FINE LIVING IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA SEPTEMBER 2014
Doors and Outdoors Passages to a Greener Lifestyle
THE SMART DESK Creates a Stir LA VALENCIA’S RENO Ready for Its Close-up TASTY CONSOLATION For Empty Nesters
arroyo
VOLUME 10 | NUMBER 9 | SEPTEMBER 2014
PHOTOS, TOP: Lawrence Anderson, courtesy of Nanawall Systems; BOTTOM LEFT: courtesy of Stir; BOTTOM RIGHT: courtesy of La Valencia Hotel
28 38 13 DESIGN 13 OUR BODIES, OUR DESKS The Pasadena-born Stir Kinetic Desk may be the first smart desk. —By Kathleen Kelleher
28 DOORS AND OUTDOORS Here’s some of the latest and most enduring in outdoor residential design, from the terrace to the threshold. —By Bettijane Levine
38 AN AGING PINK LADY GETS A FACELIFT La Jolla’s iconic La Valencia Hotel gets an update that stays true to its historic roots. —By Irene Lacher
DEPARTMENTS 11
FESTIVITIES Pasadena Animal League, League of Women Voters Pasadena Area
16
ARROYO HOME SALES INDEX
41
KITCHEN CONFESSIONS Fill your empty nest with memories of your kid’s favorite foods.
43
THE LIST The Taste of Pasadena and SIP-tember Finale, Touch-A-Truck at Santa Anita, Pasadena Humane’s Wiggle Waggle Walk and more
ABOUT THE COVER: Photo of a Pasadena home by Lawrence Anderson, courtesy of Nanawall 09.14 ARROYO | 7
EDITOR’S NOTE YES, I KNOW YOU KNOW. IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, WE LIVE AND PLAY outdoors every season (although perhaps later in the day during these sultry climate-changed summers). That sets us apart from the rest of the country, even the rest of the Sun Belt. And I should know. When I was a baby journalist, I spent four years in much-steamier Miami, where I shuttled from one air-conditioned building to another 10 months a year. I also learned a major lesson in not being penny-wise and pound-foolish after arriving there with my economical car without frills — like, oh, air-conditioning. Apart from the obvious charms of spending time outdoors, it’s good for your health. A 2009 study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health found that people who lived closer to nature were healthier. How? Less stress, lower blood pressure, better mood, better focus. Surgical patients even recover faster if their room has a green view, according to Science magazine. Of course, bringing the outside in is a hallmark of many SoCal homes, propounded by midcentury modern architects here decades ago. So it’s interesting to see how technology has advanced that very wise idea. Bettijane Levine hunted for new and timeless designs for living outdoors — as well as the doors themselves, the membranes between us and nature. Technology is also upgrading life indoors, as everyone knows who has lately shopped for kitchen appliances, sound systems, even blinds. As Kathy Kelleher discovered, Pasadena native and Stir CEO J.P. Labrosse is expanding the meaning of smart homes even further with the new Stir Kinetic Desk. It incorporates computer technology to produce a smart desk that encourages you to stand periodically — and reap important health benefits. And I looked at a completely different design challenge — the renovation of the 90-year-old La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla, where new owners walked the tightrope between updating the property and paying homage to its iconic past. —Irene Lacher
EDITOR IN CHIEF Irene Lacher CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kent Bancroft ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Carla Cortez PRODUCTION DESIGNERS Tim Oliver, Manny Del Real EDITOR-AT-LARGE Bettijane Levine COPY EDITOR John Seeley CONTRIBUTORS Leslie Bilderback, Samantha Bonar, Michael Cervin, Scarlet Cheng, Carole Dixon, Lynne Heffley, Noela Hueso, Tariq Kamal, Kathy Kelleher, Rebecca Kuzins, Elizabeth McMillian, Brenda Rees, John Sollenberger, Nancy Spiller ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Dina Stegon ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Brenda Clarke, Joseluis Correa, Leslie Lamm, Jessica Vallete ADVERTORIAL CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Bruce Haring ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Tim Oliver, Manny Del Real HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER Andrea Baker PAYROLL Linda Lam ACCOUNTING Alysia Chavez, Kacie Sturek OFFICE ASSISTANT Ann Weathersbee PUBLISHER Jon Guynn 8 | ARROYO | 09.14
arroyo FINE LIVING IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA
SOUTHLAND PUBLISHING V.P. OF FINANCE Michael Nagami V.P. OF OPERATIONS David Comden PRESIDENT Bruce Bolkin 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 ArroyoMonthly.com ©2014 Southland Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.
10 | ARROYO | 09.14
FESTIVITIES
? ?
? Mac Davis sings his greatest hits
Robert Cornell scooping ice cream for Jackie Knowles
?
About 200 animal lovers gathered at a private club in Pasadena on July 26 for
Jeanette Mann, Sharyn Delahousie and Jane Wallace
the Pasadena Animal League’s festive Dog Days of Summer fundraiser for the Pasadena Humane Society’s new spay and neuter center. Meat eaters and vegetarians alike cruised an extensive buffet of brisket, fried chicken, salads and
Live auction with Glenn Storey of John Moran Auction House
pasta for the al fresco dinner. After silent and live auctions, the party, chaired by Beverly Hyde, moved indoors to the club’s ballroom for more than an hour of entertainment from singer/songwriter Mac Davis, who sang some of his biggest hits, including “In the Ghetto”... The Women’s League of Voters Pasadena Area hosted a party double-header on July 20 — the group’s fourth annual ice cream social and a housewarming for its new headquarters at the Western Justice Center. Local notables who joined the group of 100 supporters included U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (D-Pasadena), Assemblyman Chris Holden (D-Pasadena), Pasadena Councilwoman Margaret McAustin, Western Justice Center Execu?
tive Director and L.A. Superior Court Judge Judith Chirlin and former California Attorney General John Van de Kamp.
MC Wink Martindale with Beverly Hyde
Hyde with Lynne Nicholson, PAL president and Mia Dunn, PAL past president
LWV President-Elect Marge Nichols with daughter Sarah Abdus Samad
Event Chair Michelle White, with Brita Foshee, Monica Hubbard and Kris Ockershauser 09.14 | ARROYO | 11
12 | ARROYO | 09.14
Our Bodies, Our Desks The Stir Kinetic Desk may be the world’s first smart desk, designed to get working folk up on their feet. BY KATHLEEN KELLEHER
B
y now you are probably aware of the alarming pronouncement: Sitting is the new smoking. Or, your chair is out to kill you. Mounting scientific evidence bolsters those claims. Anchored to our chairs at desks for long stretches of time — eight to 10 hours a day — is slowing our metabolism, lowering our good cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity and early death. Even being ultra-fit does not inoculate you against the toxic effects of sitting. But standing up while working is linked not only to better health but to higher productivity, weight loss and a sunnier state of mind. To the rescue comes the standing desk, the answer to chronic workplace sitting. While there are many standing desks on the market, nothing compares to the Stir Kinetic Desk, the Tesla of the pack. The Pasadena-based company Stir created the Kinetic Desk — what might be described as a disruptive model amid the majority of standing desks. Stir just may revolutionize ordinary standing desks the way the iPhone did archaic flip mobile phones. Created by a team of alums from Apple, Disney and the design firm Ideo, the Stir Kinetic Desk is a smart standing desk. It is automated to help you seamlessly transition between sitting and standing positions with a double tap on an embedded desktop flat screen. The small iPad-like screen also delivers quantitative information about the desk user’s health, activity and movement, including how many minutes are spent standing and sitting, and how many calories are burned. These analytic reports that track move-
