loving restoration of a traditional 1930s home in Brentwood for the brother of a talk-show host.

“I had an idea about running a construction business where the office wasn’t the back of a pickup truck,” recalls Finton, whose first office was a bedroom in his mother’s Pasadena home. Today, the firm has offices in Arcadia, Newport Beach and Baja California. “I was convinced that a polished level of professionalism would appeal to an affluent clientele.”

Finton’s use of the word “affluent” is an understatement. His clients include habitués of the country’s top economic tier — business executives, entertainment moguls and celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Simon Cowell, Dustin Hoffman, Eddie Murphy, Ben Stiller and Kate Hudson. Also in Finton’s Rolodex are a Saudi prince, former mayor Richard Riordan and SBE Entertainment Group founder Sam Nazarian, the high-end nightclub and restaurant entrepreneur whose home leads a double life as a hangout for characters in HBO’s “Entourage.”

“As far as I am concerned, John and his team are the best in the business,” said Riordan, whose Finton-built beach house recently sold for $60 million.

“They created a house that is beautiful and feels good from the moment you walk in the door.”

Nazarian, whose properties include the Philippe Starck–designed Katsuya restaurants, was so impressed that he encouraged several family members to retain Finton as well. “It seems like every room has been thought out over and over again,” he said.

Finton may have a prestigious clientele on the Westside, but he continues to take on work where it all began – in Pasadena, La Cañada Flintridge and San Marino. Past projects in the area include a La Cañada home for Cindy Costner, ex-wife of actor Kevin Costner, as well as a former Pasadena Showcase House on Arden Road, when it was owned by screenwriter Peter Tolin.

“Our goal for all our clients, no matter where they live — on the Westside, at the beach or in Pasadena — is to provide a pleasant journey, with no nightmares,” Finton said. “That’s been our trend since day one.”

But the trend for the length of these journeys continues to increase.

Twenty years ago, a house was considered large if it was 6,000 to 8,000 square feet. Today, Finton’s clients build virtual palaces, ranging in size from 30,000 to 50,000 square feet – complete with accoutrements like bowling alleys, guest houses or even a soccer field for the kids – which take years to complete, whose collaborators include LA-based architect Richard Landry.

“Space is the new luxury,” maintains Finton. But that doesn’t mean, he quickly adds, that he now limits himself to gigantic projects. “I enjoy the building process, creating lifestyles for people,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if their home is 2,500 square feet or 25,000.”

Finton himself opts not to live in a home awash in square footage. While his house in Pasadena’s San Rafael area is as meticulously crafted and beautifully appointed as any of the Finton-built showcases touted in publications like Architectural Digest, Metropolitan Home and California Homes, it measures a relatively humble 2,500 square feet. “I understand what’s involved in maintaining a large house. It’s like running a huge ship,” said Finton, who escapes most weekends on his fishing boat, Fintastic. “My home is small, but it’s like a jewel box. Sometimes less is more.” AM ARROYO ~ APRIL 2008 ~ 23

IT’S COOKIE TIME AT FANCY THAT! Throughout the month of April, Paula and Jim will be showcasing their First Annual Cookie Jar Event. Cookie Jars from the 50’s and 60?s designed and manufactured by American pottery companies such as McCoy, Shawnee, Hull and Metlox will be on exhibit and for sale. And there?s even more “kitsch” in the kitchen with retro aprons, towels, hot pads, cookie and baking books, pink kitchenware and bakery scented candles, yummy! to create a memorable cooking-making event right at home!

COOKIE JAR FACTOID: Andy Warhol amassed a collection of 175 cookie jars from the 1930’s and 40’s. When asked why? he simply answered, "They are time pieces." At auction his collection realized $250,000.

And this amazing art form is not just for "keeping cookies": the varied designs make them ideal, and unique, gifts for weddings and birthdays, décor for the nursery, table centerpieces and kitchen décor. You really must stop by FANCY THAT! To see for yourself!

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New at Adobe; let them capture your horse’s proudest moment forever on natural slate from the Rocky Mountains! Bring in a photo and watch it come to eternal life when it’s carefully transferred onto either Rocky Mountain slate or honed marble from Italy! Come and see the beautiful, antique porcelain horses, as well as the Han Dynasty horse heads from China. Horse-themed pewter bowls and platters, beautifully-crafted pillows, waste baskets, tissue box holders, wooden trays embossed with nostalgic horse photos and more complete this collection of truly extraordinary equestrian elegance. Coming soon; 100% wool authentic Navajo Indian saddle blankets. Horse heaven is at Adobe now at 852 Foothill Blvd., La Canada (818) 952-2004.

At Posh Accessories and Baby Chique Boutique you’ll find 2 beautiful stores in one location. There’s something for Moms, something for the little ones, and everyone in between. Be the first to see ALL NEW Badgley Mischka handbags exclusively at Posh, as well as all the latest sunglasses by Prada, Ferragamo and Dolce & Gabbana! Don’t forget a pair of cute, summer sandals by Steve Madden. Declare your POSH ADDICTION to the world by wearing it on your chest, now that there are adorable Posh Addict tanks and tees made just for you! Baby Chique Boutique has kicked off kids’ spring fashion season with cute sandals by Baby Botte, Pediped, Naturino and more to go with precious and comfy outfits by Deux par Deux, MiniMan & Berlingot. You’ll find the sweetest kids’ couture and accessories for babies and little ones up to size 12.

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DESIGN PASADENA

THE SECRET LIFE OF TREES GREEN DESIGNER WILLIAM STRANGER BRINGS OUT THE SPARE, NATURAL BEAUTY AND CLEAN, MODERN LINES OF WOOD FURNITURE.

BY BRENDA REES

Photo: Sinton Stranger

WILLIAM STRANGER CAN IDENTIFY THE SPECIES OF HUGE SLABS OF WOOD THE WAY SOME MEN INSTANTLY RECOGNIZE AUTOMOBILE MAKES, MODELS AND YEARS. SURVEYING THE LUMBERYARD AT HIS PASADENA STUDIO, THE ENGLISH-BORN WOODSMITH POINTS TO VARIOUS TIMBER PILES AND TICKS OFF THEIR NAMES: SILVER MAPLE, BLACK ACACIA, CLARO WALNUT AND ELM. HE’S PARTICULARLY PROUD OF THE CAROB TREE HUNKS RECLAIMED FROM ROY ROGERS’ HOLLYWOOD ESTATE. “THIS CALIFORNIA BLACK OAK WILL MAKE SOME WONDERFUL COFFEE TABLES,” HE SAYS, BRUSHING DIRT OFF THE RICHLY GRAINED WOOD. “IT’S JUST EXQUISITE.”

A tour of his workshop reveals artfully created tables, dressers, nightstands and entertainment centers, all done with a contemporary flair – clean lines that showcase the wood’s grain and natural contours. Inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement as a young woodworker, Stranger prefers the simplicity of modernism. “It seems that in the last five years, I’ve found my own style of design that allows the wood to be the star of the show,” says Stranger, 46. “The organic shapes, colors and textures – even the defects – are very spectacular.”

Most of his raw materials come from re-purposed backyard and street trees, which have been cut down because of disease or construction. “The Los Angeles climate makes for valuable wood,” he says, adding that the wide variety of local trees (“lots of camphor trees in Pasadena”) —CONTINUED ON PAGE 26 ARROYO ~ APRIL 2008 ~ 25

DESIGN PASADENA

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

is a bonus for woodworkers like himself. Making connections with tree surgeons statewide to salvage these fallen timbers, he saves them from being burned or discarded while sidestepping the need to cut down more trees. Yesterday’s shade becomes tomorrow’s table.

Not surprisingly, Stranger sees his design business through an ecological prism. While he creates striking, award-winning pieces, he’s determined to show that companies can indeed follow their profit mandate and he still be earth-friendly. He doesn’t use toxic glues and polishes, which are commonly used in woodworking shops, and he strives toward producing zero waste. Stranger recycles sawdust, makes cutting boards from scrap pieces and donates other bits to local woodworking classes.

“It’s not so much giving up things as it is changing the way we produce and look at materials,” he says. “My work is expensive, but if you buy a table, it will last for years and then you get

to pass it on. This is a long-lasting connection from past to future.” His pieces range in price from $1,000 for a trunk stool to $30,000 or more for a full set of kitchen cabinets, depending on the amount of custom work involved.

The woodsmith was inspired to investigate the ramifications of his trade by a discussion he had with another parent at his daughter’s school. The man asked Stranger how he could reconcile using materials that promoted forest destruction. “I used to be like any other woodworker, getting my supplies at Home Depot,” he says. “But that [comment] got me thinking.”

In 1990, Stranger was profoundly moved by a retrospective of work by prominent mid-century furniture maker George Nakashima at New York’s American Crafts Museum. Nakashima’s spiritual approach and use of organic forms hit a chord with Stranger. He decided to find supplies close to home and design pieces that would illuminate the wood’s natural beauty.

