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.