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Houzz Tour: An Urban Castle in Pasadena
Architecture from the ancient Romans to Texas Quakers inspires a unique and magical home
A former editor at Architectural Digest, I've written about architecture, design, people and places for Dwell, New Mexico Magazine, Architectural Digest and The Los Angeles Times, in addition to contributing to Houzz.
A former editor at Architectural Digest, I've written about architecture,... More »
Van-Martin Rowe added his own unique contribution to the rich architectural heritage of Pasadena, California, when he designed and built an “urban castle” for himself and his husband, Barry Storch. The landscape and interior designer took a nondescript two-bedroom, one-bath home and transformed it into a one-of-a-kind residence with details from the Mediterranean, Europe, Asia and Morocco.
Inspired by the sequoia that has stood on the property for more than a century, Rowe envisioned a house with an indoor-outdoor sensibility and a vertical emphasis, which more than doubled the existing structure’s square footage. Fourteen-foot ceilings give volume to the spaces, without sacrificing livability or comfort. “I tried to keep it so that it lived like a bigger house,” he says.
Inspired by the sequoia that has stood on the property for more than a century, Rowe envisioned a house with an indoor-outdoor sensibility and a vertical emphasis, which more than doubled the existing structure’s square footage. Fourteen-foot ceilings give volume to the spaces, without sacrificing livability or comfort. “I tried to keep it so that it lived like a bigger house,” he says.
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by Van-Martin Rowe
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| Two of seven towers lend a fanciful air to the house, while a tall hedge ensures privacy. Earth-toned textured stucco provides a link both to the earth and the surrounding neighborhood. |
by Van-Martin Rowe
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Rowe tucked the entrance door, which he had fabricated of steel with a bronze finish, into the hedge.
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by Van-Martin Rowe
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| Rowe chose warm-toned gravel for the entrance courtyard, while faux windows and doors give the space the feeling of a room. “They open it up,” he says. “I’d removed them from another property I was remodeling – I hate to throw away good things.” |
by Van-Martin Rowe
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Antique Persian, vintage Victorian and Malibu tiles adorn one of the fountains. The antique pot is from Italy. “I love using tile,” says Rowe. “The color never fades.”
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by Van-Martin Rowe
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| Cast-stone steps lead from the courtyard to the loggia, which is used year-round. Rowe finished the ceiling — inset here with skylights — in blue plaster to evoke those done in Roman times. The fans throughout are from the Modern Fan Company. |
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| Flanked by cast-stone columns, the loggia remains open to the outdoors but is protected at the same time. Rowe designed the table behind the sofa. |
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| Interspersed with vintage Malibu pieces, tile from Walker Zanger and Anne Sacks stand in for a carpet. “I always say a room should look incredible empty – that way it will look even more beautiful furnished,” explains Rowe, who also designed the chairs upholstered in golden mohair and the sofa. |
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by Van-Martin Rowe
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| Triple-glazed French terra-cotta tiles from Cavendish Grey were installed with large grout joints. |
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| The furniture on the loggia can easily be removed to accommodate large dinner parties or to create an impromptu dance floor for parties. “Flexibility is very important to me,” says Rowe. |
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Glass doors from the loggia lead into the library, which features a reclaimed-oak floor. “It’s really practical for animals, children and guests,” says Rowe. “Children can and should learn to live with beautiful things around them.”
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| For the ceiling in the library, Rowe took his cue from artist James Turrell’s Quaker meeting house in Houston, Texas. “Blue is a very healing color," says Rowe. “Here it basically disappears at night.” An antique telephone ladder hung from the ceiling provides access to the custom shelves, done in vertical-grain maple cabinetry with a mahogany finish. |
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by Van-Martin Rowe
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| The distressed plank floors continue in the kitchen, which Rowe designed for entertaining, with two Sub-Zero refrigerators and an extra-deep Thermador professional range. Rowe installed an oversize Viking hood liner and decorated it with terra-cotta tiles and set the cabinets six inches above the floor. “If you want something to look bigger, float it off the floor,” he says. “Otherwise, it stops the eye.” |
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| Tile from Ann Sacks is offset by a terra-cotta piece from Eye of the Day Garden Design Center in Carpinteria, California. |
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by Van-Martin Rowe
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| For the dining room, Rowe designed a built-in buffet with ample drawer space. The handles are ebony with wenge pegs. |
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| There’s additional storage space in the butler’s pantry. “I call it the Costco Room,” jokes Rowe. “I don’t have a butler, but I do have a Costco card!” Ample mahogany counters can be used during parties as well as for folding laundry. |
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| “I wanted the master bedroom fireplace to look like a walk-in fireplace,” says Rowe. He raised the hearth so that the flames could be seen from the bed. |
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Outside the master bedroom, cantilevered beams drip water into the swimming pool, which doubles as a fountain. “I gave it a negative edge like a reflecting pool,” Rowe says.
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| Pagoda-like details ornament one of the towers. Of the blend of eclectic elements he used throughout the property, Rowe observes, “In music and fashion, you see people sampling all kinds of things, but in architecture, not so much. This house is such a personal expression of my life.” |
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| Rowe created a magical space atop the roof, which offers views of the San Gabriel Mountains nearby. “I’d just completed a house on the canals of Venice, California, where you really have to maximize space,” says Rowe, who also took inspiration from the way roofs are used in Egyptian and Moroccan residential architecture. The daybed is by Dedon. See more photos from this project. More amazing homes: A Magical Castle in Ukraine A Dramatic Renovation in Tinseltown A Modern Mexican Paradise A Brooklyn Landmark Returns to Glory |
Ideabook updated on Oct. 19, 2011.
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