I've written a lot about the many older homes in South Pasadena. You all know about my borderline obsession with
Craftsman houses. And I'm also particularly fond of
Victorians. But I don't want to leave out examples of
Spanish Revival. Like this one, built in 1923.
These simple, little stucco houses are iconic in Los Angeles. You'll see them all over the place, as omnipresent as California bungalows and just as cheerful. While many other styles of the early 20th Century tried to replicate neighborhoods of the Northeast, these homes were inspired by Spain, by way of Florida. Local architects and designers were so taken with Florida's Spanish style boom, they brought national attention to it at the 1915 Panama-California Fair in San Diego. After that, homes like this popped up all over Southern California, and transformed the urban face of the growing Los Angeles metropolitan area. You can't look back at classic Hollywood cinema without seeing a lot of classic Spanish architecture. (I can imagine
Barbara Stanwyck peaking out of one of those windows...)
This home certainly flaunts its Southern California personality, especially with all the muted native plants along the curb, and the impossibly wonderful row of palm trees above.