Since then, Stranger – a father of one whose wife, Sinton, makes tea tables – has been an advocate for green design. In 2005, he helped the Woodworkers Guild of Southern California organize the “Good Wood: Furniture and Objects from Sustainable Materials” show, which opened at the Pasadena Museum of California Art and toured Southern California. His “monolith bench” captured the show’s best design award, as judged by renowned woodworker Sam Maloof.

These days, Stranger enjoys working on small projects – like cabinets and entertainment centers for a private home in Malibu – as well as big ones, including benches and decorative wooden designs on the walls and ceilings of the new Arroyo Whole Foods store in Pasadena. Stranger Furniture has also been popping up at design and architectural shows around the country as well as at area galleries, such as Pasadena’s Folk Tree Collection and the Del Amo Gallery. His current retailers include Santa Monica’s Gallery of Functional Art, Homework in LA and Trios Gallery in Solano Beach.

Trios owner Sheri Fox says she has carried Stranger’s pieces for three years. “His work is beautiful – so simple and rich,” she says. “I love the fact that he doesn’t strip the wood down...I love the idea of creating antiques of the future, that we will have items that are passed down for generations.”

There’s no telling what Stranger’s future will hold or what treasures he will unearth from the past. He welcomes the different – and sometimes surprising — kinds of artistic challenges recycling can present, such as that posed by the recent acquisition of bowling alley lanes. “They’re maple and yellow pine,” he says. “Not sure what I’ll do with them, but they are intriguing.” AM For information, visit www.strangerfurniture.com or call (626)405-0927.

26 ~ APRIL 2008 ~ ARROYO

Photos by William Stranger, Bernard Wolf, Frank Noack and Carel Struycken

Top left: Light (Gets In)Table, Right: Monolith Bench, Bottom left: Light (Gets In) Chair, Middle left: Three Rivers Table

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DESIGN PASADENA

La Miniatura

PASADENA’S RARELY SEEN FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT HOME MEETS ITS PUBLIC.

BY MICHAEL CERVIN

28 ~ APRIL 2008 ~ ARROYO

“La Miniatura stands in Pasadena against the blue sky between loving eucalyptus trees in spite of all friction, waste and slip, triumphant as Idea.”

– Frank Lloyd Wright

Views of the “great room,” where the family gathered. French doors helped bring the outside in.

AN IDEA IS AN INTANGIBLE THING; AN IDEA IN THE MIND OF A BRILLIANT MAN

Photos: Michael J. Murray and Michael Cervin

CAN BE A PROVOCATION. THE MAN IN QUESTION IS THE ICONIC ARCHITECT

The house, which Wright called “La Miniatura” because it was small, FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT, ALREADY KNOWN FOR BOTH HIS ARROGANCE AND was the first of four textile-block residences he designed in the Los GENIUS WHEN HE ACCEPTED A COMMISSION FROM DETERMINED CLIENT Angeles area. It was completed at 645 Prospect Crescent in 1923, ALICE MILLARD TO DESIGN A HOME IN PASADENA. directly across the street from a traditional, 1906 Greene and Greene craftsman house owned by a couple named Louise and John Bentz. La Miniatura showcased Wright’s latest technological advance – the use of concrete blocks as domestic building materials. The stark blocks of Wright’s creation stood in sharp contrast to the craftsman’s warm wood tones. One can imagine the architect’s amusement at the two homes’ proximity and their juxtaposition of style and technique.

After all, he had come to Pasadena to spread the word on his big idea.

The idea was simple: to build houses from concrete blocks made on-site which nearly anyone could assemble. The blocks could be stacked vertically, —CONTINUED ON PAGE 30 ARROYO ~ APRIL 2008 ~ 29

DESIGN PASADENA

View from the “great room” – a fireplace helped warm the space; the balcony above it is a hallway leading to the master bedroom. Concrete blocks are stacked vertically and repeated horizontally.

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29

repeated horizontally and woven together with a steel-reinforcing system.

The goal was to offer everyone the opportunity to have a finely crafted home by using inexpensive materials and unskilled labor, without the need for heavy construction costs and union wages.

“We would take that despised outcast of the building industry [concrete] out from serfdom…find an unsuspected soul in it – make it live as a thing of beauty,” Wright later wrote in “An Autobiography” (Pomegranate; 2005), originally published in 1943. Before that time, concrete was used only for basements and foundations, “something that was covered up,” in the words of Frank Henry, a former Wright student who became studio master at Taliesin West, the architect’s winter home in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Wright’s blocks contained airspace for thermal regulation, and some had glass so they could transmit light. They were precast in molds shaped like textile designs to provide pattern and texture. Native sand was used in the cement so that the house was, in a sense, sired by the soil on which it stood.

But La Miniatura, also known as the Millard House, was nearly derailed by a web of problems. Wright, 56 at the time, was considered irrelevant as an architect, if not daft by Pasadena standards, and the city initially refused approval of Wright’s plans. “He couldn’t get a building permit with something that wasn’t part of the union system,” said Henry in a recent phone interview. “The blocks were not part of the building code, and what Wright was doing was in conflict with the trades.”

The architect had persuaded Millard to abandon the property she had originally purchased for the home – a flat parcel above a small arroyo – 30 ~ APRIL 2008 ~ ARROYO

and buy a different parcel in the arroyo itself. The city eventually approved the plans in March 1923, a curious development in light of the fact that the arroyo was known to carry floodwater. The wood molds used to make the concrete blocks expanded and contracted, so many of the blocks fit together poorly. The concrete created on-site used indigenous sand and, since imperfections were not removed, the blocks became unstable over time.

Wright’s drawings of the house were not detailed, and building problems were solved on the fly.

Delays in construction and cost overruns caused the contractor, A.C. Parlee, to walk off the job when it was only half done. Wright was infuriated. Millard returned from a European trip to find her home unfinished, and she lacked the funds to complete it before the rains came. Parlee sued; Wright countersued. In an extraordinary move, the architect extended his own credit (banks considered him a notorious risk) and finished the project himself. “It is now amounting to a passion...I quite forgot this little building belonged to Alice Millard at all,” Wright confessed in his autobiography.

La Miniatura’s price tag nearly doubled while lawsuits and liens plagued the construction process, pushing Wright precariously close to financial ruin.

“The gods will allow no creative effort of man’s to go untested,” he wrote of the house. The gods must have been amused by the way the roof perpetually leaked; during one particularly wet season when the arroyo flooded, mud paved the entire first floor.

Indeed, while Millard had commissioned a structure fireproof enough to protect her late husband’s rare books, which Wright had achieved, what she didn’t get was a waterproof structure. “I don’t yet know why houses have so much grief concealed in them,” he wrote. Nevertheless, when Millard’s home was finally finished, she was thrilled.

Left: The concrete blocks were molded in the shape of textile patterns. Wright’s drawings were not detailed, and problems were solved on the fly. Right: the original entrance, now used as a portal to the backyard.

Now registered as a historic structure, La Miniatura is still far from perfect. “If you don’t go looking too hard for nicked edges or something like that...it wasn’t badly built,” Wright wrote. Since Millard’s death in 1938, subsequent owners – the home is still in private hands – have commissioned several renovations. (It’s currently undergoing restoration by Santa Monica – based Montgomery Construction Inc.) The home drew 1,000 visitors when it was recently opened for a public tour; it was a rare opportunity for architecture aficionados, even though it has been unoccupied for nearly a decade.

The three-bedroom, 2,400-square-foot main house is essentially a rectangular box with a central interior stairway allowing access to either side.

(Wright’s son Lloyd designed the studio that was added on in 1926.) On the day of the tour, just after several January rains, a gaudy blue tarp was laid across the roof like a bad toupee. Since Millard had a strict $10,000 budget, the house is small, almost tight, with narrow doorways and low-slung ceilings. Wright positioned the home so that early-morning light would flood the second-floor bedroom and the ground-floor servant’s quarters. Afternoon light cascades beautifully through glass doors on the opposite side of the house, softening the stark interior and illuminating the cold concrete with an amber glow. The blocks’ cruciform openings also allow light to penetrate, creating shafts of sun that accentuate the Mayan-temple ambiance Wright was trying to achieve.

In the memoir he wrote near the end of his life, Wright spends considerable time recalling La Miniatura, which is surprising considering how minor a commission it was. “I would rather have built this little house,” he wrote, “than St. Peter’s in Rome.” AM ARROYO ~ APRIL 2008 ~ 31

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DESIGN PASADENA

A Dream Deferred ARCHITECT BERTRAM GOODHUE’S ONLY LOS ANGELES–AREA RESIDENCE IS REBORN IN SOUTH PASADENA.

