Are we in the Valley?

Quick updates today.  Remember that monstrocity in Lunada Bay that I wrote about (more here) ?  Well, my fears were confirmed when I checked out the progress being made.  Here's what the first of the two homes looks like as of last week.

 (Source: NJC)

(Source: NJC)

This is a cartoon of a home if I ever saw one.  It's a block.  Well, three blocks.  With windows.  Lots of them.  Close together.  Doors.  Lots of them.  Close together too.  And the three car garage!  The siting and massing of this house is atrocious!  And what's more, rather than even attempting to have any semblance of authenticity by say, painting the home white and using a deeper red tile, the home is yellow.  With orange tile.  I mean, if you're going to go with something that is overly simple, at least do it well.  This home is a McMansion.  The kind you normally find in the Valley or Riverside County.  It does not belong on a bluff top lot in PV.

If the owner/builders were going for the symmetric, stately yet informal, balanced facade look, they could have gone with this home below which was built last year in Beverly Hills.  While this home too is imperfect, it still is head and shoulders above the Paseo del Mar McMansion!

 (Source: NJC)

(Source: NJC)

This example is a simplified, somewhat symmetric and balanced facade. The BH home has the right color palette.  Better massing.  The design is restrained, graceful even.  Sufficient white space.  Etc.

What do you all think?



Also, one other quick update.  The other home I wrote about is nearly complete - and its a beauty!
You remember this one? Well here it is, all grown up!

(Source: NJC)

We need more homes likes this!  Unique, authentic designs.

Since we're on a Tomaro theme...

Thought I'd drop a quick note today on another project of Louie Tomaro - this one isn't in PV - it's in Manhattan Beach, where Tomaro Design does most of their work.  In this home, on 1st Street, Tomaro, the architect on the job, remodels the interior by reversing the floorplan to move the living spaces back downstairs.  This is to accomodate some property acquisitions of the homeowners in which they added  a large lawn, pool and pool house (see aerial below).  The 6,650sf home now sits on a very large (by beach cities standards) 13,200sf lot.

(Source: Google Maps)


One of the other remodels Tomaro did to the home - and the reason I'm writing this post - is converting  the Italian-esque/McMansion exterior to a "softer, Santa Barbara" style.   What do you all think of the changed facade?


Original:

 (Source: Google Maps)

New:

(Source: Tomaro)

Another Tomaro Tuscan...And It's Nice!

Greetings!  Today, we're heading to Italy...err Montemalaga in PVE where I bring you a six-year old Italian designed by Louie Tomaro.  The Yan-Tu Residence.

(Source: Google Maps)

(Source: NJC)


Doesn't this home remind you a little bit of the Pasadena home I blogged about before?  Situated on a full acre of flat hilltop land, the home spans a near-excessive 11,304sf with 6 bedrooms and a whopping 10 bathrooms!  The homeowners bought the lot in early 2002 for $2.3M and then built this home in 2005.  The home replaces a much older (and smaller home) that once sat on this expansive, view-adjacent lot.

(Source: Historic Aerials, Google Maps)


It is a shame that the homeowners cleared a number of trees in the backyard to make room for a tennis court (especially when there are perfectly good tennis courts at the PV Country Club down the road).

That said, the home offers a lot to love.  Let's start at the front.  I know, I know - I'm a stickler for sizing and abundance of windows.  Here though, I think it works.  While I agree there are a ton of windows (and the reason for it, I assume, is to take advantage of the killer hilltop view on that side of the home), I think they are softened by the arches and the trees.  The windows are also appropriately recessed to the right depth/thickness, unlike the McMansion fare you normally see.  The facade has alternating sections to break up the 80-foot wide northern face - this adds a lot of visual interest without appearing too distracting (it's not busy like this monstrocity).  Also, the facade is set back between 50 and 80 feet from the street, depending on which part of the facade you're measuring from.

(Source: NJC)

(Source: Google Maps)


How about the landscaping!  Very lush but not over the top!  Moving to the rear of the home, what estate would be complete without the requisite pool and tennis court - this one has both.

 (Source: Google Maps)

(Source: Google Maps)

(Source: Google Maps)


The rear of the home shows that there is indeed a lot going on.  Without better, closer up shots, its hard to opine on the aesthetic integrity of the home.  However, I am pleased to see that the homeowners retained most of the trees in the rear, adjacent to the tennis court and casita.

There is one thing I don't like about the house - the corner entry and driveway.  Notice where the northern facade and western facade meet in the aerial shot.  It has an angular cut which makes way for a curved driveway and main entrance.  The entrance looks like this:

(Source: Google Maps)


It's as though Tomaro couldn't figure out how to connect the two nice facades and so instead did this!  Surely there is a better alternative.  Anyway, outside of that, the house in my view is a welcomed addition to the PVE housing stock.

Overall, I am a big fan of the home.  I think its a very well executed design.

KEY STATS

Location: Montemalaga, PVE
Style: Italian
Year built:  2005
Architect: Louie Tomaro
Square footage: 11,304f 
Lot size: 43,124 (irregular, 190'x240')