ment, integrating the information with mobile devices, can be referenced by swiping the screen. Equipped with WiFi and Bluetooth, the kinetic desk incorporates such movement information as a two-mile run performed before work, by integrating and syncing the data from a smartphone, Fitbit or other fitness device. “We found that 70 percent of people who had [non-automated] stand-up desks used them mostly in the sitting position,” says desk designer and Stir CEO J.P. Labrosse, whose career history includes working on Apple’s iPod Shuffle and iPad. “We thought that a height-adjustable desk was a lot like a treadmill that sits in the garage collecting dust.” –continued on page 14
09.14 ARROYO | 13
–continued from page 13
Persuading people to change habitual behavior can be challenging even when that behavior hurts them. Labrosse and his co-creators are trying to get people out of their chairs with something called Whisperbreath, selected by pressing the active mode button on the front of the desk. Whisperbreath is what Labrosse describes as the desk’s “tactile reminder” to change positions during the day by moving up (or down, if you need to sit) about an inch. Labrosse describes this as an “invitation,” adding, “It solves the problem of reminding a person to change positions without interruption.” Whisperbreath only asks once, and if it gets a “no” then the internal computer device learns from that interaction, absorbing the desk user’s habits and routines and adjusting to the feedback. Whisperbreath can also be switched off. The idea is not to obstruct the rhythmic flow of work. “We really set out to create products that people will feel connected with,” says Labrosse, a mechanical engineer who says that he stands at his desk about half the time. “We figure we have tripled the amount of time people use the height adjustment compared to other height-adjustable desks.” Labrosse was inspired by his own experiences with standing desks early in his career. He noticed how much better he felt when he worked alternating between standing and sitting. That advantage was later confirmed and explained in numerous studies. So LaBrosse and a team of like-minded innovators seized the opportunity to create a standing desk that connected all the pieces they felt were missing from existing models — an interconnected workspace that would leverage today’s connectivity to prompt you to change positions when you otherwise would not, and allow you to see the quantifiable results on a touch screen. They also wanted to create all this in a beautiful piece of furniture that would complement a modernist, urban office space. The Stir team chose to set up shop in Pasadena in 2012 because it is Labrosse’s hometown and a fantastic market for a health-focused and technology-driven start-up. What’s more, good design is a hallmark of Pasadena culture, attracting people who value its stunning Craftsman houses or want to join the next generation of designers themselves with an education from Art Center College of Design. The Stir Kinetic Desk’s industrial design is clean 14 | ARROYO | 09.14
and minimalist, maximizing the surface space by placing eight AC ports and four powered USB ports in two built-in recessed compartments. All cables and wires disappear from view, creating a clean, open desk space. The underside of the desk is visible when it rises, offering a surprising peekaboo glimpse of a bright splash of green, crimson or ultramarine — or charcoal for those with more subdued taste. Desk finish options include white polymer laminate or a maple laminate that comes in espresso. Of course, the sleek design doesn’t appeal to everyone. “Personally, I find it a little blocky,” says David Mocarski, chair of Art Center’s Environmental Design Department and lead developer of the new graduate program “Designing Experience.” “I don’t find a straight line on a human being or a flat surface on a human being,” he says. “It is very much a modernist machine aesthetic. I would like to see more sympathetic [conforming to human curves] lines. It is a sort of bold controlled piece and then the color on the underside can be really sort of interesting and fun.” Solutions to the sitting problem were much discussed at NeoCon, a massive Chicago convention dedicated to hotel and office furniture, held in June, says Mocarski, who attended. And at a time when everyone seems to have a smartphone, a stationary desk seems like a dinosaur of design. “People need the right tools to work 24/7 in this global economy where there are no time zones, no weekends and there are tremendous opportunities for business — but at the end of the day, our bodies take a beating,” Mocarski says. The Stir Kinetic Desk is an attempt to help us work better and longer. Wired magazine, which has been reviewing standing desks for two years, proclaimed “Get a Standing Desk” as one of its “18 Data-Driven Ways to Be Happier, Healthier and Even a Little Smarter.” A Wired writer reviewed the Stir Kinetic Desk in September 2013, around the time it launched. She noted that with a price tag of $3,890 and measurements of 58.5–by–29.5 inches, it would be too pricey and too large for her smallish Brooklyn apartment. That will also be true for some Pasadenans and Angelenos. But one can dream. |||| Kinetic Desks are on display at Stir’s office, 1976 Lincoln
Desk designer and Stir CEO J.P. Labrosse
Ave., Pasadena. For an appointment, email info@stirworks. com. To order a desk online, visit stirworks.com.
09.14 ARROYO | 15
arroyo
™
~HOME SALES INDEX~
ALTADENA Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. ARCADIA Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. EAGLE ROCK Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. GLENDALE Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. LA CAÑADA Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. PASADENA Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. SAN MARINO Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. SIERRA MADRE Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. SOUTH PASADENA Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. TOTAL Homes Sold Avg Price/Sq. Ft.
july ’13 54 $579,000 1488 july ’13 31 $825,000 2171 july ’13 17 $625,000 1435 july ’13 147 $542,500 1498 july ’13 31 $1,300,000 2210 july ’13 170 $551,250 1372 july ’13 18 $1,765,000 2595 july ’13 18 $682,000 1583 july ’13 28 $772,500 1663 july ’13 514 $468
HOMES SOLD
+15.60%
2014
455
AVG. PRICE/SQ. FT.
2013
july
514
-11.48%
july HOMES SOLD
HOME SALES
july ’14 30 $566,250 1432 july ’14 25 $1,080,000 1908 july ’14 19 $735,000 1392 july ’14 132 $580 1461 july ’14 39 $1,250,000 2417 july ’14 160 $622,500 1452 july ’14 12 $2,009,500 2414 july ’14 15 $727,000 1442 july ’14 23 $1,045,000 1647 july ’14 455 $541
HOME SALES ABOVE RECENT HOME CLOSINGS IN THE PASADENA WEEKLY FOOTPRINT ADDRESS CLOSE DATE ALTADENA 852 La Vina Lane 07/29/14 614 Hartwell Court 07/31/14 2371 Tanoble Drive 07/22/14 2140 Sinaloa Avenue 07/22/14 2179 Hill Avenue 07/31/14 ARCADIA 920 Fallen Leaf Road 07/18/14 1210 Rodeo Road 07/09/14 1024 South 4th Avenue 07/14/14 1617 South 1st Avenue 07/03/14 2209 Canyon Road 07/18/14 1401 Carmelita Place 07/22/14 671 Gloria Road 07/22/14 135 White Oak Drive 07/14/14 21 East Camino Real Avenue 07/18/14 515 East Longden Avenue 07/22/14 1102 El Norte Avenue 07/23/14 1732 Vista Del Valle Drive 07/14/14 607 East Camino Real Avenue 07/25/14 1320 Linda Way 07/07/14 1300 North Santa Anita Avenue 07/02/14 1035 San Carlos Road 07/31/14 EAGLE ROCK 2857 El Roble Drive 07/23/14 5258 Live Oak View Avenue 07/31/14 GLENDALE 1770 Grandview Avenue 07/30/14 1125 Hillcroft Road 07/09/14 336 Mesa Lila Road 07/29/14 1023 East Mountain Street 07/21/14 1638 Don Carlos Avenue 07/03/14 3231 Barnes Circle 07/15/14 1658 Del Valle Avenue 07/08/14 900 Calle Simpatico 07/31/14 2770 Mira Vista Drive 07/15/14 4338 Briggs Avenue 07/11/14 1351 Columbia Drive 07/02/14 2068 Dublin Drive 07/08/14 1330 Daily Circle 07/09/14 1920 Maginn Drive 07/18/14 1441 Lake Street 07/11/14 1700 Golf Club Drive 07/16/14 1407 5th Street 07/11/14 2045 Oak Valley Road 07/09/14 1631 Grandview Avenue 07/25/14 1500 Allen Avenue 07/09/14 2300 East Glenoaks Boulevard 07/21/14 1515 Ridgeway Drive 07/31/14 344 Magnolia Avenue 07/31/14 LA CAÑADA 1371 Descanso Drive 07/22/14 4817 Hillard Avenue 07/29/14 421 Georgian Road 07/11/14 4616 El Camino Corto 07/21/14 4210 Beulah Drive 07/01/14 4089 Chevy Chase Drive 07/01/14 544 Georgian Road 07/14/14 1803 Fairmount Avenue 07/15/14 5287 La Canada Boulevard 07/29/14 2042 Los Amigos Street 07/17/14 4843 Grand Avenue 07/01/14 4700 Hillard Avenue 07/29/14 1939 Tondolea Lane 07/25/14 4941 Oakwood Avenue 07/21/14 4235 Mesa Vista Drive 07/29/14
PRICE
source: CalREsource
BDRMS.
SQ. FT.