BY BRENDA REES For nearly a century, a certain home on the arroyo, near the border between Pasadena and South Pasadena, has cheated death more times than a wily feline. The once-glamorous mansion has escaped demolition and survived bisection and persistent neglect. And now it is finally off life-support, thanks to one couple’s quest for an urban oasis.

Originally called “Mi Sueño” (My Dream), the house is the only residential building in the Los Angeles area designed by Bertram Goodhue, the prominent neo-Gothic architect behind the stately Los Angeles Central Public Library as well as the master plan – and several buildings – for the Caltech campus of the early 1900s.

36 ~ APRIL 2008 ~ ARROYO

When Mi Sueño’s current owners, Gary and Norma Cowles, were house hunting in 1998, they weren’t in the market for a historic home. Norma says the couple – then newlyweds — were “just looking for a Spanish fixer-upper. We had no idea of the historical nature of the house – we just immediately fell in love.”

The house proved much more than a simple fixer-upper for the Cowleses, who spent about 3 1/2 years lovingly restoring and revamping this once-grand structure. The rebuilding process from wreck to relic sent them on a fascinating journey which gladdened preservationists.

The result is accessible to the privileged few: The couple opens the home to the outside world only occasionally — for a few guided tours, as well as the

Photo: Philip Clayton Thompson

Pasadena Conservancy of Music’s Mansions and Music concert series. Most of the time, it’s a private retreat occupied by Norma and Gary – a retired contractor who has become an avid student of local history – along with their large poodle and yellow Lab. When Mi Sueño was completed in 1915, the house was part of an enormous estate, whose owners hosted elaborate parties and entertainment for the local elite. The residence was divided into two buildings in 1950, and the larger, 10,000square-foot home saw a succession of owners who remodeled it, updated it and added architectural elements – some of questionable taste. Previous lords of the manor include actor Robert Reed and music producer Phil Spector.

When the Cowleses finally encountered the house, they found an asbestos-laden swimming pool, burnt grass and rats making nests in the air-conditioning ducts. “The whole north wing was carpeted with dreadful, bilious lime green shag,” recalls Erik Evens, principal at KAA Design House in Marina del Rey, who worked on the project. While the residence had come to incorporate some “hilariously bad” elements, it still had “good bones,” says Evens. “But we had to bring everything back to square one.”

After doing a complete seismic retrofit (which meant replacing the original hollow clay tile of the walls with contemporary materials), Evens oversaw the gutting of the house, the laying of groundwork for the overhaul and the repurposing of nearly every room, wall, hallway and closet.

The only room that wasn’t physically altered is the once-grand dining room, which became the living room. The proportions of the cavernous chamber – 50 by 20 feet with a 12-foot-high ceiling – provide wonderful acoustics (Goodhue also designed massive churches). At the far end of the room – sandwiched between his-and-hers safes – is a walk-in fireplace lined with Guastavino tile (named after the 19th-century Spanish architect who patented it). Charmed by the tiles, Norma had one of the designs reproduced for the kitchen backsplash. She can still gaze upon the living room’s original Chinese-slate-and-marble-checkered floor and the gilded, handpainted, coffered ceiling – now cleaned and restored – which touched off her romance with the house.

During the remodeling process, the Cowleses learned much about Goodhue’s romantic vision, and his late-career passion for the sensual architecture of Spain —CONTINUED ON PAGE 39

When the market for humongous estates dwindled around mid-century, Mi Sueño was divided into two residences.

ARROYO ~ APRIL 2008 ~ 37

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DESIGN PASADENA

Above: The cavernous living room features a walk-in fireplace lined with Gustavino tile. Bottom left: The Moroccan-style bathroom is decorated with a mosaic designed by the tile artist Mohammed Benslimane.

Photos: Philip Clayton Thompson

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37

and northern Africa. Inspired, the couple brought a bit of Morocco into the kitchen, bathrooms and guest rooms with cabinetry accents and sliding doors of mashrabia (ornamental wooden screens).

The crown jewel is the master bathroom, where intricate walnut grillwork serves as a canopy for the tub. A small camel figurine lounges there near a luxurious chaise. Overhead, a star-shaped light fixture gently reflects the stunning handiwork of New York-based Moroccan tile artist Mohammed Benslimane.

When Benslimane first visited the job site, the KAA team sat down with him to choose tile colors, motifs and patterns, recalls interior designer Chris

Barrett. “He came to L.A. with a big bag of tiles, and we went down in the sand to play,” she says. Later, the group collaborated on drawings for the decorative patterns.

With tiles hand cut in Morocco, Benslimane and a team of artisans spent three months on installation, using traditional techniques. Each tile was positioned by hand on 4-by-7-foot panels, which were hoisted up and then mounted on the walls. The result: a romantic room saturated with rich blues and gold flecks. “It’s our little retreat,” says Norma.

The house has a long history as a refuge from the ordinary. The original occupants were New York financier Herbert Coppell and his wife, Georgia, who paid $18,000 for the 4.6-acre site on which it now sits. They wanted a winter home in Southern California, lured here by not only the balmy weather, but also the warm social circles. The Coppells were impressed by Goodhue, whose interpretation of Spanish Colonial architecture was showcased at San Diego’s 1915 Panama-California Exposition, for which he served as principal architect. (In 1896, Goodhue also created the Cheltenham typeface, which the New York Times came to use in its headlines.)

At the time, Goodhue had just dissolved a business partnership with architect Earl Cram; after 25 years of designing neo-Gothic churches and traditional buildings on the East Coast, Goodhue was eager to explore the exotic aspects of Mexican – as well as Persian – architecture.

“Goodhue was a romantic at heart,” says Romy Wyllie, author of “Bertram Goodhue: His Life and Residential Architecture” (W.W. Norton; 2007). “He had studied Gothic architecture, but there was something very appealing and lovely about the Spanish architecture. He wanted the freedom to express himself. He wanted to mix things up, to blend and reinterpret.”

—CONTINUED ON PAGE 40 ARROYO ~ APRIL 2008 ~ 39

DESIGN PASADENA

Mi Sueño’s original owners had admired Bertram Goodhue’s interpretation of Spanish Colonial architecture at the Panama-California Exposition. The home passed through several hands after their death.

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With the Coppells’ commission, Goodhue spent three years overseeing the creation of their 16,000-square-foot, 28-room mansion. The main entrance was fancifully framed by Churrigueresque (elaborate architectural ornamentation in the Spanish Baroque style) decorations, a Persian-style reflecting pool with an arroyo stone walkway and a separate garage — which could accommodate 12 cars — with a turntable and washing platform.

“He was very proud of the house,” says Wyllie. “He once wrote that it was ‘quite the palace.’ He even compared it to how the Medicis might have built [a residence] on the outskirts of an Italian city.”

With the death of Herbert Coppell in 1931, the house began its slow demise. It was passed on to the Coppells’ only son and then to other owners until 1949, when it became vacant. The market had shrunk for such grand estates, so a local real estate company decided to break up the property.

“The land itself was easy to do, but the real challenge was what to do with the house,” says Wyllie. “After consulting with architects, they decided to make it two houses.”

Cutting the residence in two, however, meant removing the magnificent entry as well as a marble staircase – a stunning blow to the architect’s original design. But in current hands, time and care have restored the home’s great sense of style – and fun. Indeed, as the Cowleses walk up to their front door, the first thing they see is a statue of Pan atop a long shallow channel of cascading water. “We put this here to let everyone know that this is going to be a house of fun and music,” says Norma. “Is this still Mi Sueño? Oh, for me it is.

Every day.” AM

Photo: Romy Wylie

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 39

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DESIGN PASADENA

Design for Living “EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION’S” PRESTON SHARP LIFTS THE CURTAIN ON THE DESIGN TELEVISION CRAZE.

BY MICHAEL BURR | PHOTOS BY JOHNNY BUZZERIO

Preston Sharp has the rugged good looks for television – but not the patience. That makes the Pasadena designer and aficionado of modernism something of a contrarian in these parts: For many Los Angeles–area residents able to romance the lens, all roads lead to TV or film. But for Sharp, who recently spent nearly five years on camera as one of the resident design experts of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home

You might think that someone who earned national fame on one of the top-rated design shows would be the last person to knock the recent explosion of home remodeling shows on television. But Sharp, who worked on 66 episodes from 2004 to 2007, has few nice words for shows like TLC’s “Trading Spaces” (or “Destroying Spaces,” as he calls it) and the myriad copycats that clog the airwaves.

“The thing that people need to remember when they watch design television is that these are largely actors that want to be on TV — not designers who want to help you with your home,” says Sharp, a single guy in his 40s, whose departure last year sent bewildered and brokenhearted fans to seek solace on online chat boards: “I hope he isn’t ill or something,” catfancy5436 brooded on imdb.com. “I miss him.”

