latimes.com — The 62-room mansion was converted into rental units long ago. Some renters have lived there for decades. Pyne Castle, Walter Estel Pyne's Normandy Revival creation one mile north of downtown Laguna Beach, is on the market for the first time in 40 years. An eccentric and frugal entrepreneur, Pyne sold player-pianos through his Santa Ana franchise, but it was the discovery [...]
latimes.com — The late-1920s Emison-Georgieff house has had some illustrious visitors. The Spanish Colonial Revival structure is also a regular stop on the Floral Park neighborhood's home and garden tour. Historical homes in Santa Ana’s quiet Floral Park neighborhood don’t generally carry a “party central” reputation, but this Spanish Colonial Revival has been the site of numerous political fundraisers, weddings and receptions. The guest [...]
This 11,000-square-foot Lake Arrowhead estate, completed in 2007, was designed to look as though it had been standing for a century. (Everett Fenton Gidley) latimes.com — Glen and Linda Keane felt guilty about tearing down the O'Melveny family home. After all, John O'Melveny was part of a group of Los Angeles businessmen who formed Lake Arrowhead Co. in the 1920s and [...]
latimes.com — Since the early 1900s, Laguna Beach real estate has been a magnet for Hollywood types, including writer, director and producer Edward H. Griffith who made more than 50 films from 1917 to 1946. A section of his old estate is on the market in the private community of lower Three Arch Bay. After years of neglect, the main house and a [...]
Strips of sod break up pads of black concrete leading to the frosted-glass garage door. (Andrew Bramasco) latimes.com — This two-story contemporary with a minimalist design stands out from the older single-family homes along Irvine Avenue on the eastern edge of Costa Mesa. Instead of one massive piece of poured-in concrete in the driveway, stripes of sod break up 4-by-5-foot pads [...]
latimes.com — By the late 1920s, evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson needed some breathing room. The Church of the Foursquare Gospel, which had evolved into wildly popular religious theater during her meteoric rise as its leader, was starting to splinter as the demands by her massive following and the number of reporters tracking her every move increased. Meanwhile, Clevelin Realty Corp. had [...]
latimes.com — Art and architecture blend seamlessly in this contemporary Laguna Beach home tucked in the gated community of Irvine Cove. A heavily detailed three-quarter inch layer of French Combebrune limestone encloses the steel-framed structure, creating the illusion that it’s one monolithic column of limestone. On both sides of the main entry, curved glass panels are accented with rivets. A bridge leading from [...]
latimes.com — Modernist architect Irving Gill wasn’t known for designing houses with the main rooms on the second floor, but some touches inspired by his work — such as a creamy white exterior, use of natural light and heavily framed windows — makes this custom home stand out on Little Balboa Island. It’s a hybrid of old and new — a bit of [...]
latimes.com — A custom home in the shape of an East Coast lifeguard tower with nautical features is on the market in Hermosa Beach. It’s the latest offering from Lazar Design/Build in partnership with developer Kirk Enterprises. Steve Lazar, who grew up in Pennsylvania and visited the Jersey shore as a child, remembers said the images of lifeguard towers stuck with him. “There’s [...]
latimes.com — Kevin Pfeifer has a tough time concentrating in his home office these days. Besides having an unobstructed view of Mt. Baldy, he can look out and soak in more than a decade’s worth of remodeling on his Yorba Linda estate, a combination of early California, Santa Barbara and Tuscan elements spread over more than three quarters of an acre. Pfeifer bought [...]