YR. BUILT PREV. PRICE PREV. SOLD
$1,375,000 $1,151,000 $1,075,000 $1,040,000 $910,000
5 4 3 2 3
3881 2507 2342 1917 2358
1999 1998 1925 1936 1949
$3,600,000 $3,380,000 $2,556,000 $2,522,000 $2,260,000 $2,220,000 $2,150,000 $1,900,000 $1,850,000 $1,820,000 $1,425,000 $1,360,000 $1,080,000 $1,020,000 $980,000 $980,000
4 4 3 5 5 2 4 3 3 5 3 3 3 4 3 2
3289 3532 2586 5054 6174 2443 3318 2602 3043 3820 1296 1865 1802 1834 2426 1634
1949 1940 1977 2004 2000 1949 1954 1952 1958 2002 1931 1951 1956 1963 1948 1953
$1,050,000 $1,050,000
4 2
3926 1392
2006 1924
$1,605,000 $1,595,000 $1,465,000 $1,450,000 $1,320,000 $1,269,000 $1,145,000 $1,130,000 $1,113,000 $1,085,000 $1,065,000 $1,065,000 $1,065,000 $1,010,000 $1,005,000 $938,000 $926,000 $925,000 $920,000 $916,000 $910,000 $900,000 $900,000
4 4 3 5 4 4 6 4 2 5 3 4 4 4 8 4 5 3 3 3 4 3 8
5906 2751 4390 4040 2409 2500 3024 2618 2154 2788 2680 2883 3044 2462 4890 2381 3071 2002 2158 1779 2583 2196 4200
1925 1926 1985 1927 1926 1972 1950 1990 1958 1954 1924 1979 1973 1961 1921 1959 1928 1954 1938 1938 1937 1923 1964
$3,995,000 $2,950,000 $2,900,000 $2,480,000 $2,390,000 $2,325,000 $2,300,000 $2,003,000 $2,000,000 $1,750,000 $1,741,000 $1,725,000 $1,650,000 $1,600,000 $1,400,000
6 3 4 5 5 4 5 4 4 4 4 5 3 3 3
6523 4318 3898 4845 2988 5330 3980 3120 4252 2904 3024 3184 1437 1960 2534
2005 1951 1950 2006 1939 1986 1963 1962 2006 1952 2005 1945 1953 1960 1976
$615,500
04/03/2000
$1,110,000 $730,000 $750,000
05/11/2006 05/08/2003 08/06/2004
$2,820,000 $2,180,000
10/04/2013 06/04/2009
$1,363,000
01/30/2004
$1,134,500 $598,000
07/23/2004 09/19/2002
$1,250,000 $735,000 $900,000
05/26/2005 11/29/2006 07/05/2012
$750,000 $540,000 $708,000
06/27/2006 07/06/2001 12/04/2012
$425,000
06/17/2013
$900,000 $1,350,000
11/15/2002 05/13/2004
$1,063,000 $1,082,000 $1,000,000 $122,500 $860,000 $630,000 $150,000 $249,000 $535,000 $475,000 $775,000 $220,000
08/26/2009 03/03/2006 09/24/2010 01/11/1978 06/21/2013 08/08/2003 12/14/1979 05/29/2001 10/01/1998 05/29/1998 03/29/2012 01/28/1981
$1,050,000 $715,000 $830,000
09/01/2005 10/14/2011 01/27/2009
$667,000
07/25/2003
$577,500 $105,500 $115,000 $1,900,000 $800,000 $1,225,000
09/12/2003 06/10/1980 10/29/1981 10/18/2006 12/19/1995 09/04/1991
$860,000 $2,280,000 $179,000 $315,000 $1,000,000 $960,000
04/28/1998 04/04/2007 02/18/1983 12/02/1994 05/10/2011 07/11/2008
The Arroyo Home Sales Index is calculated from residential home sales in Pasadena and the surrounding communities of South Pasadena, San Marino, La Canada Flintridge, Eagle Rock, Glendale (including Montrose), Altadena, Sierra Madre and Arcadia. Individual home sales data provided by CalREsource. Arroyo Home Sales Index © Arroyo 2014. Complete home sales listings appear each week in Pasadena Weekly.
16 | ARROYO | 09.14
ADDRESS CLOSE DATE LA CAĂ‘ADA 3939 Starland Drive 07/25/14 4855 Grand Avenue 07/11/14 1708 La Taza Drive 07/02/14 1210 Flanders Road 07/09/14 4924 Ocean View Boulevard 07/25/14 5168 Gould Avenue 07/16/14 736 La Porte Drive 07/29/14 946 Inverness Drive 07/30/14 125 Inverness Drive 07/25/14 5314 Stardust Road 07/31/14 1024 Flanders Road 07/25/14 470 Knight Way 07/28/14 4508 Littleton Place 07/03/14 4923 Del Monte Road 07/18/14 4508 Alcorn Drive 07/16/14 4524 El Camino Corto 07/31/14 5006 Merita Place 07/25/14 5044 Westslope Lane 07/23/14 5465 Ocean View Boulevard 07/02/14 5541 Rock Castle Drive 07/11/14 4806 Grand Avenue 07/14/14 PASADENA 950 Arden Road 07/03/14 320 Waverly Drive 07/24/14 300 South Arroyo Boulevard 07/09/14 588 East Glenarm Street 07/07/14 980 Stoneridge Drive 07/10/14 600 Elliott Drive 07/18/14 566 West California Boulevard 07/03/14 530 South Grand Avenue 07/08/14 800 Fairfield Circle 07/28/14 460 California Terrace 07/17/14 1350 Ontario Avenue 07/10/14 2158 Kinclair Drive 07/03/14 712 Magnolia Avenue 07/03/14 1585 South El Molino Avenue 07/18/14 920 Granite Drive #212 07/18/14 920 Granite Drive #301 07/11/14 1447 Edgecliff Lane 07/31/14 3036 Stoneley Drive 07/28/14 2010 East Mountain Street 07/25/14 1671 Loma Vista Street 07/08/14 1650 East Mountain Street 07/25/14 1263 East Topeka Street 07/17/14 633 South Lake Avenue #4 07/09/14 510 Ellis Street 07/01/14 785 Hastings Ranch Drive 07/07/14 1407 Kinneloa Mesa Road 07/21/14 520 Pembrook Drive 07/15/14 671 South Euclid Avenue 07/21/14 3416 Yorkshire Road 07/02/14 700 East Union Street #202 07/18/14 344 Malcolm Drive 07/11/14 2336 East Mountain Street 07/11/14 3725 Landfair Road 07/07/14 3865 Edgeview Drive 07/25/14 1425 North Chester Avenue 07/02/14 2080 Garfias Drive 07/24/14 570 Mercedes Avenue 07/01/14 2205 Las Lunas Street 07/24/14 1425 North Holliston Avenue 07/17/14 127 North Greenwood Avenue 07/09/14 415 San Palo Place 07/24/14 1114 Las Riendas Way 07/03/14 2500 East Orange Grove Boulevard 07/28/14 SAN MARINO 1145 Oak Grove Avenue 07/15/14 935 Kewen Drive 07/09/14 2115 Homet Road 07/24/14 1904 St. Albans Road 07/17/14 581 San Marino Avenue 07/18/14 1885 Robin Road 07/28/14 1530 Wilson Avenue 07/07/14 1832 West Drive 07/09/14 1715 St. Albans Road 07/30/14 2650 Lorain Road 07/15/14 1400 Winston Avenue 07/30/14 734 Old Mill Road 07/16/14 SIERRA MADRE 205 South Mountain Trail 07/16/14 390 Churchill Road 07/30/14 160 East Grandview Avenue 07/11/14 29 West Bonita Avenue 07/18/14 SOUTH PASADENA 1315 Chelten Way 07/17/14 408 Hermosa Place 07/01/14 824 Flores De Oro 07/24/14 1972 La Fremontia Street 07/01/14 420 Grand Avenue 07/25/14 2036 Le Droit Drive 07/03/14 621 Milan Avenue 07/31/14 187 Monterey Road 07/02/14 1963 La France Avenue 07/08/14 1208 Lyndon Street 07/16/14 2028 Amherst Drive 07/09/14 1303 Marengo Avenue 07/18/14 2069 Milan Avenue 07/09/14 1426 Beech Street 07/22/14
PRICE
BDRMS.
SQ. FT.