Perched on a ’50s lounge chair in his new shop while his new puppy, Honey, investigates a nearby potted plant, Sharp says he was indeed sick – sick of “quick-fix” shows that dazzle viewers with bright paint, cheap appliqués and other showy tricks of the TV trade that are “good for camera, but largely bad for people.” Not only do such programs encourage people to waste money on cosmetic fixes that don’t add any real value to their home, he says, they are guilty of the worst crime of all: teaching bad design.

“Design is supposed to be organic,” Sharp says. “It’s supposed to deal with natural light and things like that, not with painting a wall bright red and putting something that pops on it. What is that? That’s visual merchandising. That’s not your home.”

So why did he stick with it as long as he did? Sharp says working on “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” was ultimately the most challenging and rewarding experience of his career. “The ability to take design and make someone’s life noticeably better is something I never dreamed of,” he says. “That was huge.”

If Sharp is miffed by the proliferation of mediocre design, it’s probably because his own sensibilities lie in stark contrast to what’s usually show-

Edition,” paradise lies elsewhere – on a patch of North Altadena Drive,

just north of Colorado Boulevard, where last month he opened his new mid-century modern furniture shop, Sharp Design Works.

—CONTINUED ON PAGE 44

42 ~ APRIL 2008 ~ ARROYO

ARROYO ~ APRIL 2008 ~ 43

DESIGN PASADENA

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 42

cased in the flashy, disposable world of reality television. He’s a staunch advocate of the form and function of mid-century modern furniture and architecture. His influences include such icons as Richard Neutra, Hedrick Van Keppel, Adolf Loos and other masters of modernism, who focused on the integral relationship between furniture and architecture. These artists, he says, understood how their furniture worked in a building and how it could most effectively serve people’s needs.

“The thing that George Nelson and these furniture designers did was brilliant and thoughtful,” Sharp says. “They weren’t selfish and flamboyant.”

Sharp’s emphasis on the purpose of design separates him from many other television designers who, he says, too often make frivolous choices motivated by ego. For Sharp, there’s nothing arbitrary about good design.

It’s a credo that makes him a tough critic, but it has also earned him the respect of his peers.

“I admire the way he’s able to remove himself from the situation,” says Paul DiMeo, a fellow designer from “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” “He doesn’t say, ‘This is what I would like.’ He says, ‘This is what I believe they would like.’

And I think a lot of designers don’t necessarily think that way.” Another TV design colleague, Ed Sanders, echoes that sentiment: “He’s very giving, very selfless. It’s refreshing to find someone who’s as good a designer as he is who doesn’t have an ego.”

Considering Sharp’s rarefied views, one might wonder how he ever got into reality television in the first place. Growing up in Arcadia, he became interested in art at an early age and won his first art contest at the Arcadia Library at age six. A fortuitous meeting with noted furniture designer Sam Maloof at age 10 inspired him to turn toward furniture design. He later attended a few art schools, taking what he could from each, but he never earned a diploma. “Somewhere in my 20s,” Sharp says, “I started to reject fundamental academic training and techniques to do things that were more wholly myself and more honest artistic expressions.”

At 25, he landed his first television job as a scenic designer on the shortlived 1986 comedy series “Viva Shaf Vegas,” which starred “Late Night with David Letterman” musical director Paul Shaffer. After that, he worked as a prop master and scenic artist for “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show,” before being promoted to art director on the comedy series. For the next several years, he worked as a production designer on the talk-show circuit at NBC Studios.

Between television projects, Sharp juggled furniture design with restoration work on a number of Spanish revival, craftsman and post-and-beam homes. In 1993, he opened his first furniture store, “Ornament and Crime” (a nod to the title of an essay by influential Austrian architect Adolf Loos) near the corner of Melrose Avenue and Crescent Heights, where Ellen DeGeneres and Tom Ford were among his celebrity clientele. The store showcased original mid-century modern pieces as well as Sharp’s own work, which was so true to form that even the experts were fooled. In fact, when curators were assembling a retrospective of mid-century modern furniture for the Museum of Contemporary Art in the early ’90s, they picked up some of Sharp’s new work by mistake. He alerted them to the error but was told that the furniture worked so well in the show that the curators decided to keep it on display.

When reality television started to explode in the late ’90s, Preston says he hesitated to come on board. But he couldn’t turn down a sojourn in Belize when he was offered a job on 2001’s “Temptation Island” (and later, its 2003 sequel). The next year, he worked on “The Bachelor,” returning for season two, and went on to “The Simple Life” in 2003.

—CONTINUED ON PAGE 46

44 ~ APRIL 2008 ~ ARROYO

“THE THING THAT PEOPLE NEED TO REMEMBER WHEN THEY WATCH DESIGN TELEVISION IS THAT THESE ARE LARGELY ACTORS THAT WANT TO BE ON TV — NOT DESIGNERS WHO WANT TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR HOME.”

ARROYO ~ APRIL 2008 ~ 45

DESIGN PASADENA

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 44

And then came “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” The show would require all the professional knowledge and problem-solving skills he had acquired during the previous 20 years and put to the test his mantra of design in the service of others. It also had a profound affect on him personally: The altruistic spirit of the show is something he wants to carry on. He recently volunteered to help the Pasadena-based owners of the Pioneertown Motel, Susan and Fulton Dingley, restore the property. The funky motel near Joshua Tree National Park was built in 1946 as a movie set for western films, and its 20-unit lodge, created to house cast and crew, was once home to such luminaries as Roy Rogers, Gene Autry and John Drew Barrymore. Sharp is working on the supposedly haunted room where Barbara Stanwyck stayed while filming 1953’s “Jeopardy.”

When he opened Sharp Design Works at 27 N. Altadena Drive, he did so intending to raise money for various charities by giving them a portion of the proceeds. The store features his furniture designs and those of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’s” DiMeo and Sanders, as well as pieces by such stalwarts of modernism as Neutra, Van Keppel, Nelson, Loos, Poul Kjaeholm, Charles Eames, Florence Knoll, Paul McCobb and Milo Baughman. Sharp envisions the space as a sort of mini-Bauhaus, where guests can hear lectures by renowned designers.

Still, he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of returning to the small screen sometime in the future. Sharp acknowledges that for all its shortcomings, television has made people more aware of the importance of design. “I want to change the way people think about this disposable design world, this mentality of fashion design,” he says. “Now that people have been alerted to pay attention to aesthetics, hopefully they will take a closer look at their furniture. I think there will be a better understanding of furniture and of what value is.” AM 46 ~ APRIL 2008 ~ ARROYO

ARROYO

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Garden View is a complete and integrated outdoor construction, nursery and maintenance company. The intent of the company is to provide high quality inter-related outdoor services. The synergy between having their own designer/project managers, in-house crews, their own large nursery, and being a licensed pool builder coupled with Mark’s almost daily job visits provides for efficiency, competitive pricing, quality and schedule control.

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—CONTINUED ON PAGE 58

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Pictured (top to bottom): Private Residence in Tarzana, Ca. Photo by Peter Christianson Valli.

Guest Suite Bedroom from the Wellness Community Design Showcase 2005 in The gated Community of Lake Sherwood in Westlake Village, Ca. Photo by Peter Christianson Valli.

Wine Cellar from the Assistance League of Southern California Design House 2002 In Hancock Park.

Photo by Richard Rownak.

PROFILE IN DESIGN GERALD SOWELL INTERIOR DESIGN 2250 BRONSON HILL DRIVE | LOS ANGELES 323.461.2271 | GERALDSOWELLINTERIORDESIGN.COM

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PRACTICING IN YOUR FIELD? 30 years, hopefully 30 more.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BEGIN YOUR CAREER? A visit to the Huntington Gardens when I was in the 6th grade. The art was so beautiful and the furnishings salons gave me a vision of my future.

WHOM DO YOU ADMIRE MOST? I think Mario Buatta for his use of color, mix of fabrics, and his sense of style. He has the best eye when it comes to color. Charles Faudree comes to mind as well, he mixes styles so beautifully, and always includes the French influence.

WHAT MAKES YOUR WORK UNIQUE? The care I give to each design, I think is what makes me stand out. I love this profession; it’s all I ever wanted to do. I think the clients know that when they talk with me and it is reflected in the choices I make for their homes.

WHAT AWARDS HAVE YOU WON? I have had the privilege of being published several times in books and magazines, most notably “Decorator Show Houses” from Schiffer Publishing, and “Tastemakers – world class talent-made in LA” due out this month from Los Angeles Magazine.

WHAT HONORS HAVE YOU RECEIVED? I have participated in the showcase houses that are frequent in this area 7 times, in Pasadena, in Hancock Park and in Westlake Village.

WHAT PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS DO YOU CARRY? I think ASID has done a wonderful job bringing the design community together.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT? I am so proud of my Masters in Art History from UCLA. I went back to school after a break to get it and it has helped me to feel very well rounded in my education and the level of expertise I can offer to my clients.

