The 2017 Pasadena Showcase House of Design opened to the public yesterday and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be participating – this year as a designer! I’ve done Pasadena Showcase House previews in past years on my blog, but this is my first time on the other side of the fence. Don’t fret though, as my mission is still to spread the word of great design, and this year’s house is chock full of great design, ideas and inspiration.
Below is my favorite picture of the home, which was snapped at the beginning of April from below the wisteria arch, while it was in full bloom. Even though the purple blooms will not return until next year, the main restaurant at the Showcase House, Wisteria, was inspired and named after this beautiful vine that graces the property.
This year’s home is a 7479 sq. ft. English Tudor Revival built in 1916 by Marston & Van Pelt for then-lawyer Samuel Hinds, one of the founders of a well-loved Pasadena cultural institution, the Pasadena Playhouse. After the stock market crash of 1929, Hinds fell upon hard times and left law to pursue acting full time and in his lifetime appeared in more than 200 films. He is probably best known for his role as Peter Bailey, the father of Jimmy Stewart’s character in It’s a Wonderful Life.
The connection to Hollywood does not stop there. The home has appeared in several movies, most recently in LaLa Land on a scene in the loggia, in the 1988 movie Beaches as the home of Barbara Hershey’s character, in the 1985 version of Alice in Wonderland, and in countless other TV and film appearances.
This year’s home features 19 interior and 6 exterior designers from around the Los Angeles area, who have been planning their spaces since early October, when they first laid eyes on the house during the designer walk-through. As anyone who visited the home during the Empty House Party can tell you, the house had not been updated in quite some time and several spaces had fallen into a state of disrepair. Construction commenced at the end of January and as impossible as it may seem, all 25 designers pulled it off and were able to transform the house in time for the opening of the 53rd Pasadena Showcase House of Design. The transformation is simply remarkable!
The Interior
Below are a few glimpses into this year’s Pasadena Showcase House of Design.
The Exterior
The Guest Bedroom
Now onto the room I spent months designing and a pretty penny executing. Most visitors do not realize what a time and financial commitment it is to do Showcase, but I’ll save that for a later post. (It is totally worth it though!)
I designed the Guest Bedroom to be a shoppable room, as I find that visitors to the Showcase House love to be inspired, but oftentimes they also want to purchase the product that they come across. I incorporated product from the many vendors I carry in our Old Pasadena retail/trade showroom, which we opened last June. My frequent travels around the country reporting on trends from the major design trade shows allow me to find unique product that cannot be found just anywhere. As I posted my findings onto my blog and social media, I found that people wanted the same unique product that I was coming across but had nowhere to purchase it. This was the impetus for opening my own showroom. I can’t show you everything here right now, as the room is really meant to be experienced in person, as are the other rooms in the house. However, once I have my professional photography available I will share more pics and the process of executing the design of the room. For those interested, everything is available for purchase in our shop but the one-of-a-kind and vintage pieces must stay in the room until the end of Showcase.
For those interested, everything is available for purchase in our shop but the one-of-a-kind and vintage pieces must stay in the room until the end of Showcase.
The Guest Bedroom is a multi-sensorial experience and that can only experience while occupying the space in person, which is why I urge everyone to visit the house while it is open to the public.
Below are some details that can be seen in the Guest Bedroom to whet your appetite. The more time you spend in the room, you will start to notice the subtle details that fill the room. Each detail was carefully thought out and was purposely layered in a way that would make the room warm and inviting for guests.
This year’s Pasadena Showcase House successfully merges past with present. Being the curious blogger that I am, I made a point to ask visitors what their impressions were as they made their way through the house, and several mentioned that this year’s house was among their favorites. Mind you that many people who visited yesterday have been attending for more than 25 years! Normally I can give an objective opinion of my thoughts on each house, but being so immersed in this year’s house from the beginning, it was hard for me to be objective this time around (of course I think it’s awesome!) The other comments were that this house is more cohesive than in past years, has a fresher approach to design, and has a nice flow from room to room. The design is more modern than in past years, while still respecting the architecture of the home, and the ideas implemented in each room left visitors with many ideas. Come see in person to be inspired!
Plan to spend at least half a day, as in addition to touring the home, there is a bar, two restaurants, and a marketplace. Be prepared to bring home lots of shopping bags, as they have some amazing vendors with product that you won’t find anywhere else in town. A portion of the proceeds from the marketplace goes to provide funding for music programs in the Pasadena area.
Tickets can be purchased at pasadenashowcase.org and the house is open through May 21
DATES: April 23 – May 21
TIMES: Wednesday – Saturday, 10AM-7:30PM, property closes at 9 PM
Tuesday and Sunday, 10AM-4:30PM, property closes at 6 PM
Monday – CLOSED
TICKETS: $35-$45
PARKING: There is no parking at the property. Parking is at the Rose Bowl, Lot I (near Kidspace) 360 North Arroyo Blvd, Pasadena CA 91103
Tickets can also be purchased at the door, but they are limited to availability.
I hope you enjoyed my 2017 Pasadena Showcase House preview and that you have a chance to tour the home before May 21. I will be posting more on the home, room by room once the house closes, because I want to give everyone a chance to experience each space in person, first.