YR. BUILT PREV. PRICE PREV. SOLD
$1,398,000 $1,355,000 $1,310,000 $1,260,000 $1,250,000 $1,216,000 $1,200,000 $1,200,000 $1,190,000 $1,160,000 $1,150,000 $1,150,000 $1,125,000 $1,060,000 $1,047,000 $975,000 $974,000 $972,000 $950,000 $950,000 $920,000
3 3 4 3 3 4 4 2 3 5 2 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 3
2484 2417 1901 1929 2342 2124 3012 2524 2349 3535 1610 1608 1650 1291 1638 1286 1693 2230 1827 3587 1343
1957 1940 1955 1949 1978 1957 1987 1954 1966 1957 1949 1950 1950 1937 1951 1945 1951 1951 1958 1964 1940
$365,000 $1,269,000 $720,000 $495,000 $800,000 $270,500 $899,000
08/18/1995 05/01/2008 01/08/2010 11/09/2000 08/08/2008 09/05/1984 05/21/2013
$1,130,000 $1,010,000 $830,000 $880,000 $799,000 $385,000 $322,500 $630,000
11/09/2005 08/11/2005 01/04/2011 08/25/2004 10/27/2008 11/19/1998 03/19/1993 08/27/2004
$130,000 $387,500 $630,000 $1,750,010
07/03/1980 08/15/1991 07/11/2001 10/25/2000
$3,800,000 $3,700,000 $3,225,000 $3,200,000 $2,836,500 $2,242,500 $2,030,000 $1,955,000 $1,925,000 $1,900,000 $1,801,000 $1,800,000 $1,695,000 $1,650,000 $1,575,000 $1,390,000 $1,365,000 $1,352,000 $1,305,000 $1,281,500 $1,267,500 $1,252,000 $1,225,000 $1,175,000 $1,160,000 $1,150,000 $1,125,000 $1,100,000 $1,008,000 $1,000,000 $993,000 $975,000 $975,000 $945,000 $944,000 $940,000 $935,000 $935,000 $925,000 $925,000 $924,000 $910,000 $900,000
6 3 6 5 4 2 3 4 3 6 4 4 5 3 3 2 4 3 5 5 3 3 2 3 4 3 4 5 2 3 2 3 2 4 5 2 3 3 4 4 3 3 4
5174 5681 4479 4673 4010 2783 2036 2243 2088 3144 2881 3409 2592 2452 2470 1860 2618 1839 2914 2710 1895 2072 1810 1556 2640 1749 2463 2021 1543 1870 1419 2198 1909 2139 2442 2692 2413 1869 1774 2274 1908 2192 2668
1928 1968 1901 1920 1947 1968 1956 1941 1952 1914 1990 1994 1908 1961 2009 2009 1930 1948 1930 1924 1929 1920 2010 1886 1950 1956 1951 1918 1936 2006 1939 1948 1951 1956 1929 1925 1937 1941 1927 1920 1960 1974 1928
$1,950,000
09/18/1998
$3,200,000 $2,250,000 $710,000 $830,000 $900,000 $220,000
05/16/2008 05/15/2012 04/06/1993 11/28/1989 02/06/2013 07/16/1979
$1,250,000 $1,372,000 $1,200,000 $970,000 $1,078,000
11/18/2002 06/25/2012 04/20/2004 09/09/2002 12/07/2004
$353,000
04/23/1987
$550,000 $1,273,000 $1,000,000 $440,000 $938,000 $1,070,000 $765,000 $975,000 $1,030,000
02/08/2000 05/29/2007 08/13/2009 02/25/2002 11/01/2011 09/12/2012 03/08/2006 07/15/2011 06/14/2007
$265,000 $1,015,000 $772,500 $925,000
07/09/1997 01/04/2008 02/20/2009 06/15/2007
$113,000 $150,000 $235,000 $865,000 $345,000 $245,000
06/07/1979 02/13/1987 10/31/1991 10/06/2006 07/20/1990 10/26/1998
$600,000
04/28/2004
$9,880,000 $4,180,000 $2,483,500 $2,468,000 $2,222,000 $2,059,000 $1,960,000 $1,950,000 $1,828,000 $1,580,000 $1,580,000 $1,267,500
5 5 5 3 3 5 4 3 2 3 3 3
6990 4699 3100 2488 2470 3191 2177 2165 2007 2199 1862 2358
1912 2005 1929 1940 1926 1940 1937 1928 1951 1939 1938 1935
$1,400,000 $750,000 $1,115,500 $1,418,000 $685,000 $1,210,000
03/06/1987 08/14/2003 11/12/2004 09/14/2011 10/06/2000 01/30/2008
$1,800,000 $650,000 $900,000 $500,000 $1,210,000
06/28/2013 04/25/1989 07/07/2011 04/07/2008 11/01/2005
$1,426,000 $1,225,000 $1,178,000 $972,000
4 3 4 4
3192 2170 3476 2536
1951 1970 1990 1958
$355,000 $610,000 $1,114,000
09/23/1986 11/14/1997 07/20/2004
$3,745,000 $1,742,000 $1,573,000 $1,488,000 $1,338,000 $1,303,000 $1,215,000 $1,200,000 $1,188,000 $1,145,000 $1,135,000 $1,045,000 $950,000 $938,000
5 3 5 5 3 2 3 3 3 4 2 3 2 2
5046 2710 2583 2640 2177 1738 1647 1518 2188 2183 1736 1798 1284 1269
1926 1954 1972 1966 1951 1923 1924 1948 1909 1957 1924 1992 1923 1940
$2,800,000 $1,435,000
07/13/2004 05/03/2011
$1,222,000 $180,000 $998,000
07/17/2007 01/14/1986 03/07/2008
$800,000
06/10/2005
$352,000 $438,000 $1,015,000 $242,000 $86,000
01/26/2004 10/29/1998 08/31/2007 07/17/1995 10/06/1978 09.14 ARROYO | 17
ARROYO
HOME & DESIGN SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
POOLS ARE SOCAL STANDARD Backyard design is changing, but fun is still in style BY BRUCE HARING A BEAUTIFUL AND INVITING BODY OF WATER IN YOUR BACKYARD AND ELEGANT, COMFORTING SURROUNDING LANDSCAPING ARE A SYMBOL OF THE LIFESTYLE THAT COMES WITH LIVING IN THE PASADENA AREA. IT’S A PLACE WHERE THE SUN SHINES YEAR-ROUND AND THE CLIMATE ALLOWS YOU TO GO SWIMMING, SUNBATHE OR ENJOY A BACKYARD GATHERING ALMOST ANY DAY OF THE YEAR. Many homes in the Pasadena area already have a pool and accompanying landscaping in place. But some homeowners are just dipping their toes into the water, envisioning weekends filled with parties, family fun and great exercise, all in a handy location and surrounded by the perfect accessories to outdoor living. Jeff Lokker, President of Huntington Pools, advises that you ask around a bit before taking the plunge and transforming your backyard. “I think you should always start with a local, recognized designer, someone who knows what the local building codes are and is known in the neighborhood,” Lokker says. Once your hired hand develops a design to your satisfaction, that’s the time to start getting it priced out. “A lot of people go to three different builders and get three different designs,” says Lokker. You can’t compare them, because they are different.” Lokker has noticed that a lot of people are moving into new technology with their pool installations. The salt-water craze of the last few years has yielded to a new fascination with ozone and UV ray cleansing of the pool water. “It’s really to reduce the amount of chlorine and ultimately try to eliminate it. A lot of people are sensitive to chlorine, and they try to find new ways to sanitize the pool.” What salt-water advocates are discovering is that it’s murder on everything outside the pool. “Salt is corrosive to masonry, concrete, grout and plasters,” says Lokker. “You have to be careful not to over-salt the pool, because it then becomes aggressive to the concrete.”
dollar-for-dollar return on investment as there may be for a kitchen remodel or bathroom upgrade, Lokker points out that the value of family enjoyment of the amenity can’t be measured in strict monetary value. Of course, the recent water shortages have caused some Southern Californians to re-think plans to have a massive pond in their backyard. That’s why pool covers are becoming more popular, Lokker says. “The last couple of years, I’ve really started to use and get a lot of requests for automatic pool covers. These are systems that are designed –continued on page 20 18 | ARROYO | 09.14
PHOTO CREDIT: HUNTINGTON POOLS
If you’re in the market, a basic pool is going to be in the $40,000 range, Lokker says. “Then a pool that’s got nice amenities, it will be $60,000 and up.” While there’s no direct
PHOTO CREDIT: GARDEN VIEW LANDSCAPING, NURSERY & POOLS
—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—
–continued from page 18
to protect kids from falling in, from debris getting in, and helps heat the pool. It also helps resist evaporation. Everyone tells me they’re using less water (with a cover) than those that have other pools.” Mark Meahl, President of Garden View Landscaping, Nursery & Pools, said the “backyard living room” is the biggest trend he’s seen in the Pasadena area. “Living outdoors from dining, to enjoying drinks around a fire pit while sitting in comfortable chairs with friends or having an area that with a sofa and chairs to watch TV or do anything you would do in your living room,” is how Meahl describes it. Of course, that includes a pool, which Meahl says are “functional, (but) just as important, if not more important, as part of the environment. You can have your outdoor room right next to water with a soothing water feature with ambient sound that helps keep your privacy with your neighbors. The landscape is like the dress on the lady. It makes and finishes the environment. Artistically conceived with proper plant choices and well thought out groupings can make as much of a difference in the final experience as how well the dress fits.” Are people being as adventurous in their proposed landscape areas around the pool than they used to? “Yes, I think so,” Meahl says. “Part of it is that they can. Their friends and people on TV have done it and there are people like us who can show them what they can have.” LANDSCAPING DURING THE DROUGHT Beyond conserving water in the actual pool, many Southern Californians are adapting their landscaping to the drought conditions. These can range from ground covers to meadow flowers to trees. The need for less water and fertilizer is extremely beneficial to ground soil and reduces maintenance, and natural plants blend in with the natural California landscape. Grass removal is very popular, notes Karen Miller, the principal designer and managing partner of Sacred Space Garden Design, a full-service landscape design and installation company. The company specializes in transforming tired old lawns into an oasis perfect for outdoor living. The current drought conditions “creates quite a lot of new business for us, since we have specialized in water saving gardens for many years now,” Miller says. The company stresses that conservation goes beyond the recent water emergency, and needs to carry out those practices well into the future. “We install about 90% drip irrigation with smart timers and prefer succulents and Mediterranean plants,” says Miller. “It is great to see how (the water shortage) inspires people to think outside the lawn box.” Some Sacred Space tips on saving water in your landscaping: •
Update your watering system – have it professionally evaluated for maximum efficiency. Weather Based “Smart Controllers” are an excellent choice to ensure that you are using water wisely
•
Retrofit your irrigation system to drip line or low flow rotating spray heads. When professionally installed these are extremely efficient and –continued on page 22
20 | ARROYO | 09.14
09.14 | ARROYO | 21
PHOTO CREDIT: SACRED SPACE GARDEN DESIGN
—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—
–continued from page 20
will deliver water much more precisely •
Remove all or part of your water thirsty lawn and replace it with
•
Use permeable hardscape surfaces wherever possible, allowing rain
•
Install decorative yet functional rain chains or a rainwater harvesting
•
Use plants from the 5 Mediterranean areas of the world
•
Use Succulents – extremely low maintenance with very low water needs
•
Keep your plants well mulched with 2-4” of organic matter
•
Devote a portion of your yard to fruit and nut trees, vegetable production
drought tolerant ground cover, Decomposed Granite, gravel, etc. water and irrigation runoff to seep back into the water table system as a means of capturing rainwater for later use
and/or herbs. You will delight at the ease with which you can supply your family with healthy, fresh foods Another consideration when planning your new backyard is the paving that will surround your area. This major feature of your backyard experience will be found in the area you’ll spend most of your time in, and should be an elegant statement that enhances the best features of your outdoor living space. Tom Murphy is the paver sales manager of Angelus Block, a leading producer of concrete masonry units, interlocking concrete pavers, permeable pavers, and –continued on page 27
22 | ARROYO | 09.14
26 | ARROYO | 09.14
PHOTO CREDIT: ANGELUS BLOCK
—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—
–continued from page 22
other outdoor features, says many customers ask whether the paving around the pool setting will be durable. “Using a joint stabilizing sealer or a polymeric joint sand in-between the pavers can help prevent sand from being washed out of the paver joints and tracked into the pool or the house,” says Murphy. “Sealers can also enhance the color of the paving stone and help minimize staining. Murphy says customers are also concerned about coping, the term used to identify the stone or concrete material used to cap the pool shell wall. Options usually include poured concrete, pre-cast material, tile and natural stone. “Angelus stocks bull nose pavers that are perfect for pool coping,” says Murphy. “We have a number of other pavers, such as Estate Cobble II and Castle Cobble II, which have been used very successfully as pool coping. Our website, www. angeluspavingstones.com, has a “Details” section in our photo library that shows a variety of pool coping options. No matter which direction you go with your backyard designs, it seems like pools will always be a part of Southern California living. “More and more people want to enjoy the outdoor living experience that California weather offers,” says Huntington Pools’ Lokker. “Pools always seem to be the center of that. When people think about their backyard, it’s kind of the progression to have a pool and landscaping.” AMH&D
09.14 | ARROYO | 27
DOORS AND Tilting Shade: New cantilever umbrellas can swivel and tilt to follow the sun’s movements or yours, blocking the sun throughout the day. Offered in many sizes and shapes, they sit alongside chairs or tables, adjust easily and look great. This one by California Umbrella costs $300 to $1,500, depending on size. Available through californiaumbrella.com.