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO? Busy rooms are happy rooms – rooms that come to life and enrich the lives of those who enter them.

WHAT COMMUNITY GROUPS OR CHARITIES DO YOU SUPPORT? Assistance League of Southern California is at the top of my list, along with Children’s Hospital and the Wellness Community for Cancer survivors and their families. I also just joined the “Make A Wish” Foundation.

WHAT ARE YOUR SPECIALTIES? I enjoy putting my knowledge of Antiques and my love of textiles to work for my clients. And of course color is at the top of my list for a key component of design that I enjoy and feel well versed in.

50 ~ APRIL 2008 ~ ARROYO

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ARROYO ~ APRIL 2008 ~ 51

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Pictured (Right to Left): Owner Dona Dockendorf, Cheryl Santoro and Brenda Jacquez Photo by Raimond Johansson Bottom: Photo by Michael Wells

PROFILE IN DESIGN TOCCO FINALÉ 2640 MISSION STREET | SAN MARINO, CA 91108 626.577.8225 | Tocco Finale is a specialty interior design company which has been in business for over ten years. Tocco Finale started due to the growing need in the community for full service interior design in the San Gabriel Valley. Not only do we help customers accessorize and decorate their homes with furnishings we also assist in the remodel process and construction of new areas within the home. It is our philosophy to always make sure the client is pleased and feels at ease in the decorating process. Our main goal is to make sure the customer’s needs and wants are heard and fully realized. Most of our custom designs are produced from our very own work room. The finest and highest quality is achieved in every piece we produce taking careful notice to detail. Our staff is comprised of well trained sophisticated individuals together they have 30 years combined experiences. We welcome your business and look forward to making your home the best it can be.

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PROFILE IN DESIGN CHRISTINE SANTANA, SANTANA INTERIORS ASID, CERTIFIED INTERIOR DESIGNER 729 MISSION ST. SUITE 400 | SO. PASADENA, CA. 91030 626.799.8447 | WWW.SANTANA-INTERIORS.COM

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PRACTICING IN YOUR FIELD? Over 25 years.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BEGIN YOUR CAREER? When growing up my parents hired interior designers to do two of their homes at different times. I would follow them around asking lots of questions & I think it planted a seed.

WHOM DO YOU ADMIRE MOST? I have a strong admiration of my friend Michael Berman. I met him when he was first starting out and was so impressed with his vision and clever use of textures and color. I have been a huge fan ever since.

WHAT MAKES YOUR WORK UNIQUE? Many people believe that hiring an interior designer is an expensive venture. But in reality, it’s often the most cost-effective way to complete a home. I bring knowledge and experience to a project that will actually save the client time and money, not to mention produce an end result above and beyond what the homeowner can achieve alone. I posses tremendous resources that are not available to the general public.

WHAT AWARDS HAVE YOU WON? I was named one of the top 10 designers for 2007 in the Pasadena Area by the Mountain View Newspaper and was one of 3 designers to be awarded the 2006 Designer Appreciation Award at the LA Mart WHAT HONORS HAVE YOU RECEIVED? I had the honor to serve as President of the Pasadena Chapter ASID 2004-2005 and had the honor to serve as chairman of our ASID Home & Kitchen tour 2003.

Tom and Jeff have built beautiful homes in the San Gabriel Valley for over 30 years.

WHAT PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS DO YOU CARRY? I am a professional member of ASID, a Certified Interior Designer for the State of California and a member of the National Kitchen & Bath Association.

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO? My favorite saying is, “If you don’t know what you want, you’ll probably not get what you want.” It’s so true of a statement. In business, my philosophy is, “Strong, open communication, organization, follow-through and superb customer service.

This is our creed at Santana Interiors. As a full service design firm, we’ll provide the highest level of professional skills and innovative design solutions.

WHAT ARE YOUR SPECIALTIES? My specialty is what I call, “The Santana System.” It’s an approach to every project that makes working with my firm such a great experience. I take every new project and incorporate it into this system which makes every project run smoothly and efficiently. It’s so much more that just selecting stones, fabrics, etc. It is how the entire project goes from concept to completion. Ask any of my many past clients.

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ARROYO ~ APRIL 2008 ~ 55

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WHAT MAKES YOUR WORK UNIQUE? Remarkable Gardens’ talent is an artistic blending of the home’s style with the client’s personality and desires. We oversee all aspects of the design and installation process to create one of a kind artistically designed landscapes.

WHAT AWARDS HAVE YOU WON? We have participated in Landacapers’ Challenge on HGTV three times and won every contest. The first was a California ranch, the second was Spanish Mediterranean and the third was Tropical.

WHAT PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS DO YOU CARRY? We are licensed landscape contractors with a C27 license. We are members of the CLCA (California Landscape Contractors Assoc.)

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WHAT ARE YOUR SPECIALTIES? We specialize in designing and installing residential gardens of all styles, Mediterranean, Asian, Native So. California, Tropical and mid-century modern. We love integrating water features into our designs such as large jar fountains, custom designed wall fountains, ponds and waterfalls. And we also like to include the element of fire with cozy outdoor fireplaces, fire pits and custom built BBQ’s.

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—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 49

Carousel Floors, This family-owned, 38-year-old company provides a superb selection along with remarkable service. For hardwood, select from all the top names, including Appalachian Hardwood Floors, prefinished or finished by expert craftsman. For linoleum, Marmoleum is a natural, eco-friendly, stylish flooring with multiple patterns. Carousel is a Mohawk Color Center, carrying Fabrica, Karastan, Masland and Schumacher to name a few. Free consultations; designers welcome. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sat.; or by appointment. 676 E. Green St., Pasadena. Call (626) 795-8085.

Craypo’s Pool & Spa, We have been in the swimming pool business for more than 16 years. We understand all phases of construction and maintenance. We also understand that your yard is an extension of yourself and we will treat your project with the dedication and attention to detail you deserve. Call our office , (626) 355-6145 , to make an appointment. We look forward to making your backyard your own private oasis!

Cynthia Bennett and Associates This celebrated designer and general contractor, along with her staff of 11 designers, architects and project managers, have created some of the most beautiful spaces in the San Gabriel Valley. The term “Full Service” does not give them enough credit.

They will take any project from concept, plans, lighting, construction through furnishings and accessories, using the best materials, and an exacting eye for detail. The design and build focus of Cynthia Bennett?s team is the iconic Southern California lifestyle of light, open spaces, accessible patios, garden areas, and kitchen great rooms. Using modern Green Design products and techniques, this 28 year old design firm provides clients with unsurpassed service and quality. 501 Fair Oaks Ave., South Pasadena. (626) 799-9701.

Ferguson Bath & Kitchen, Make sure to visit the Pasadena Ferguson showroom which has been serving Pasadena for 15 years. Let Ferguson showroom staff, Sarah and Antaya —CONTINUED ON PAGE 61

58 ~ APRIL 2008 ~ ARROYO

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helps you with your appliances, sinks, faucets, tools, accessories, environmentally safe tankless water heaters, and commercial and residential lighting needs. Ferguson Pasadena is your one stop shop from underground, to finish. Ferguson Pasadena is small, but flexible. Visit www.ferguson.com or call (626) 795-9551.

Historic Lighting, Our long dedication to the Arts & Crafts revival has been inspired by the original Craftsman movement centered in the Pasadena area. Our showroom blends quality production home furnishings with representation of individual artisans.

Our close relationships with noted local craftsmen allow us to offer individual pieces not readily available elsewhere. Lighting and interior design services are available. Working from architectural plans and photographs or actual site visits, we can assist clients with their Craftsman and Bungalow-style projects, both old and new. Historic Lighting is located at 114 E. Lemon Ave., Old Town Monrovia, (626) 303-4899.

Interior Door & Closet Company, New interior doors are becoming the most popular and cost-effective way to transform your home. Unlike buying just one new piece of furniture for just one room, replacing and updating the doors in your home have an immediate impact on every room. No longer does one need to live with the flat, hollow core doors that were installed into every home in the 60?s, 70?s and 80?s, nor does one need to live with the standard 6-panel hollow core doors that were installed into every home in the 80?s and 90?s. From cost-efficient molded panel doors that can be hollow core or solid core, to custom router-carved doors in which the homeowner can essentially design his own door, the product offering of doors is finally there to meet any price, design or function a homeowner desires. Designer handles and levers are the “jewelry” that dress-up the doors and can help achieve the look you desire, from traditional to contemporary, and anywhere in between. 2850 N. California St., Suite 110, Burbank, CA 91504, (818) 847-1332.

