Craftsman Homes and Pasadena CA Real Estate

homes in Highland Park is perpetually in demand by homebuyers. Why? It is because Pasadena is gorgeous with many different kinds of neighborhoods with different vibes and character. Pasadena is widely known for it’s variety of older, classic homes that are always on the market, but it is most famous for its “Craftsman” style homes.

In Pasadena and, indeed, throughout Northeast Los Angeles, homebuyers moving into the area are anxious to purchase these phenomenal character homes as an investment and then restore them to their original, stunning condition. Then, they’re able to make a small fortune when the time comes to sell.

Pasadena is rich with traditions celebrating variations of architectural design from the 19th century to today. This cornucopia of architecture gives Pasadena and its residents’ credibility as supporters of art, history, preservation, and culture.

The benefits of this type of community are evident in neighborhoods like “Bungalow Heaven” – a 16-block region that is the most concentrated collection of Craftsman Style homes in America. These homes successfully reflect the down to Earth, relaxed vibe of Southern California. Any resident or guest strolling through the neighborhood will feel its lively warmth despite the century year-old age of these homes. Luckily, the city and community consider preservation a top priority. Preservation is held in such high regard that it affects Pasadena Public Policy. This contributes to economic health and neighborhood regeneration.

This Craftsman Movement in Pasadena is also known as the American Arts and Crafts Movement. This style of home was birthed in the late 19th century out of people’s passion for ceramics, art and unique features. This unique style was a blend of the creative minds of two English architects named Charles and Henry Greene. Upon arrival in Southern California they were inspired by the beauty and simplicity of the land and set forth a goal of designing a home that reflected the true aesthetic of Pasadena.

Pasadena was founded in 1875 by a group of Indiana settlers who sought refuge from the winter. The middle-upper class quickly grew fond of the stable land and decided to call it home. Word traveled around and Pasadena quadrupled in size during the first twenty years of the 20th century. The sudden influx of residents left Pasadena in search new homes. Greene and Greene had been working on a design and thus created the construction of the Craftsmen community.

The Craftsmen were exactly what the growing middle class desired. These small homes were built from local wood, painted in dark colors. They were one in a half story with large, open commons rooms and built-in breakfast nooks and cabinets. Fireplaces, porchesand house foundations were made out of California river rock. The famous tile-maker, Ernest Bachelder, modeled Craftsmen tile work after the California Mission’s architecture (his own house still sits preserved and in use at 626 South Arroyo Boulevard). Bundled rows of clerestory windows admit light, fresh air or both. Wide porches and comfortable verandas were ideal for chats or naps. These homes resemble ideal dollhouses with their visible beams and low gabled roofs. The best part of all? Their prices ranged from $650-2500.

Pasadena never grew tired of the Craftsmen. This November, Pasadena Heritage celebrates the 25th Annual Craftsman Weekend from the 11th to the 13th. This celebration honors the Craftsman Movement and features house tours of preserved Craftsman homes. There are also bus and walking tours of the surrounding neighborhoods. In addition to the tours, the weekend includes a Show and Sale of over 50 exhibitors of antique and modern furniture of decorative arts. This weekend also includes a silent action, workshops and presentations. They will be hosting exclusive receptions at historic locations around Pasadena during the weekend.

This advocacy for historic architecture has a profoundly, positive impact on the community. This ongoing universal understanding will continue to shape Pasadena’s reputation positively in the future.

But as far as home buying and home selling goes, one thing is certain: These homes are valuable and they are in demand. If you’re looking to sell, it has been a seller’s market for the last decade. If you’re a buyer, you’re going to want to consult with an experienced Pasadena realtor who understands the ins and outs of the Pasadena real estate market.

Classic Victorian Homesand Northeast Los Angeles Real Estate

The ever-booming real estate market in Northeast Los Angeles has renewed interest and focus on the many different types of classic Victorian homes in various NELA communities. As older neighborhoods such as Angileno Heights, Montecito Heights and Lincoln Heights experience gentrification, owners of these homes are selling to homebuyers who desire to restore the Victorians to their original beauty.

Victorian-style homes in homes in Highland Park and Eagle Rock have also been selling fast as have homes in Echo Park, one of LA’s first suburbs. But how did these old-style homes associated with Europe end up becoming a fixture of old-world Los Angeles?

The impressive Classic Victorian home was birthed in 19th century England during their Industrial Revolution under the reign of Queen Victoria. Simultaneously, Northeast Los Angeles was breaking ground as the communities of Eagle Rock, Mount Washington and Highland Park were first settled. In desperate need of reliable housing, the American settlers looked to their Motherland for architectural guidance. In the 1890s, Victorian homes began to decorate the landscape of Northeast Los Angeles.

Victorian homes successfully capture the Old World with their unique, colorful, picturesque, “doll house” resemblance. These large homes are decorated with many smaller rooms. A typical Victorian has a living room, a den, a dining room, kitchen, laundry room, entry foyer and typical 2-3 bedrooms and bathrooms. In many classic Victorians the ceilings have hand painted designs and the landscape has large lush trees with mature plants and shrubs.

As Northeast Los Angeles grew in tandem with the megalopolis that is Los Angeles, more homes and business districts developed and the culture was all blended together in modernity. Once the 1960’s rolled around, Victorian homes were being demolished at an unmanageable rate to keep up with Los Angeles’ brisk urban expansion.

The Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument program was established in 1961. They tried to save the Victorians, but they were only able to evaluate the properties and register them. They had no power to protect them. Eight years later in 1969, a group of citizens responded to the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission’s call for help and developed the Cultural Heritage Foundation to oppose the destruction.