Here’s some of the latest and most enduring in outdoor residential design from the terrace to the threshold. BY BETTIJANE LEVINE
D
oors have been around since the ancient Egyptians depicted them in hieroglyphics, and they haven’t really changed that much in form or function. It’s the materials, technology and aesthetics that have changed drastically, while doors throughout the ages have always represented transition, protection, privacy and separation from the elements and society’s external chaos. Doors symbolize all sorts of emotional passages that we rarely stop to think about — but we can’t seem to stop talking about. Their importance is reflected in our language, which is peppered with door idioms: at death’s door, open-door policy, shut the door in his face, don’t darken my door, that job is a revolving door, etc. The link between doors and outdoors is obvious; one leads to the other. And in this issue we’ve paired the two categories to show recent design trends in each. Custom-designed doors are de rigueur for homes of quality, and they are usually more mas28 | ARROYO | 09.14
sive and certainly more impressive than the standard variety at big-box stores. Doors of steel can glide open electronically, like a bank vault. They can be fireproof, bulletproof, soundproof, even explosion-proof. They can have that familiar satiny steel finish or a vibrant color coat. They can be designed with glass inserts to allow in light. One local architect designed a horizontal glass insert near the bottom of his own immense electronically operated steel door because his beloved dog likes to lie on the foyer floor and look out at passing traffic. Pivot doors, which swivel open with a gentle touch, are a growing trend. They move via top and bottom pivots rather than side hinges, and designs can be contemporary or traditional. They’re not exactly a new idea, however. The ancient Egyptians and Greeks crafted huge stone temple doors that moved via pivots at top and bottom. (If you’re ever in Turkey, you can see a pivot stone from the third millenium B.C. at the Istanbul Archaeology Museums.) Many Arroyoland homes are blessed with exceptional views, or rolling private
OUTDOORS
Portable Spritz:
Outdoor Eames:
A new must-have for poolside, dockside or lakeside, this portable shower connects to a garden hose or any outdoor water supply. The Pasaia from FermobUSA is made of powder-coated aluminim, comes in four colors, has a rainwater shower head and wood-finish PVC grate. The price is $1,727. Available through fermobusa.com.
The iconic lounge chair, originally designed by Charles and Ray Eames for outdoor use, was transformed into a leather-and-wood indoor style by the sages at Herman Miller. Now they’ve brought it back in metal and mesh for the outdoors. The chair costs $2,147, the ottoman, $1,007. Available at Design Within Reach, 60 W. Green St., Pasadena. Call (626)432-6700 or visit dwr.com.
lawns that could accommodate a flock of sheep, or doors and windows that open onto courtyards, loggias or pool areas. In these homes, the entry door may be less used than doors that open onto viewing decks or private terraces. And the latest trend for these folks is to eliminate traditional walls entirely and replace them with glass walls that can open up the room, eliminating boundaries between indoors and out. Nanawall, a trendsetter in the field, makes it possible to enclose a room (including corners) in glass, with the option to open part or all of the wall to the great outdoors. The firm’s newest invention is a “wellness system,” which continuously monitors indoor air quality and tells the resident when it’s time to open the glass wall and flush the interior with fresh air. Outdoor furniture is a much newer concept than doors, and one born right here in the San Gabriel Valley. In 1945, Robert Brown and Hubert Jordan established the Brown Jordan Company and went on to create the fi rst furniture ever constructed for
full-time outdoor use. Their fi rm (and the entire industry they created) has continued to flourish, and there’s no end in sight to innovations in the field. Wicker furniture, for example, is a classic choice among traditionalists. But oldfashioned wicker, made of plant materials, used to start deteriorating with prolonged outdoor exposure. Today’s wicker is made of synthetic resins woven around rustproof metal; it has longevity in its very atoms. All-weather treatments for fabrics and wood have redefined the endurance of outdoor furniture. And styling seems to have no creative limits. No matter how futuristic, funky, whimsical, modern or traditional your outdoor-furniture taste, there’s bound to be an all-weather cocoon bed, a luxurious curtained chaise, an Eames chair or a granite-topped table to suit your sense of style. –continued on page 31 09.14 ARROYO | 29
30 | ARROYO | 09.14
–continued from page 29
Cushy: Sink into beanbag-like comfort on this lounge built of multiple sealed chambers filled with polystyrene pearls, all encased in a water-repellent coat. That’s topped with a removable classic striped fabric cover that is water- and fade-resistant. It’s called the Zoe Outdoor lounge, $2,900 at Suite NY. Available through suiteny.com.
Hoop-la: A new interpretation of the hammock, this lightweight, folding and moveable Osmose swinging bed is self-supporting via its metal, hoop-shape design. Designed by Milan-based Sakura Adachi for Fermob, it costs $2,036. Available through fermobusa.com
PHOTOS: TOP LEFT: Rolando Pellot Photography; TOP RIGHT: Julie Ansiau; BOTTOM: Delaney + Chin
Garden Art: San Francisco sculptors Topher Delaney and Calvin Chin, of Delaney + Chin, create healing garden art that inspires, delights and soothes. Their award-winning garden artworks are custom-made for private individuals, museums, hospitals and businesses, taking into account the client and the setting. This fountain burbles in the garden of a private home. Available through tdelaney.com. –continued on page 32
09.14 ARROYO | 31
窶田ontinued from page 31
New Classic: When Brown Jordan opened its doors in Pasadena in 1945, Robert Brown and Hubert Jordan were the first in the country to produce furniture strictly for outdoor use. This Southampton wicker set from the Richard Frinier collection has traditional elegance with a postmodern flip: It窶冱 impervious to weather with its woven synthetic resin fibers over powder-coated aluminum frames. The dining table costs $1,955, the armchairs are $800 each and side chairs go for $740 each. Available through brownjordan.com.
Double-Wide: This Jardine lounger by West Elm, made of Forest Stewardship Council窶田ertified tropical wood with a weather-resistant finish, is wide enough for two. The lounger costs $699. The weather-resistant cushion sells separately for $229. Available through westelm.com. 窶田ontinued on page 34 32 | ARROYO | 09.14
09.14 ARROYO | 33
–continued from page 32
No H20 Needed: EasyTurf artificial grass now comes in colors. Imagine a swath of violet outlining your bed of wildflowers. Or, if you have dogs, a lawn that never stains and is virtually pooch-proof. Advances in synthetic grass fabrication make it more reallooking, durable and carefree, say experts who explain it all at easyturf.com.
Fire!: It’s the hottest trend in outdoor living — outdoor fireplaces, which are increasingly the centerpiece of outdoor rooms. This one, by Napoleon Fireplaces, is stainless steel, with a glass windscreen and a safety valve that turns off gas if the flame goes out. One of many models at napoleonfireplaces.com.