Nott and Associates is the “Design Build” father-and-son team of Tom and Jeffrey Nott. This family team specializes in custom homes in Pasadena and the greater Los Angeles region. Tom Nott received his Bachelor of Architecture at the University of Southern California, and since then has worked on major projects throughout Southern California. His work spans decades and includes projects for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, the L.A. Subway and countless commercial parks. Jeff began working in the field at age 12, attended UCLA and UCSB and has worked with many well known designers in Beverly Hills and Bel-Air, building custom homes. Together for 30 years, they have completed over 130 projects in South Pasadena alone. Nott and Associates provides complete design through construction services, caring for your vision and appreciating your budget. Visit www.NOTTASSOCIATES.com or call (626) 403-0844.

Judy Taylor Interior Design, Inc. is a full service professional interior design firm.

The firm addresses each client project with personal consideration. All phases of the approved plans are integrated and implemented with the highest professional standards of quality and workmanship. Our goal is to reflect our client?s personal lifestyle and creatively design and integrate the plan to fit the existing architecture of the home.

We take the project in the scope of needed including interior design, remodeling or total construction including Kitchens and Baths to full completion and installation.

Experience counts-take advantage of twenty years of experience and Professional Qualifications. Member of the American Society of Interior Designers and certified by the California Council for Interior Design Certification.

Arcadia Pool Construction Your swimming pool should be a work of Art. We have the experience and expertise to create what you can only imagine. Arcadia Pool Construction specializes in the latest state-of-the-art pool equipment, custom masonry, and building materials designed to add beauty to your home and lifestyle. Give us a call at (626) 4478181 or visit www.arcadiapoolz.com to create your perfect haven of relaxation.

Prime Building Materials is a family owned business that has been serving the Southern California building industry for over 20 years with pride and traditional values.

Our experienced and knowledgeable staff work with homeowners, developers, landscape contractors, general contractors, designers and architects alike to achieve your exact goals, dreams and beyond. Our huge supply yard features acres of building materials for all phases of building and home improvement, with a specialty showroom

featuring a host of interior and exterior products. From formal residential landscapes and masonry to large, track home developments, Prime Building Materials can provide all the materials to create the perfect living environment. 5 locations to serve you - Call us at 626-284-2222 for a free consultation or estimate on your next project.

Day of Design With Terri Julio “My mission is to offer more people an opportunity to consult with a professional designer and afford them a service that fits into their budget.” Those words capture Terri Julio’s practical and thoughtful approach to her profession. A full day of design consultation (six hours for one flat fee) is a great way to begin any project. The job will run smoothly, and, most importantly, Terri will help you avoid costly mistakes. Terri’s philosophy also extends to “putting the client’s wants first.” She simply guides those desires to a beautiful conclusion. Call (626) 447-5370.

Pashgian Brothers To enter the gracious, two-story showroom of Pashgian Brothers is to enter the complete world of efficient contemporary resources, with the tradition of a “customer comes first” business. Pashgian Brothers was established in the United States in 1889, thus making it, legitimately, the oldest oriental rug company west of the Mississippi River. Their luxurious wares come from such countries as Iran, Pakistan, India, China and Afghanistan, to name a few. Also, because Pashgian Brothers own several factories around the world, they can custom-order rugs to your specifications, from traditional and contemporary designs. Cleaning and repair of your treasures are also available. Designers and their clients are welcome. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 11 a.m. to 5p.m. Sat.; and by appointment Sun. 993 E. Colorado Blvd. Call (626) 796-7888 or (323) 681-9253.

RISCHE CABINETS Specialized Remodeling Services Custom Cabinetry, Entertainment Centers, Crown Molding Contact us in Monrovia, California, for remodeling services including custom cabinetry and entertainment centers. With more than 20 years of experience, our friendly, professional staff offers custom woodwork that is built and made to order. Whether you’re in the market for a nice fireplace mantel or a new wood countertop, Stephen Rische Cabinets has the services you’re looking for.

We are conveniently located on the corner of Kruse and Myrtle Avenues, so contact us www.rischecabinets.com today for all your custom woodwork needs 626-357-8413 Western Screen Products sells, services and installs retractable screen doors and window screens. They offer several different brands of screens giving you the exact fit for your application. There screens are ideal for French doors, double doors and single entry doors, as well as garage doors. These screens will bring out the beauty of your home without the compromise of an outdated aluminum screen. Their mobile units can install or repair your screen fast and with a guarantee of quality. Western Screen Products stands behind their screens with a 5-year limited lifetime warranty. Don’t let your ugly outdated screen get in the way of your view. For a free estimate visit them online or call for more information - www.WesternScreens.com (800) 727-1587.

Fedde Furniture Fedde Furniture has been selling quality home furnishings at exceptional values for more than three generations in Pasadena. Since 1937, Fedde’s has featured some of the best names in classic traditional, transitional and Arts & Crafts style furniture and custom upholstery. Fedde Furniture features a large selection of home office, casual dining, entertainment systems, leather seating and children’s furniture for your home. Fedde’s complimentary Interior Design service and experienced staff will help you find exactly what you need for your home and office. Free local delivery and full-service delivery staff will assure your furniture delivery. Come in today and visit their two showrooms in Pasadena, located at 2350 E. Colorado Blvd., (626) 796-7103, and 32 N. Sierra Madre Blvd., (626) 844-1160. You’ll be surprised just how much money you will save on new furniture for your home.

Remarkable Gardens is a full service landscape business run by two sisters who know how to transform any yard into a paradise. They specialize in low maintenance landscapes that are both water-wise and built to suit individual tastes. Their goal is to build a garden that not only inspires but also cuts down on precious water usage. Don’t think that this means that they do desert gardens only, they can create in most styles, including: Asian, mid-century modern, Mediterranean, and Native Southern Cal. The beauty of your garden and your eco-friendly lifestyle are perfectly married by Remarkable Gardens. To change your landscape, hardscape, and lifestyle, call Remarkable Gardens at (818) 841-2009.

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ARROYO ~ APRIL 2008 ~ 61

DESIGN PASADENA

Earthly Delights A TRADITIONAL ENGLISH-STYLE GARDEN MOVES INTO THE 21ST CENTURY WITH ECO-FRIENDLY LANDSCAPING.

BY ARLENE SCHINDLER | PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE CREATIVE ARTS GROUP

Top: A mix of drought-tolerant plants frames the porch. Bottom left: Azaleas, pittisporum and ivy are trained into a draping vine. Bottom right: St. Augustine grass and eco-friendly plants complement the new pool.

Opposite: The outdoor fireplace creates an inviting space for entertaining.

CONTRACTORS Planting and irrigation: Hackman Landscape Pool and fencing: R.B. Perry Constructors Pool house: Walker Matthiessen Builders 62 ~ APRIL 2008 ~ ARROYO

When a local couple moved into a century-old Arts and Crafts home south of Pasadena’s Rose Bowl, they inherited a traditional English-style rose garden suitable for well-mannered adults. A crop of kids were part of the mix, however, so the new owners decided that the serene setting needed a lush lawn to accommodate all that youthful energy. They envisioned a casual setting for family fun and entertaining, with a new pool and outdoor cooking area, complete with fireplace, refrigerator and sink. They also wanted to shift gradually to a more eco-friendly landscape, bringing in drought-resistant plants while keeping some of the site’s citrus trees and other older plantings.

Enter Pasadena-based landscape architect Mark Berry. His solution was to introduce xeriscaping: a gardening style increasingly popular in California that saves resources and minimizes waste by introducing less-thirsty plants and irrigating them efficiently – all without going to the extreme of a completely arid landscape.

The result is featured in the Creative Arts Group’s 14th annual Art of the Garden tour on April 13. “I thought this garden was well designed,” said event co-chair Jan Eriksson, adding that the property was “well maintained and has crowd-pleasing elements like an outdoor fireplace and the diverse plantings of a perfect garden.”

Berry’s biggest landscaping challenge was designing around a giant oak with deep roots and expansive branches; the tree dominates the backyard but was considered too large and historic to uproot. Also retained were other older plantings — mainly large trees and shrubs 30 to 50 years old — lining the perimeter of the property, which enhanced the character of the stately home while providing privacy for its occupants.

That left the center of the yard, where the rose garden was originally located, as the only possible place to position the pool. After workmen completed building the pool, the eco-friendly landscaping began. The couple provided Berry with a wish list of plants, and the team collaborated on a palette that would complement the pool area and beyond. St. Augustine grass was planted in front of the fireplace and between the pool house and the pool. Droughttolerant plants used in the landscaping included purple pennistem, Stipia, Festuca ovina glauca, dwarf olive, melaleuca tree, smoke tree, California lilacs, salvia and bearded iris. AM Four gardens showcasing the work of Pasadena designers, landscape contractors and horticulturists — including Rick Button, Ron Osti, Steve Perry, Joe Gagnier and Victor Lang — are featured in the Creative Arts Group’s 14th annual Art of the Garden tour from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on April 13. Tickets cost $25 before the event; $30 the day of the tour. For more information or to order tickets, call Creative Arts Group at (626) 836-0306.

