The value of an Art Jury...

So in my daily perusal of SoCal MLS listings, I saw one from -gasp- the Valley!  It reminded me of the utility of having an Art Jury - even a bad one - to prevent these cartoons from being built.  Please note this house is NOT NOT NOT located in Palos Verdes.  Its in Burbank actually.

(Source: MLS)

The home is currently listed for $1.5M on the MLS (listing can be found here).   Built in 2010, the The 4,500sf home sits on a 10,000sf lot and it   The "architectural design inspired by European style & elegance" - uh huh.  I've traveled a fair amount through Spain, France and Italy, and I don't recall seeing a concrete block wall topped with translucent plexiglass.  


What about those windows!  Builder special!  And the columns?  Petite.  Ah, and who can ignore the authentic banana colored stucco!  Oh Tuscany!  Wait folks - it gets better!

 (Source: MLS)

(Source: Google Maps)


How about that creative footprint - a box - and the siting of the home on the lot.  So much thought went into this.  And the balcony - look at those support columns - breathtaking.

What's more - this is yet another case of an investor/developer exploiting the land.  Here's what the site used to look like and what it looks like now:

(Source: Bing Maps)

(Source: Bing Maps)

Yep - that's right folks.  What was probably a 0.7 acre wooded lot has been transformed into a cram-as-many-homes-as-possible spec builder special.  No real room for a yard - just concrete and stucco.  All those great trees - gone.

(Source: Google Maps)

Best I can tell is that the developer bought the original lot for $1.4M in 2009 and tore down the old home, subdivided the lot, and built these three 4,500sf McMansions.  What a shame!

So as much as I complain about how the PVE Art Jury lets certain questionable homes (like this or this) slip through, at least they protect against the extremes.  

A PVE Spanish Classic

Today, I'm writing about a home that is a bit of an enigma.  Not because its architectural fidelity is perplexing, but rather because I'm just not aware of the full history of the home.  The Melton Residence.





(Source: Google Maps)


Situated on a panoramic hilltop 18,510sf lot, this 4-bedroom 6-bath home spans a comfortable 5,310sf.  Public records show that this home was built in 1997 - however, I'm not sure if that is indeed correct.  The home itself wreaks of 1920s.  The exterior plaster finish.  The frames of the windows.  The siting of the home. I find it very surprising if a modern architect did indeed replicate - to this degree at least - all the features of the Spanish Revival style from the 20s.

 (Source: NJC)

(Source: Google Maps)

(Source: Google Maps)

The home itself is so elegant.   A balanced weight to the facade, with the main entrance slightly offset, but still positioned between two equally massed towers.  The casual wooden balcony makes the home look livable, comfortable - like an actual home.  The simple landscaping serves as merely a background to the star of the lot - the house.  The garage, tucked neatly to the side and behind, out of view from visitors.

The rear of the home is equally casual and well thought out.  Two levels of terraces, as well as an exterior staircase that bends down toward the paved courtyard.

Did I mention the view?  This home sits on a street called Via Panorama - and for good reason!  This is basically the view from the home:

(Source: NJC)

I wonder if the 1997 "year built" stat is in error, and really was the date the home went some sort of restoration or remodel.  Anyone know?

If only all new construction attempted to be as faithful to the Spanish style as this!

KEY STATS

Location: Montemalaga, PVE
Style: Spanish
Year built:  1997 (or is it???)
Architect: Unknown
Square footage: 5,310
Lot size: 18,510 (181' tapering to 91', x129' )

A traditional home on the hill...

Today we're popping back over to PVE... where unlike the normal Spanish fare we see, I'm blogging about a Cape Cod home.  The Underberger Residence.

 (Source: NJC)

(Source: Don Thursby)


Built in 2009 and designed by Don Thursby, the 4,112sf home replaces a 2,661sf 1.5 story 1937 home.  The home sits on a cozy 9,600sf hilltop lot.  The owners bought the original home in 2001 for $1.725M.

 (Source: Bing Maps)

(Source: Google Maps)


The home itself, while quite nice aesthetically, does feel a little out of place.  For one thing, its surrounded by a host of red tile Mediterranean homes - in fact, it could very well be the only home in the neighborhood without a red tiled roof.

(Source: Google Maps)


Putting context aside for the moment, the home is quite nice.

 (Source: NJC)

(Source: NJC)

Great roof lines.  Wonderful garage doors.  White trimmed windows (and appropriately scaled!).  Once again showing that Mr. Thursby is a solid architect.  A very good example of the American/Cape Cod style.

But a home should fit in with its neighborhood - part of the fabric.   This  home, while itself very nice - does not fit into the Montemalaga neighborhood - it really belongs in Rolling Hills Estates or maybe the Valmonte neighborhood of PVE!

KEY STATS

Location: Montemalaga, PVE
Style: Cape Cod
Year built:  2009
Architect: Don Thursby
Square footage: 4,112
Lot size: 9,600sf (140'x70')