Superb side tables are composed of thick, round marble tops set on powder-coated spherical steel bases. These Enoki side tables come in various heights and diameters, with tops of fine white, gray, brown or black marble. Bases available in 11 colors. Designed by German architect Philipp Mainzer. Available through Context Gallery, contextgallery.com.
34 | ARROYO | 09.14
PHOTOS: TOP: EasyTurf; CENTER: Napoleon Fireplaces
Art Circles:
Sealed in Steel: This custom steel entry, by Neoporte Modern Door, is designed so the art-collecting homeowners can easily transport extra-large objects in and out of their home. It’s comprised of two doors of different widths — one is for everyday use and the other opens alongside it to create space wide enough for their largest art. Available through neoporte.com.
PHOTO: BOTTOM: Karyn Millet
Twist on Tradition: This massive custom-made door of mahogany and glass combines solidity, style and welcoming warmth. Designed by Michael Fullen, of Michael Fullen Design Group in Laguna Beach, for a Huntington Beach home Fullen designed. Visit michaelfullen.com.
–continued on page 36 09.14 ARROYO | 35
–continued from page 35
Door Delicacy:
Red and Frosty:
Some homes need a door that lets in light and a view of the landscape. Portella Custom Doors fabricates individually engineered doors to specifications of architects of luxury homes across the country. This is one of their incredibly delicate steel and glass doors that blend classic elegance with sleek modern style. LaRue Architects (larue-architects.com) of Austin, Texas, designed it. Interiors are by JEI Designs of Austin.
Lipstick-red shiny steel is teamed with frosted glass to create an enticing pivot door that lets in light while maintaining privacy. The come-hither color is like an invitation to visit. The door design is by Ana Williamson Architect (awarchitect.com) of Menlo Park, California.
It’s an awesome sensation to trade in your standard wall for a wall of glass that can open up your room to the great outdoors. Nanawall Systems of Corte Madera, California, is a leader in glass walls that fold away and “disappear.” And they can be fabricated to withstand all kinds of weather conditions. The firm’s latest news: an app that tells you when the room’s getting stuffy and needs an infusion of fresh air. Available through nanawall.com.
36 | ARROYO | 09.14
PHOTO: TOP RIGHT: Dasja Dolan; BOTTOM: Joe Fletcher Photography
Nanawall
09.14 ARROYO | 37
38 | ARROYO | 09.14
An Aging Pink Lady Gets a Facelift La Jolla’s La Valencia Hotel gets an update that stays true to its historic roots. BY IRENE LACHER or a beachy example of California style, look no farther than La Valencia. The iconic Bar, where La Jolla Playhouse founder Gregory Peck entertained his casts, has been completely reimagined as a sunny French bistro. The casual new Café la Rue (so-called La Jolla hotel designed by Reginald Johnson opened in 1926, when the nation was because of its sidewalk tables for people-watching) was inspired by three large paintstill aflame with passion for Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. (The style was ings inherited from the Whaling Bar — primitive portraits of Paris in the ’20s by Wing popularized by Caltech architect Bertram Goodhue, who introduced it at the PanamaHoward (a local artist who lived at La Valencia for five years and sometimes paid his California Exposition of 1915 in San Diego, where he was lead architect.) way with his paintings) seeded the Art Deco design scheme. La Jolla still has its “Pink Lady” (one of La Valencia’s nicknames), much as Beverly The hotel uncovered the sweeping Spanish arched windows designed by the original Hills has its “Pink Palace” (better known as the Beverly Hills Hotel). But decades hugging architect, which had been shuttered for 66 years. New high-gloss terrazzo floors were the splendid La Jolla Cove, where sea lions bask on rocks in the sun, have not been kind to hand-poured in Deco patterns, and the buildings. When Pacific Companies period chandeliers were hung from the Chairman Ash Asrani bought the hotel ceiling. Of course, no bistro would be in 2011, “I said to him, ‘You bought 80 complete without leather banquettes, years of deferred maintenance, so open which circle a central bar with a barrelyour pocketbook,’” says Mark Dibella, dome glass canopy. La Valencia’s managing director, who “It’s a respectful way to edge the also oversaw the recent renovation of legacy,” Dibella says. “We wanted to San Diego’s historic U.S. Grant Hotel. make sure it meant something to the “It requires extensive constant upkeep, property.” and there’s nothing like wrought iron The hotel’s formal restaurant, The next to the ocean. It needs a lot of Med, also underwent an overhaul, paint.” designed to create intimate gathering Fortunately for La Valencia, Asrani spaces to offset the room’s generous did open his pocketbook wide enough size. Dibella wanted to avoid a sea to bankroll a renovation tab of $11 milof dining tables and chairs, so Los lion (and still counting). Indeed, just Angeles designer Linda Snyder laid a repainting the salt-air-battered façade huge area rug on top of the distressed cost a pretty penny. “It cost $250,000 hardwood floor, to warm up the room to paint the old girl,” Dibella says. The La V’s tile portrait of a Spanish lady in pink was commisand “evoke a great room in a villa,” he color? Frazee Paint’s La Valencia Pink, sioned for the hotel’s opening in 1926. says. Three different types of seatof course. ing — elegant settees and club chairs If you detect a note of affection for upholstered in various champagne-colored fabric patterns and dining chairs with tealLa Valencia in Dibella’s remarks, you wouldn’t be far off. Even the owner saw his $42 leather seats and wooden backs custom-carved in Indonesia — break up the room into million hotel purchase as more than an investment. “He said to me 2½ years ago, ‘I’ve cozy clusters. been looking across the bay for 30 years, and I never thought I’d be successful enough to Perhaps the biggest design challenge was La Valencia’s largest public room, the buy it,’” Dibella recalls. massive La Sala Lounge off the main lobby. The ocean-view room is dominated by six Of course, updating a historic site, as La V has been designated by the California large plaster beams, which were hand-painted to look like wood. To lighten up the dark Coastal Commission, is practically oxymoronic. “What I realized is important to conand heavy look of the beams, the hotel engaged La Jolla native Emma Wright to create sider and blend into every decision is what part of the design and the property’s legacy a new lighter design inspired by the large original medallion over the picture window, is still going to be relevant enough in its future,” says Dibella, who guided a team of arwhile the ceiling fields between the beams were restored to their original design. chitects and designers. “There’s also what you inherit from a property that’s almost nine “You can literally tell areas that have been enhanced, and that’s what we wanted,” decades old — it’s deciding what to throw out, what to keep and what should be new.” says Dibella, a stickler for subtle details. “It shouldn’t look like a brand-new ceiling. It The commission bars changes to the exterior that aren’t approved by local officials, shows its many years of experience.” but no one wanted to alter the signature pink façade, which former owners painted in Patterns repeat throughout the hotel. The 112 guest rooms, which had all been the late ’50s, inspired by their travels to Florida and Hawaii. Also preserved is the other decorated in different styles, were regarbed in earth colors. The furniture, designed “pink lady” in the garden — a Dutch artist’s tile portrait of a Spanish lady in a pink by Paul Darrell in L.A., has detailed inlay that mimics the main tower’s tile inset in a dress, installed for the hotel’s opening in 1926 — and the outdoor pool opposite the cross-hatch pattern typical of ’20s architecture; the cross-hatch design is also worked cove, although it’s scheduled for a conversion to eco-friendly saltwater next summer. Perhaps the most noticeable changes are in the public areas. The dark Whaling –continued on page 40
PHOTO, ABOVE: Rick Cunningham
F
09.14 ARROYO | 39
Guestroom furniture pays homage to vintage ironwork patterns throughout the hotel.
La Valencia’s greatest assets have always been its views of La Jolla Cove.
La V architect Reginald Johnson was known for his Spanish-style arches.
The Med was redesigned to “evoke a great room in a villa,” says Mark Dibella.
La Jolla–born artist Emma Wright handpainted La Sala’s massive beams.