ARROYO ~ APRIL 2008 ~ 63

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THE

LIST COMPILED BY JOHN SOLLENBERGER

A HIGHLY SELECTIVE PREVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS

April 24 and 26 — As part of the Sydney D. Gamble Lecture Series, author and real estate consultant Bret Parsons discusses the work of architect Gerard Colcord at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Art Center College of Design’s Ahmanson Auditorium. Parsons, the author of “Gerard Colcord: Hollywood’s Society Architect” (Angel City Press), scheduled for a May release, talks about Colcord’s homes featured in motion pictures. During the designer’s long career, which spanned from 1924 to 1984, he worked in a wide range of styles, including classic Tudor, Country French, Hollywood Regency, Spanish Hacienda, Monterey Colonial and the gentleman’s farmhouse. The 250 sprawling country estates he designed feature lavish gardens, half-timbered walls and hand-carved detailing. The lecture is sponsored by Friends of the Gamble House.

Tickets cost $25 for the general public, $20 for Friends of the Gamble House members and $15 for students.

In a related event on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., participants can visit three of Colcord’s homes in Pasadena and the San Fernando Valley in a self-drive tour titled “Design for Elegant Living.” Lunch is available for purchase. Tour tickets cost $55 for the public and $35 for Friends of the Gamble House members and students.

HOLLYWOOD’S SOCIETY ARCHITECT MUSIC CENTER SALUTES KIDS April 1, 2 and 3 — The Dorothy B. Chandler Children’s Festival hosts some 18,000 Los Angeles County fifth graders at this free annual event, which features performances by top national touring artists. Performances culminate in a choreographed dance by 3,000 students on the Music Center Plaza. This year, BodyVox performs what it describes as “poetry in motion,” combining dance, media and stage design.

April 26 — Music Center Spotlight Awards at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion salute Southern California’s top 12 high school performers competing in six music and dance categories. The prestigious program for teens offers training in the visual and performing arts and awards scholarships totaling more than $100,000 to finalists, semi-finalists and recipients of honorable mentions.

April 30 — The Very Special Arts Festival recognizes artistic achievements of students with disabilities along with their mainstream peers. This year’s “stars” theme encompasses continuous performances on two stages, visual and performing arts workshops and an exhibit of more than 1,000 pieces of student art. The event runs from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the Music Center Plaza.

The Music Center is located at 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. Call (213) 250-2787 or visit www.musiccenter.org.

WAMBAUGH SIGNS LATEST AT VROMAN’S April 2 — Former LAPD detective–turned–author Joseph Wambaugh discusses and signs his latest fictional work, “Hollywood Crows: A Novel” (Little, Brown & Co.), at 7 p.m. at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena. The author, who has more than 30 years of fiction and non-fiction work under his gun belt including bestsellers “The Onion Field” and “The Choirboys,” takes readers on a darkly humorous ride-along through the mean streets of LA. Two LAPD officers

The Ahmanson Auditorium is located at 1700 Lida St., Pasadena. For tickets, call (626) 793-3334, ext. 52, or visit www.gamblehouse.org.

are unknowingly set up by Margo Azia, a supposedly harmless socialite in a book populated by flawed cops and eccentric lowlifes.

Vroman’s Bookstore is located at 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 449-5320 or visit www.vromansbookstore.com.

ONE CITY, ONE STORY April 4 — “One City, One Story,” Pasadena’s community reading celebration, explores “Easter Island,” Jennifer Vanderbes’ first novel. Dubbed the best book of 2003 by the Washington Post and Christian Science Monitor, the novel is a story of adventure, betrayal and scientific discovery, focusing on the stories of two women who spend time on Easter Island decades apart. The book examines the island’s culture, history, ecology and mysterious statues. A community dialogue with the author and Kitty Connolly, botanical education manager at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in the Forum Room of All Saints Episcopal Church.

All Saints Episcopal Church is located at 132 N. Euclid Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 744-7076 or visit www.onecityonestory.com.

HOT PLAY, GOOD CAUSE April 4, 5 and 6 — The Shakespeare League presents its annual benefit production — Larry L. King’s hit musical, “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” — at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse. The show benefits Villa Esperanza Services and The Wellness —CONTINUED ON PAGE 66 ARROYO ~ APRIL 2008 ~ 65

THE

LIST

A HIGHLY SELECTIVE PREVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 65

Community-Foothills. Show times are 8 p.m. April 4 and 5, and 2 p.m. April 6 at San Gabriel Mission Playhouse, 320 S. Mission Dr., San Gabriel. Call 626) 281-6053 or visit www.shakespeareclub.org.

ELLIOT ENGEL CLOSES OUT CELEBRITY SERIES April 13 — English professor Elliot Engel returns for the season’s final San Marino Celebrity Series event. The popular lecturer will speak on “Leonardo da Vinci: Before the Code.” Offering analysis, anecdotes and humor, Engel sheds light on the Renaissance genius. The series is sponsored by the San Marino Guild of the Huntington Hospital to raise funds for a state-of-the-art “Giraffe” incubator for infants in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit. Tickets cost $30. A reception with a silent auction and drawing starts at 2:30 p.m.; the lecture begins at 4 p.m. in the chapel of Lake Avenue Church, 393 N. Lake Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 441-3973 or (626) 792-4963.

THE COS SPEAKS April 16 — Comedian, author and actor Bill Cosby speaks at 8 p.m. at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium as part of the Distinguished Speaker Series of Southern California. Cosby received the Kennedy Center Honor in 1998 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor, in 2002.

The Pasadena Civic Auditorium is located at 300 E. Green St., Pasadena. Call (310) 546-6222 or visit www.speakersla.com.

POEMS AND COOKIES AT ALTADENA LIBRARY

Go green.

April 19 — The Altadena Library crowns its poet laureate in the sixth annual “Poetry & Cookies” celebration at 2 p.m. The laureate’s tenure runs from May 2008 through April of 2010. Attendees can meet poets from the Altadena area reading their family-friendly works in five-minute segments. The event’s name was inspired by the library’s annual publication, “Poetry and Cookies.” The 2008 edition is available at the presentation, and poets’ books will be for sale on the library patio following the program.

The Altadena Library is located at 600 E. Mariposa St., Altadena. Call (626) 798-0833 or visit www.altadenalibrary.org.

COMING UP ROSES AT DESCANSO

pasadenaweekly’s

Green Guide Coming April 17 For more information, call 626.584.1500 66 ~ APRIL 2008 ~ ARROYO

April 19 and 20 — Things will look rosy at Descanso Gardens this weekend when the San Fernando Valley Rose Society Show and Sale sets up shop. The weekend also offers tours of Descanso’s International Rose Garden. And to help you stay in the pink of health, Descanso hosts natural health seminars from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Topics include introduction to Tai Chi, herbs and nutrition, introduction to yoga, yoga for athletes and yoga for partners. Sunday s e m i n a r s explore conscious breathing (walking meditation), office yoga and a demonstration of sword forms of Tai Chi. The rose show and sale run from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Rose garden tours take place from 11 a.m. to noon both days.

The Descanso Gardens is located at 1418 Descanso Dr., La Cañada Flintridge. Call (818) 949-4200 or visit www.descansogardens.org.

PRESIDENTS MORE

AND

AT THE

AUTRY NATIONAL CENTER April 5 and 6 — The Autry National Center’s seventh annual Navajo rug auction, by Bruce Burnham of R.B. Burnham and Co., includes a preview and appraisal clinic from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Appraisals are free for Autry members, $10 per rug for non-members. On Sunday, a preview runs from 10 a.m. to noon, followed by Burnham’s lecture on Navajo rugs from noon to 1 p.m.

The auction runs from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

April 12 — “Cowboys and Presidents” opens. The exhibition explores the many ways in which U.S. presidents have used the icon of the American cowboy to define themselves and enhance their image. “Cowboys and Presidents” includes historically significant photographs, political cartoons, movies, newsreels and artifacts associated with numerous presidents, from Teddy Roosevelt to today.

April 17 — The food series “Los Angeles and California: A Fusion of Tastes” lets guests sample popular dishes from top Southern California restaurants from 7 to 9 p.m. The event includes appearances by artist J. Michael Walker and Chris Nichols, associate editor of Los Angeles Magazine and head of the Southern California Restaurant Historical Society. Individual event tickets cost $40, $30 for members.

Reservations are required. Call (323) 667-2000, ext. 300.

April 26 — In conjunction with “Cowboys and Presidents,” “Riding with Reagan: A Conversation with John Barletta” features the aforementioned author and Secret Service agent describing his decade-long travels with the former president and the friendship that grew out of the experience. The lecture starts at 1 p.m.

The Autry National Center is located at 4700 Western ARROYO Heritage Way, Griffith Park.~ 67 ~ APRIL 2008 Call (323) 667-2000 or visit www.autrynationalcenter.org.

