Built well over a century ago — way back in 1914, during the days of Woodrow Wilson’s presidency, per tax records — this stately and stylish mansion is quintessentially Pasadena, a suburban L.A. town full of architectural treasures. No matter if you’re a fan of a good midcentury modern, fancy a storybook Tudor, or prefer colorful Craftsmans and red brick Colonial Revivals, Pasadena has a little something for everyone. The listing describes this particular property as an “English Arts and Crafts gated estate,” which it is, though the place has quite clearly undergone a thorough modernization in recent years.
Designed by noted architect Reginald Davis Johnson, the house is also sited in one of Pasadena’s most coveted neighborhood pockets, on a quiet side street just a quick jog from the uber-posh Langham hotel. Those attributes were sufficient to woo hotshot Hollywood director/writer Matt Reeves (“Cloverfield,” “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” “War for the Planet of the Apes,” the upcoming Robert Pattinson-starring “The Batman”) and his longtime wife Melinda Wang, who have just spent $5.5 million for the property. (Though still a hefty sum by almost any standard, that sale price actually represents a big discount off the original $6.4 million ask.)
Sited on a high knoll well above the street, the house is surrounded by gates and a jungle-like collection of hedges. A long driveway leads past a grassy island with a stone fountain on its way to the mansion, which lies almost at the very rear of the half-acre lot. The pitched-roof structure includes two full floors of living space, plus finished attic and basement levels. There’s also a detached two car garage with loft-like upstairs guest quarters; all told, the estate has six bedrooms, four full bathrooms and two powder rooms in about 6,000 square feet of living space.
Matt McIntyre of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties held the listing; Larry Young, also of Berkshire Hathaway, repped the buyers.
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Image Credit: Zillow Last sold in 2015 for $3.5 million to Morgan Stanley banker Darren Edwards, the house has since undergone a sophisticated renovation.
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Image Credit: Zillow Outside, the creamy white stucco contrasts nicely with the gray-blue roof and trim. There’s a wee porch, plus plenty of manicured boxwoods for that English garden-esque feel.
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Image Credit: Zillow Thankfully, the previous homeowners saw fit to leave the glorious original wood detailing unpainted, eschewing the contemporary trend of whitewashed hardwood. The result are interiors visually rich in details and history, while blending nicely with the modern conveniences of today.
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Image Credit: Zillow The entrance gallery with its elongated staircase connects to a notably glam living room with a modern chandelier, plus a fancy Restoration Hardware “porthole” bar inspired by the Roaring ’20s (regular price: $4,595.)
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Image Credit: Zillow An attached den is swaddled in royal blue paint, and offers a fireplace and antler chandelier.
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Image Credit: Zillow The paneled dining room has a glitzy lacquered ceiling treatment.
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Image Credit: Zillow Perhaps the home’s most heavily modified spaces were the kitchen and attached pantry, which are essentially all-new. White marble countertops and farmhouse blue cabinets abound, and there are top-of-the-line Wolf and SubZero appliances.
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Image Credit: Zillow Off one end of the kitchen is a convenient breakfast area with built-in banquette seating and lovely views of the gardens.
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Image Credit: Zillow There’s also a “hidden” doorway guarding the basement staircase.
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Image Credit: Zillow Don’t call it a speakeasy, but the slick basement features an Art Deco-style bar with backlighting, period light fixtures, and ample space for a world-class collection of booze.
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Image Credit: Zillow A basement powder room is convenient for when one’s guests are in no mood to stumble back upstairs.
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Image Credit: Zillow On the home’s upper level is a second family room, this one with with views through big-picture windows of the entire estate.
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Image Credit: Zillow The light-flooded master bedroom includes a black marble fireplace, plus a spa-style adjoing bathroom with a soaking tub.
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Image Credit: Zillow The master closet is drama-filled, with custom lighting and glass custom cabinets.
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Image Credit: Zillow A finished attic/bonus space currently functions as a media room.
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Image Credit: Zillow Back outside, the detached garage was built as a carriage house, with an upstairs staff suite for the chauffeur.
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Image Credit: Zillow On the estate’s south side are ample entertaining spaces, including a huge loggia with space for al fresco dining, and a full outdoor kitchen with bar seating.
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Image Credit: Zillow The infinity-edged spa and swimming pool cascade down toward a concrete patio ripe for sunbathing. Somewhere there’s a wood-fire pizza overn, and the grassy lawn will impress Fido and his furry friends.
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Image Credit: Zillow Since 2001, Reeves has owned a two-bedroom condo in a gated Hancock Park complex, where he and Wang have resided for the entirety of their 15-year marriage. Born in New York but raised in Los Angeles, the now 55-year-old director befriended fellow filmmaker J.J. Abrams while both were still in middle school. In the early ’80s, while both were in high school, the pair of then-unknowns were hired by Steven Spielberg to assist in transferring his first films to videotape.
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