–continued from page 39
into the carpet pattern. The jewel of the renovation will be two new 10th-floor Tower suites with 180-degree ocean views, previously the province of a small restaurant called The Sky Room. The suites, which will have walls of uninterrupted glass and living room windows that fully open, will be designed to connect to each other to form a mega-suite of 2,500 square feet. Individually, the suites will measure 950 square feet and 1,550 square feet, with high-season nightly rates of $1,900 and $3,000, when they’re completed. “I’m shooting for New Year’s Eve,” says Dibella, who has managed to keep the hotel open during renovations. “I’m going to pop a bottle of champagne in my office.” |||| 40 | ARROYO | 09.14
KITCHEN CONFESSIONS
An Empty Nest Fill it with memories of your kid’s favorite foods, like my daughter's perfect pancakes. BY LESLIE BILDERBACK It has finally happened. Our house is officially a kid-free zone. When the first kid went to college, I avoided that reality by working as an early morning baker and starting grad school. Now that those things are finished, and the youngest is gone, lord knows what I will do to distract myself from the quiet, the smaller laundry loads, the cleaner bathrooms and the cheaper grocery bills. At least when the first one left, I had another one in reserve. Now I’m out of backups. Since this is a food column and not an empty-nesters’ support group, I will tell you about food as it relates to my youngest, who is now on the other side of the country learning to be an adult. She has always been the more adventurous eater of my two kids, except when it comes to fruit — especially bananas. It is a textural thing. She eats only crunchy fruit, like apples and crisp melon. No berries, citrus or tropicals. Grapes have to be really firm, and she only accepts raisins because for years she didn’t believe that they were fruit. (Mom is a professional chef, but why take her world for it?) Her hatred of bananas has led to much taunting and teasing over the years, which she endures with dignity. (Except for the time she accidentally took a bite of banana cream pie at Thanksgiving and proceeded to ruin everyone’s holiday appetite.) Now she tells me that she recently ate banana-flavored yogurt and enjoyed it. So grown up! In the third or fourth grade she figured out that hamburger was cow and quickly declared her vegetarianism. Though it resulted in me having to cook two meals every night for the next decade, it made me proud that she had convictions besides her pick for the cutest member of One Direction. And she was polite about her vegetarianism, which is more than I can say for some adults. Occasionally she secretly admitted to me that the bacon or grilling meat smelled delicious to her, but she has yet to cave in (as far as I know). Her vegetarianism is not surprising, as she has always been the environmentally aware one, turning off running water, lights and appliances she deemed unnecessary (even if they were in use). She enjoys cooking, to the point of amassing her own equipment. We designated a kitchen drawer just for her and filled it with a collection of culinary gadgets, mostly
Claire Bilderback
Disney-themed. Each trip to Disneyland resulted in a new Mickey spatula, measuringcup set or the like. It was comforting, especially in the past few years, to know she could cook for herself. Unfortunately, she has ADD (anti-dishwashing disorder), which manifested itself in a stockpile of dirty dishes in her room, hidden under the bed, textbooks and piles of dirty laundry. It usually took a few days, and a shortage of spoons, for me to venture into that sphere of terror to retrieve my supply of dinnerware. She has been a fan of coffee from an early age. (Yes, I gave her coffee in the morning — don’t judge, at least she was ready for school on time.) That meant I stuffed Starbucks instant Via packets in her summer-camp duffle bag and always had a pot ready for her return from slumber parties hosted by other moms with stricter moral codes. Of course, she took her Mickey French press and battery-operated hand-held milk foamer to college. Her love of coffee is surpassed only by her love of breakfast foods. If she could, I’m sure she would eat breakfast at every meal. Pancakes are at the top of her list — so much so that the rest of us got sick of them. She became a bit of a pancake snob, poohpoohing the Bisquick and ready-made batters of her peers. I am sure it is mostly my fault. At least I know she will never skip that most important meal of the day, regardless of what time she eats it. Always up for a new culinary adventure, she loved sushi early on and can roll her own. (Another skill for college, no doubt.) She never turned up her nose at weird foreign-looking food, which was in all likelihood a response to her older sister’s opposite reaction, and an attempt to position herself as “the good one.” It was a nice try, but –continued on page 42 09.14 | ARROYO | 41
KITCHEN CONFESSIONS
Claire’s Pancakes I make these for dinner now, and we eat them alone, wallowing in the silence of our quiet home. Just kidding — we party every night! INGREDIENTS 1½ cups whole wheat flour ½ cup rolled oats 2½ teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons brown sugar ½ teaspoon salt 3 eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla 1¾ cups milk
METHOD 1. In a large bowl sift together the flour, oats, baking powder, spices, sugar and salt. In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, vanilla and milk. Pour the wet into the dry and combine in as few strokes as possible. Set the batter aside for 10 minutes and preheat griddle on high. The rest time gives the baking powder a chance to start activation (make carbon dioxide bubbles), which creates lighter, fluffier pancakes. At this point you can add any number of items to the batter, such as blueberries, chopped nuts, chocolate chips or bananas. (Warning: Do not serve banana pancakes to Claire.) 2. When the batter has rested, drop it by the spoonful onto the hot griddle. Wait until you see bubbles rising to the surface before flipping the pancakes over. Cook until they are firm and golden. If they are browning too fast, reduce the heat. 3. Serve hot with butter, syrup, jam, dried-fruit compote or sautéed fresh fruits such as apples, pears and figs.
–continued from page 41
it was pretty much negated by the dirty-dishes-in-the-room thing. I am fairly certain (or at least hopeful) the presence of a roommate will cure her of that affl iction — unless, of course, the roommate has it too, in which case my heart goes out to the rest of the dorm. Luckily for us, both kids hold the title of “the good one.” And though they are missed daily, we don’t worry about them (too much). They are making their way in the world, as we did, and having a great time doing it. I am comforted in their absence knowing that they are the ones who will fi x all the world’s problems. They have much more promise than I did at their age. All I wanted to do in college was make myself happy. These kids have a broader view of the world and lifetime goals that involve stuff like justice and equality. My college goals mostly involved playing Quarters. When they were born, I remember thinking, “Holy crap! My world is completely changing! Things will never be the same.” I was right. It got so much better. Sniff.|||| Leslie Bilderback, a certified master baker, chef and author of Mug Cakes: 100 Speedy Microwave Treats to Satisfy your Sweet Tooth (St. Martin’s Press), lives in South Pasadena and teaches her techniques online at culinarymasterclass.com. 42 | ARROYO | 09.14
A SELECTIVE PREVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS COMPILED BY JOHN SOLLENBERGER Raising a Glass to the Huntington
THE LIST
Public Library and the Pasadena Public Li-
Rocky Neck Bluegrass Band
brary Foundation co-host a cocktail party
Sept. 6 — The Hunting-
fundraiser to help restore the façade
ton Library, Art Collec-
of the historic library’s Central Branch
tions and Botanical
overlooking Walnut Street. The 90-year-
Gardens hosts the black-tie Huntington
old building was designed by the firm of
Ball with the theme “Celebrating The
Myron Hunt and H.C. Chambers and is
Huntington Renaissance: 26 years of
listed in the National Register of Historic
transformation and achievement under
Places. The event, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the
the leadership of Robert A. Skotheim and
library’s Great Hall, highlights the yearlong
Steven S. Koblik.” The evening starts at
celebration of 130 years of reading in
7 p.m. and includes dinner and dancing
Pasadena. Tickets cost $130.
to music by Wayne Foster Entertainment.
The Pasadena Public Library’s Central
Tickets cost $1,000, $500 for Huntington
Branch is located at 285 E. Walnut St., Pas-
Society of Fellows members.
adena. Contact Catherine Hany at (626)
The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens campus is
EVERYBODY LOVES SOME BODDY
744-4207 or chany@cityofpasadena.net.
Sept. 1 — Descanso Gardens presents its annual Labor Day party, Boddy’s Big
Zoo Chills Out, Celebrates Latino Heritage
Pasadena Pops Salutes New York
Backyard, which celebrates gatherings once hosted by Descanso founders Man-
This month, the L.A
Sept. 6 — The Pasadena Pops ends its
chester and Berenice Boddy, the original owners of the land the gardens now
summer concert series at the Arboretum
occupy. The day starts with the Boddy and Descanso History Walk at 10 a.m. The
events highlighting fun and diversity:
with “New York! New York!,” featuring works
Rocky Neck Bluegrass Band performs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Guests may picnic
Sept. 14 — “Cool at the Zoo” lets visitors
from musicals set in the Big Apple, includ-
under the oaks (bring blankets or lawn chairs) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Barbecue
chill out while checking out ice sculpture
ing West Side Story, On the Town, Street
items from Patina will be available for purchase. Free with Descanso admission
demonstrations, animal presentations,
Scene and Harlem Nocturne. Michael
of $9 for adults, $6 for seniors and students and $4 for children 5 to 12; free for
arts and crafts and other activities from
Feinstein conducts and vocalists Patti
children 4 and younger.
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Austin, Liz Callaway and Jeremy Jordan
Descanso Gardens is located at 1418 Descanso Dr., La Cañada Flintridge. Call
Sept. 28 — The Latino Heritage Celebra-
perform. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. for
(818) 949-4200 or visit descansogardens.org.
located at 1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino. Call (626) 405-2144 or visit huntington.org.
picnicking and the concert starts at 7:30
Zoo hosts a pair of
tion highlights the diversity of LatinAmerican cultures and animals native
p.m. Ticket prices start at $20.
Highland Ave., L.A. Call (323) 850-2000
Tract Act of 1938 in Southern California’s
to the Americas from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Los Angeles County Arboretum and
or (800) 745-3000 or visit hollywoodbowl.
Morongo Basin, settled by former city
Activities include crafts, zookeeper close-
Botanic Garden is located at 301 N. Bald-
com or ticketmaster.com.
dwellers who wanted to escape L.A.’s
ups and live traditional music and dance
urban sprawl. Cabins were built, then
performances.