PUTTING ON AIRS April 20 — The Harmonia Baroque Players chamber music ensemble presents “Ancient Airs and Dances” at 4 p.m. at South Pasadena’s Oneonta Congregational Church. The concert features guest soprano Maurita Phillips-Thornburgh in a program of traditional dances and songs.

The Oneonta Congregational Church is located at 1515 Garfield Ave., South Pasadena. Call (714) 970-8545 or visit www.harmoniabaroque.org.

CELEBRATING TUSCANY AT SAN ANTONIO WINERY April 26 — The historic San Antonio Winery, Los Angeles’ only working winery, features wine tastings on a regular basis. This month’s offering is “A Day in Tuscany,” featuring Italian vintages. The event runs from noon to 3 p.m.

The San Antonio Winery is located at 737 Lamar St., Los Angeles. Call (323) 2231401 or visit www.sanantoniowinery.com.

PACIFIC SERENADES PRESENTS WORLD PREMIERE April 27 — The chamber ensemble presents the world premiere of Jeremy Cavaterra’s new composition for clarinet, bassoon, viola and piano at 4 p.m. at Pasadena’s Neighborhood Church. The work was commissioned by Pacific Serenades. The program, titled “Dark Woods and Gleaming Cities,” also features Schumann’s “Märchenbilder” (Fairytale Pictures), Op. 113, for viola and piano; Debussy’s “Premiere Rhapsodie for clarinet and piano, 1910”; Glinka’s “Trio Pathétique in D minor” for clarinet, bassoon and piano; and Tansman’s “Suite for Bassoon and Piano.” Featured performers are Gary Gray on clarinet, bassoonist Judith Farmer, Roland Kato on viola and pianist Ayke Agus.

The Neighborhood Church is located at 301 N. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena.

Call (213) 534-3434 or visit www.pacser.org. AM ARROYO ~ APRIL 2008 ~ 67

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COME EXPRESS YOUR CREATIVITY AT THE AZTEC ART GALLERY NIGHT OWL ART GALLERY At The Aztec Hotel Lobby Daily 11am – 1am Aztec Art Gallery Friday – Sunday 1:30pm – 5:30pm

Oil Painting Class Saturdays 3pm – 6pm $30 a session

Monrovia Arts Festival Association

Space is Limited. Register Today!

305 W. FOOTHILL, MONROVIA • 626.574.0503

We carry a large selection of Swarovski crystals, vintage German glass, handmade artisan beads, semi precious gemstones, sterling silver and more! For the beginner or the advanced.

WE OFFER OVER 100 WORKSHOPS EACH QUARTER.

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arroyo fine dining

At present rate of infection

AIDS will orphan

20 million African children by 2010 !!

The Shepherd's Home is a sanctuary, providing education, food, housing and a safe-haven for the children to feel love and support. www.theshepherdshome.org Nairobi, Kenya

Please send your tax deductible donations to: Discover The World, Inc. Shepherd's Home, 3255 E. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107.

City Thai Add some spice to your life, at City Thai in the heart of Old Towne Pasadena, where you choose how much heat you can handle. With convenient parking, daily lunch specials and space for elegant private parties, City Thai is adining experience your mouth will not forget.

48 S. Fair Oaks Ave. Pasadena, CA 91105 626.577.1500 www.citythairestaurant.com

El Portal Restaurant El Portal Restaurant is family operated featuring authentic Mayan dishes from the area of YucatĂĄn. We offer a warm comfortable family atmosphere within our little hacienda of brick walls, warm fireplace, fiesta colors and charming courtyard for dining al fresco. Original pieces of Mexican art and crafts compliment the decor.

695 E. Green St. Pasadena, CA 91101 626.795.8553 ElportalRestaurant.com

Holly Street Bar and Grill Holly Street Bar and Grill is celebrating their 21st year in Pasadena. Indulge in mouthwatering appetizers, dazzling entrees and the grand finale-dessert, all artfully fashioned by Chef Humberto.

Come for lunch or at night when live music sets the mood inside and out on Pasadenaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most romantic patio.

175 E. Holly St. Pasadena, CA 91103 626.440.1421 www.Hollystreetbarandgrill.com ARROYO ~ APRIL 2008 ~ 69

KITCHEN CONFESSIONSS

Substance over Style in the Kitchen TOO MANY COOKS DO SPOIL THE BROTH – ESPECIALLY IF THEY SCRATCH THEIR EYEBROW RING WHILE CREATING THEIR CHEF-D’OEUVRE.

BY LESLIE BILDERBACK

When I was a young culinarian, I devoured every food magazine and fanciful cookbook I could get my hands on, and I was anxious to find a job that would let me re-create the photos I loved. I wanted to slice perfectly roasted spice-encrusted duck breast into a paper-thin fan, balance chocolate towers and caramel spires in paisley dipping pools of sauce and deconstruct a BLT into a stacked spectacle of culinary ingenuity. But once I entered the work force, I quickly learned that creating such presentations is a pain in the butt. They take too long, rarely taste as good as they look and are invariably messed up by waiters on the way to the table.

Now, after years in this business, I must politely decline such edible architecture. I don’t care what letter is in your window — if it looks like more than one pair of hands has been on my dinner, my appetite quickly fades. The more people who work on a plate, the more likely that one of the junior chefs adjusted his ponytail or scratched his eyebrow ring before unmolding my inverted coneshaped, gold-leafed foie-gras parfait. Merci, non.

I do not dispute that presentation is important. As diners, we definitely eat with our eyes. But food can look delicious without being an enigma. It should not be difficult to access, and a diner should not have to ask how it is eaten. I have had a perfectly good shirt ruined when the framework of my dinner gave way and toppled into a pool of a brightly hued sauce. We’ve all got enough to worry about. Let’s not add the structural integrity of our meal to the list.

While we are on the subject, I prefer that all the food on my plate be available for eating. Although the savvy Southern California diner knows

Really, it is not important for food to be tall. Height is important in basketball and

that the rosemary sprig is not meant to be eaten but exists merely to beau-

on the middle school dance floor, but not on the plate. And if I see one more chive

tify the plate (which is itself debatable), not all of us are so savvy. Every

antenna feeling for me from out of my salade niçoise, I shall throw le fit à la hissy.

night someone’s Great-Aunt Gladys from Enid, Oklahoma, is in town visit-

The problem, of course, is that rising young chefs want to impress us with their mastery of the craft, and presentation is the easiest way to make their mark. After all, there is

ing, and she has never seen fresh rosemary. Let’s hope she doesn’t get splinters in her tongue. AM

relatively little that is new in the world of food. Few truly original culinary concoctions spring from the mind of man. New dishes are derivatives of something else, twists

Bilderback is a South Pasadena resident and the author of four volumes of

on an old favorite, interpretations of international classics or the same old thing in a

Alpha Publishing’s “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to…” series: “...Good Food from

different color. Even the great Ferran Adrià of Spain’s El Bulli restaurant — consid-

the Good Book” (March), “...Spices and Herbs” (Dec. 2007), “...Comfort Food”

ered by some to be the most innovative chef on the planet and the king of modern

(Sept. 2007) and “...Success as a Chef” (Feb. 2007). A former executive chef of

haute cuisine — is still putting only a spin on the food we already know (although

the California School of Culinary Arts, Bilderback teaches her techniques online

granted, he is spinning with foam, liquid nitrogen and calcium chloride).

at www.culinarymasterclass.com.

BEAUTIFUL (AND MINIMALLY STYLED) SEVEN-LAYER SALAD Variations of this salad go by several different names, including Layered Salad, Swiss Layered Salad, Summer Layered Salad and 24-Hour Salad.

Serves: four, Prep-time: 30 minutes plus Ingredients 1 cup mayonnaise 1 cup sour cream 1/4 cup Dijon mustard 1 tsp. grated nutmeg 1/2 tsp. Herbes de Provençe 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper 1 medium head lettuce, shredded 1/2 head purple cabbage, shredded 1 medium cucumber, diced 70 ~ APRIL 2008 ~ ARROYO

2 medium carrots, grated 2 cups fresh or 1(8-oz.) package frozen peas, thawed and drained 1 large tomato, diced 1 cup grated Swiss, cheddar or jack cheese 1 medium purple onion, sliced and soaked in cold water for 15 to 20 minutes 1 tbsp. honey 1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Directions In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, nutmeg, herbs, salt and pepper. Set aside. In a clear salad bowl, evenly layer half the lettuce, half the cabbage, half the cucumber, half the carrots, half the peas, half the tomatoes and half the cheese. Spread half the dressing on top of the cheese as evenly as possible. Top the dressing with half the onions, and drizzle with half the honey. Repeat the layering with the remaining ingredients. Cover the salad tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours, or overnight.

Before serving, sprinkle the top with chopped parsley. To serve this layered salad, don’t toss it. Serve it with big salad spoons and dig deep so that each guest gets a bit of each layer.