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IN GOOD TASTE Once the childhood home of Julia Child, this Reginald D. Johnson treasure is re-imagined for a modern family. WO R D S B Y A N U S H B E N L I YA N
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n a tree-lined avenue in the Madison Heights neighborhood of Pasadena rests a four-bedroom abode anchored by a great deal of local history. Originally built in 1911 by architect Reginald D. Johnson, the 5,070-square-foot Beaux Arts–style home is where the legendary Julia Child grew up, and—as rumor has it—where a gaggle of bohemian Cal Tech students communally lived in the ’60s and ’70s. The current owner, who purchased it as a family home in 1996, tapped her brother, L.A. architect Warren Techentin, for a head-to-toe renovation a few years ago. To return the façade to its original splendor, Techentin’s team carefully preserved the face of the house while transforming the back into a modern interpretation of the front, with glass elements to help facilitate indoor-outdoor living and solar panels on the roof. “This project shows my interest in ‘collapsing history’ into design,” Techentin says. “…To look at all voices from all epochs for inspiration and conversation.”
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A B OV E : Warren Techentin Architecture consulted archival photos of the property to reconstruct some of the woodwork of the exterior and create custom moldings. R I G H T: The double-height great room— which features a Beaux Arts–inspired decorative ceiling designed by Techentin and CNC-milled by MachineHistories—is balanced with a bespoke chandelier created by Pasadena-native artist/designer David Wiseman. The bronze branches are cast from Southern California oaks, which Wiseman culled from Pasadena and Elysian Park, while the handmade porcelain leaves evoke Southern magnolias. “There’s a kind of tension between the mass and physicality of the bronze installation versus the soft, delicate ceiling,” Wiseman reflects. “You feel sort of protected by the bowers.”