Saving Big Cats
abandoned in the 1950s. More recently,
Both events are free with regular admis-
Sept. 13 — Big cat rescue organization
artists reclaimed and refurbished some of
sion of $19, $16 for seniors 62 and older
The Simpsons Invade Hollywood Bowl
Animazonia Wildlife Foundation hosts a
the structures as creative retreats, studios
and $14 for children ages 2 to 12; free for
fundraiser in South Pasadena from 4 to
and subjects of their works. Selections
children younger than 2 and Greater Los
8 p.m. with animal appearances, speakers,
from Stringfellow’s photographic series of
Angeles Zoo Association members.
Sept. 12, 13 and 14
a silent auction, wine tasting, gourmet food
abandoned homesteads are displayed,
The L.A. Zoo is located at 5333 Zoo Dr. in
— The Los Angeles
samples and live music.Tickets cost $47 or
along with their original deeds and new
Griffith Park. Call (323) 644-6042 or visit
Philharmonic Association and Gracie
$400 for a reserved table for eight. Location
work showcasing the cabins’ rehabilita-
lazoo.org.
Films present the world premiere of “The
is provided with ticket purchase. Proceeds
tion. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Simpsons Take the Bowl!” The event cel-
benefit cats in the organization’s care.
Tuesdays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to
ebrates more than 25 seasons and some
Call (818) 370-5809 or visit bigcatbenefit.
5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Autry ad-
Sticky Fingers Benefit Unity Center
500 episodes of the animated television
brownpapertickets.com for tickets and
mission costs $10 for adults, $6 for students
Sept. 18 — Monro-
series with host Hank Azaria, creator
animazonia.org for information.
and seniors and $4 for children ages 3
via-based Foothill
win Ave., Arcadia. Call (626) 793-7172 or visit pasadenasymphony-pops.org.
to 12; free for members, veterans and
Matt Groening and voice artists Nancy
Unity Center hosts a
children 2 and younger. Free for all guests
fundraiser at Robin’s Wood Fire BBQ in
Yeardley Smith and “Weird Al” Yankovic.
Multimedia Look at Desert Dwellers
the second Tuesday of every month.
Pasadena from 5 to 10 p.m. The center
Clips will be projected on the bowl’s big
Sept. 13 — Kim String-
The Autry National Center is located at
provides food, shelter and health services
screens with live accompaniment by the
fellow’s Jackrabbit
4700 Western Heritage Way in Griffith Park.
to low-income and homeless people in
Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, led by Princi-
Homestead opens
Call (323) 667-2000 or visit theautry.org.
11 San Gabriel Valley communities.
Cartwright, Beverly D’Angelo, Jon Lovitz,
pal Conductor Thomas Wilkins. Showtimes
today at the Autry National Center and
are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 7:30
continues through Aug. 23. The exhibition
p.m. Sunday. Tickets cost $13 to $172.
is a multimedia look at the environmen-
Friends Freshen Face for Pasadena Library
The Hollywood Bowl is located at 2301 N.
tal and aesthetic legacy of the Small
Sept. 14 — Friends of the Pasadena
Robin’s Wood Fire BBQ is located at 395 N. Rosemead Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 358-3486 or visit foothillunitycenter.org. –continued on page 44 09.14 | ARROYO | 43
THE LIST Wayne Brady
KISS ME, KATE KICKS OFF Sept. 16 — Wayne Brady and Merle Dandridge (Spamalot, Rent) lead an AfricanAmerican cast in Pasadena Playhouse’s new production of Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate, inspired by African-American theater troupes of the early 20th century. Artistic Director Sheldon Epps directs this American musical theater classic about a tumultuous production of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. The show, which opens today and continues through Oct. 12, includes such memorable songs as “Another Op’nin’ Another Show,”“Too Darn Hot” and “Brush up Your Shakespeare.” The curtain rises at 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 4 and 8 p.m. Saturdays and 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays. Tickets cost $47 to $125. The Pasadena Playhouse is located at 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 3567529 or visit pasadenaplayhouse.org.
–continued from page 43
Norton Simon Unveils Asawa’s Prints
Pacific Opera Project Presents Tosca
Sept. 19 — Home
Sept. 19 through 28 — Pacific Opera
and Away: The Printed Works of Ruth Asawa goes on view at the
Project presents Puccini’s Tosca at 8 p.m.
Norton Simon Museum today and contin-
Sept. 19, 20, 21, 26, 27 and 28 at St. James
ues through Jan. 19. Asawa (1926--2013)
United Methodist Church in Pasadena.
is best known for her wire sculptures and
The three-act melodrama, set in Rome
public fountains; however, her formal train-
in 1800, tells the tale of the threat to the
ing was in drawing and design at North
Kingdom of Naples’ control of Rome by
Carolina’s Black Mountain College, where
Napoleon’s invasion of Italy. Tickets cost
she studied with Josef Albers. The exhibi-
$30 to $50, $25 for seniors and $20 for
tion spotlights prints produced by the
students.
artist while at L.A.’s Tamarind Lithography
St. James United Methodist Church is
workshop in 1965.
located at 2033 E. Washington Blvd.,
The Norton Simon Museum is located at
Pasadena. Call (323) 739-6122 or visit
411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Call
pacificoperaproject.com.
(626) 449-6840 or visit nortonsimon.org. 44 | ARROYO | 09.14
–continued on page 46
09.14 | ARROYO | 45
THE LIST
–continued from page 44
Reach Out and Touch a Truck
Bartenders Battle at Foodie Finale
Sept. 20 — The
Sept. 25 — The Pasa-
Southern California
dena Chamber of
Children’s Museum
Commerce’s second
presents the second annual Touch-A-Truck
Taste of Pasadena and SIP-tember Finale
event at Santa Anita Park. Families will be
comes to the Rose Bowl from 6 to 9 p.m.
able to explore a variety of large trucks,
with 24 Pasadena restaurants offering food
heavy machinery, recreational vehicles
and drink samples.The event culminates a
and emergency vehicles in a hands-on
competition for Pasadena’s best cocktail ---
learning experience from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
ticketholders will taste samples created by
Also included are the L.A. County Fire De-
the four finalists and vote for Pasadena’s
partment’s Quakey Shakey Schoolhouse
Favorite Cocktail 2014.Tickets cost $25 in
Earthquake Simulator, Home Depot Kids
advance for Pasadena Chamber of Com-
Workshop activities and other attractions.
merce members and their guests and $30
Tickets cost $5 or $15 for a family of four.
for the general public, or $40 at the door.
Children under 1 are admitted free.
The Rose Bowl Stadium is located at 1001
Santa Anita Park is located at 285 W. Hun-
Rose Bowl Dr., Pasadena. Visit pasadena-
tington Dr., Arcadia. Call (626) 657-0357 or
chamber.org.
visit socalkids.org.
LACO Season Launches
Choco-holics Converge on Convention Center
Sept. 20 — The Los
Sept. 27 — Choco-
Angeles Chamber Orchestra opens its
latiers, confectioners and culinary artisans converge on the
season at the Alex Theatre with Jeffrey
Pasadena Convention Center from
Kahane conducting Beethoven’s Sym-
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the eighth annual Los
phony No. 5, Saint-Saëns’ Piano Con-
Angeles Chocolate Salon. The event in-
certo No. 5 and the world premiere of a
cludes demonstrations by Le Cordon Bleu
LACO-commissioned piece for strings
instructors and a talk by KABC Radio host
and percussion by Australian composer
Susan Irby, a.k.a. the Bikini Chief, about
Cameron Patrick, inspired by the Aus-
chocolate and healthy eating. Tickets
tralian landscape. Juho Pohjonen is the
cost $20, $30 at the door.
featured piano soloist. The concert starts
The Pasadena Convention Center is lo-
at 8 p.m. at the Alex and repeats at
cated at 300 E. Green St., Pasadena. Visit
7 p.m. Sunday at UCLA’s Royce Hall. Ticket
lachocolatesalon.com.
prices start at $25. The Alex Theatre is located at 216 N.
Walk for the Animals
Brand Blvd., Glendale. Call (213) 622-7001
Sept. 28 — A herd
or visit laco.org.
of animal lovers is expected to descend
46 | ARROYO | 09.14
Stand-up Props Up Rehab Center
Brookside Park from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the
Sept. 21 — The Ice
Pasadena Humane Society and SPCA’s
House Comedy Club
16th annual Wiggle Waggle Walk. The
presents longtime
organization’s fundraising goal is $375,000
on Pasadena’s
NBC4 weatherman and comedian Fritz
to care for the thousands of animals that
Coleman in a fundraiser for Pasadena’s
come to the shelter annually. The event
Casa de las Amigas, a drug and alcohol
includes a Pet Expo with pet products,
rehabilitation center for women. Tickets for
free samples, dog demonstrations and
the 7 p.m. event cost $15.
contests. Registration is free.
The Ice House Comedy Club is located at
Brookside Park is located at 480 N. Arroyo
24 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena. Call (626)
Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 792-7151, ext.
577-1894 or visit icehousecomedy.com.
167, or visit wigglewagglewalk.org to register.
09.14 | ARROYO | 47
48 | ARROYO | 09.14