Anti-Mansionization

"...a homeowner in West Los Angeles tore down an 1,886-square-foot home and replaced it last year with a two-story, 13,874-square-foot residence -- on a 13,000-square-foot lot." - From the LA Times article.

LA is considering a law that would limit the square footage of new and rebuilt houses in certain parts of the city. I'm all for this. I don't like big houses. I don't want to live in one. I don't want to live near one. How big is too big? In my opinion, unless you have a huge family that lives with you, I don't think you need more than 3,000 sq ft.

One of my favorite things about Eagle Rock is that there is no tract housing. The area is full of houses built in the 20's and 30's. Every house is different and the size of the house is proportional to the size of the lot. Some houses are pretty big and grand, but for the most part they are old and have character and are situated on big lots.

Going Super Small

A woman in Washington State downsizes to a house the size of a parking spot.

Open House

Is it strange that I go to open houses even though we already have a house? Last week I saw a house where the seller had all sorts of personal pictures and info out in the open. I thought you were supposed to de-personalize your house when you put it up for sale. Take down the pictures in the hallway and stuff like that. Well, this woman had her B.A. from Columbia up on the wall. She also had tons and tons of pictures of herself (they looked like headshots) and her young son all over the place. I googled her when I got home (cuz I'm like that) and found out that she runs some self-help business on how to be a sexy single mom. Last year I saw a house with an Emmy Award on the mantel. I wanted to get up real close to see the name, but the agent was standing right there and I didn't want him to think I was a weirdo.

Pasadena Houses

I love old houses. So what a treat it was to walk around the Orange Grove Blvd area in NW Pasadena this afternoon. Back in the early days of LA, Pasadena was where the rich and famous built their homes. Movie stars, business moguls, robber barons. Most of LA's wealthy have since moved westward to the beach, but fortunately a lot of beautiful old houses still remain.

I love the tree lined streets and how all the houses are different. I love how the neighborhood is historic without being stuffy or too showy. I didn't see many kids (or any, actually), so I assume most of the residents are old money old people. I can understand that because if I ever moved here I would never leave.

One of the more 'modest' homes that I saw. I like the English storybookness of this house, especially the round window. These days I can't help notice landscaping (or lack thereof) and I think this house could use a few bushes and trees to soften it.

I noticed that this house hardly has any front lawn. Instead you see drought resistant, low water plants. Cacti, succulents, salvias, palms. Very eco-friendly.

Restoring this Victorian must've cost a fortune. The paint job alone must've been at least $20,000. I'm not a huge fan of this style, but this is a beautiful house. The scalloping is very cool.

Wow, four chimneys. Must be warm inside. Looks like you can walk on the rootop. Wonder what you can see from there. The door was slightly open and I was tempted to sneak in.

I really like the playful blue trim on this house. This Spanish style looks pretty modern compared to the other styles in the area.

The grand dame of the neighborhood: the Gamble House. Designed in 1908 by Greene & Greene as the winter residence of some of the Gambles (of Proctor & Gamble). The house is considered an arts & crafts masterpiece and was deeded by the family to the City of Pasadena in 1966. Lucky for us, they offer public tours of the house.