Renovations and Additions to a Historic Wallace Neff Residence of 1925

In our renovations and additions to this 1925 house and garage originally designed by architect Wallace Neff, our primary goal, as it is in all of our historic renovations, was for all of our new work when complete to be invisible and harmonious with Neff's original vision. In our additions and enlargements, we maintained the same austerity, massing, and material detailing as the original house. In our refurbishments, we put back some of the key design elements that had been unfortunately removed from the house over the many decades and different owners (with the help of the wonderful Huntington Library archives). And in our interior renovations and design, the choice of materials and detailing came right out of the 1920's.

With an owner who was exceptionally committed and determined to maintain the historic essence of the house, period wrought iron pieces, light fixtures, plumbing fixtures, tiles, hardware, and fittings were diligently searched out by the owner and, in many instances, the items finally installed in the house actually were from the 1920's. In particular, the Master Bathroom and Kitchen are truly "snapshots out of time" with their authentic fixtures, millwork, and bold tile patterns.

The design and execution of this entire project pays homage to the ethos of Neff's Pasadena and Los Angeles houses of the era, while simultaneously accommodating the modern needs and technologies of a 21st century family.