This Foundation created the Heritage Museum Square as a safe haven for historically and architecturally significant buildings that were set to be demolished. This is an outside, architecture museum that sits beside the Arroyo Seco Parkway. It shows the development and history of Southern California architecture. The Heritage Museum Square is currently home to several Victorian homes including the most photographed home in Los Angeles, the multi-colored Hale House. These Victorians have historic furnishings and paintings on display.

Heritage Square started a wildfire among community activists in the journey of the historic preservation movement. Over the next couple decades preservation continued and more activists came on board. Charles J. Fisher is a historian who was raised in Mount Washington and founded the Highland Park Heritage Trust. This Trust was meant to save historic Victorians in Highland Park from being torn down and replaced by cheap apartment buildings. His Trust was a success and in 1994 he obtained a Historic-Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ) for most of Highland Park. A HPOZ is recognized by the City Planning Commission and the City Council as having historic significance and is protected under the Los Angeles Municipal Code. Each HPOZ is supplied with a five member Board who focus on historic preservation within the specific area.

Because of the serious preservation practices over the last 50 years, the Victorian Homes of Northeast Los Angeles have maintained their beauty and grace. In the more recent real estate boom, people have discovered these treasures and have moved into them to fix them up. These homes are more affordable than similar homes in West LA and many of them have great views of the Downtown LA skyline. Classic Victorians are even used in Film and Television including Charmedand Michael Jackson’s hit music video, “Thriller”.

Purchasing one of these old Victorian homes in these great older neighborhoods in NELA can be a tricky affair, as can the sale of these homes. A real estate agent who specializes in buying and selling these types of homes will know the right appraisers and inspectors so that the transaction can go smoothly.

Bungalow Homes and Northeast LA Real Estate

Real estate is booming in communities of Northeast Los Angeles, affectionately known as “NELA”. Highland Park homes – as well as homes in Pasadena, Glendale, Eagle Rock and Altadena – are typified by classic, vintage bungalow homes. Even when examining Mt. Washington real estate, it isn’t unusual to see a turn-of-the-century bungalow perched next to a huge mid-century modern home or even a mansion! The availability of these character homes on the market is part of what attracts homebuyers to these neighborhoods.

One has to wonder whether the designers and architects who began working on these homes and streets realized they were doing something really cool when they decided on this approach. But how could they have known that these same homes would be bought and sold with massive profits decades later and would be lovingly restored by homebuyers and sellers alike? To answer these questions demands we look into the history of the classic “bungalow” home in NELA.

In the autumn of 1888 the Arts and Crafts Movement began in England when a group of artists and architects developed an organization called the “Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society”. Their purpose was to “turn our artists into craftsmen and craftsmen into artists.” They agreed that decorative arts and architecture should both be simple, efficient, built from local materials and most importantly, beautiful.

Their movement took off and found a home in the United States. Gustav Stickley, a furniture manufacturer from New York, wrote up these ideas in his magazine in the 1901 issue of The Craftsmen. He published captivating articles on theories and design of what’s now known as the Craftsman Style. He even included house plans for the Craftsman and Bungalow homes. Over the course of the century these ideas were taken and expanded to satisfy different habitats, tastes and cultures. Three of the most popular versions include the Craftsman, the California, and the Spanish.

Craftsman style homes are essentially giant pieces of art that people also use as their homes. Every railing, vent and shingle seems to contribute to the original glow of each home. These homes are constructed by hand with natural materials so the home blends in to whatever land it’s built upon. Craftsmen have low-pitched, front or side gabled roofs with exposed rafters and/ or beams. The braces and stickwork underneath the gables are artistic and decorative. Their porches can be full or partial width, but their support columns always extend to the ground. The chimneys are exterior and made of stone. There is typically a door or window or two with stained glass artwork. On the inside the homes are open floor plan with exposed rafters. There are functional aesthetic furnishings and built-in woodwork like cabinets and shelves. There are plenty of windows for natural light. The colors in the house reflect earth and wood tones.

A California Bungalow consists of the same warmth with architectural differences. A California has a front-gabled roof. They are usually 1 to 1 ½ story tall with a sloping roof. The eaves also show exposed rafters. They have a large dormer window over the main portion of the house. If it is one story only then an attic vent is designed to look like one. A California is horizontal in massing and also built with local materials from the land. Their exteriors are wood shingle, horizontal sliding or stucco, but never brick. They also have stone exterior chimneys with only a partially wide front porch. They have simple indoor spaces with a living room directly located from the front door. The focal point of this room is the fireplace. There is an opening into a dining room with a small kitchen. The common areas are always on the bottom floor and there are low ceilings.

The Spanish Colonial Revival Style was influenced by the American Craftsmen, the Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial architecture. A signature trait is the smooth plaster (stucco) wall and chimney. The roof is always flat, low-pitched and made from clay tile with terracotta or cast concrete ornaments. Spanish Revivals have small porches or balconies with wood casement or tall, double-hung windows. The exteriors have canvas awnings and decorative iron trim. The house structure is rectangular or L-shaped with horizontal massing. Spanish Revivals are predominantly one-story and have courtyards either indoor or outdoor. They are asymmetrical in shape and have cross-gables and side wings.

Bungalow style homes are often built together because they offer privacy and protection from two story homes. They were built in clusters in the 1920s and many cities have a “Bungalow Belt”. These spots are popular locations for gentrification and historic preservation.

Because these special homes in these special communities have become in-demand by homebuyers seeking to live in communities like Glassell Park, Eagle Rock, Pasadena and Highland Park, it is imperative that sellers who own these homes perform their due diligence before selling. Buyers should do the same before buying. It is highly recommended to consult with an experienced real estate agent who has proven success helping buyers and sellers who own or are buying a classic bungalow in NELA.