This year marks the 54th year of the Pasadena Showcase House of Design. Approximately 25,000 people will tour the house in the 25 days it is open. You still have two weeks to see it before it ends on May 20th, 2018. Don't worry though, the Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts (PSHA) does this every year.
Faith Mellinger, Chanin Victor, and Monica Rohleder Duffy at the Pasadena Showcase House of Design
The House just opened April 22 and is only open until May 20th. On Monday, the PSHA gave your local Macaroni Kid Publisher Moms a private tour of the House and Gardens and we absolutely loved every minute of our visit. Faith Mellinger, is the Publisher of the Pasadena and Burbank Macaroni Kid Newsletters, and Monica Rohleder Duffy is the new Culver City Macaroni Kid Publisher. While we were there, we also had the good fortune to meet one of the designers. Jeanne K. Chung of Cozy Stylish Chic happened to have done one of the Teen Bedrooms, which we all loved, as well as the Kitchen and Butler's Pantry. It was so interesting to pick her brain about the whole process and get some design tips and sources as well.
Faith Mellinger, Monica Rohleder Duffy, Jeanne K. Chung, and Chanin Victor
The PSHA has nearly 300 members, all volunteers, and they originally started this as their annual benefit to raise money for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and it's youth concerts. Today, their goals are to fund music programs that nurture the study and appreciation of music, provide music education, ensure that music is available to a broad range of audiences, and further the work of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association. Cumulative donations of more than $23 million have been made in support of these programs, as well as the Hollywood Bowl, the Music Mobile van, Youth Concerts, and an annual instrumental competition.
The Pasadena Showcase House of Design is one of the oldest, largest, and most successful house and garden tours in the country. My parents took me on this tour many times in my teenage years and I loved looking at all the design elements. I daydreamed that one day I would be able to decorate my house like many of the ones I'd seen. In college, I actually had a friend who worked with one of the designers who were chosen.
Interior designers are selected though a special process to be featured and decorate one room in the house. This is of course, a very special honor and many designers would love to have this gig on their resume. This year, 16 Interior Design firms with 2 Interior Design Advisors, and 8 Exterior Design firms with 1 Exterior Designer Advisor, worked on the house. There are also 20 vendors at The Shops at Showcase, in case you need to find a unique piece for your own house. On site, a restaurant and bar are there for your dining and drinking pleasure. Tickets range from $30 to $45 depending on the time of day.
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Grand Foyer, Mezzanine Area, Monica and Chanin in the Petite Lounge toasting a gorgeous house!
This year the House is called "The Overlook", and it's a majestic Mediterranean masterpiece designed by the distinguished architect Reginald Davis Johnson. It sits high atop a hill in Altadena and was constructed in 1915 at a cost of $14,000, for widowed sisters Ruth Hargrove and Mary Emma Baker. The main residence is more than 11,000 square feet and includes a Kitchen, Butler's Pantry, Dining Room, Living Room, Billiards Room and Petite Lounge, Library, Powder Room, and Family Room. I also loved the little room at the bottom of the stairs for Mo, the family's beloved dog.
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LIbrary, Billiards Room, Living Room, Butler's Pantry, Dining Room, and Kitchen
Mo's Room
Upstairs is the Mezzanine overlooking the Grand Foyer. There is also the Master Bedroom Suite, which includes Morning and Exercise Rooms and a Men's Retreat Room. A Media Suite, 2 Teen Suites, and the Au Pair's Room are also on the upper floors.
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Master Bedroom, Media Room, Teen Bedrooms
Outside, there's a ONE Bedroom Guest House with Living Room, Kitchen, and Bath. The 1.6 acre compound includes a Modern Pool with an Outdoor Kitchen and many different garden areas scattered throughout. I absolutely loved the garden with the Treehouse. I could totally imagine spending a warm afternoon hanging out with my daughter in the cute little casa del árbol. All of the designers consulted with the owners, who added contemporary elements to suit their personal taste and lifestyle. Altogether, the house is an eclectic blend of unique living spaces and it's absolutely gorgeous!
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Guest House
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Modern Pool
Treehouse and Garden
For more information OR to purchase tickets, please visit THE PASADENA SHOWCASE HOUSE OF DESIGN 2018.
Disclosure: I was given a private tour of the PSHD in exchange for a review, but all opinions are my own.
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