Mountain Views News          Saturday, May 14, 2011

15

HOMES AND PROPERTY

Mountain Views-News Saturday, May 14, 2011 

One Of A Kind: Featuring unique homes and gardens and the people whoe create them. Story By Chris Bertrand Photos by John Muir

Stately and Traditional Mediterranean in the Heart of San Marino


Set behind the deep 
green leaves of a magnificent 
magnolia, this 
elegant Mediterranean 
home just came on the 
market for the first time 
in over four decades. In a 
town and neighborhood 
steeped in architectural 
tradition, this property’s 
vintage features only begin to unfold the story 
of the history, design and quality of this gated, 
1933 home.

Upon entering through the massive front 
door, the spiral staircase, with intricate 
wrought iron balustrades, winds from the central 
foyer to the upper level. A glance left and 
right sets the tone and ambiance for the home. 
The meticulous millwork of the front door and 
the arched interior doorways and doors is notable, 
and believed to be mahogany. 

To the right is the expansive, step down living 
room, which creates a breathtaking architectural 
statement for the entire home. The 
elegant, central fireplace room is the room’s 
focal point, complemented by beamed ceilings. 
Dual sets of French doors, facing east 
and west, allow for shaded patio use seamless, 
indoor to outdoor entertaining at any time of 
day. One pair opens to an arched covered patio 
in the back yard, which extends the living 
room and den into the lush back yard. 

To the left of the foyer, the spacious dining 
room provides a grand yet intimate venue for 
formal entertaining. 

The generous casual areas 
of the kitchen, casual 
dining, wet bar, a butler’s 
pantry and den area are 
contiguous and conducive 
to a more open configuration. 
A powder bath is 
conveniently located here, 
as well, so the bones for a 
more open casual area are 
in place. 

The second floor offers 
four spacious bedrooms 
and three baths, including 
the master and a second 
suite, plus a connecting 
bath between the two additional 
bedrooms. An 
enclosed sleeping porch, 
overlooking the lush and 
private back yard, is perfect 
for use as a playroom, 
gym or home office. The 
circular hall includes large 
open arches repeated here 
as well, bringing light 
down into the foyer and repeating the arch 
detailing.

The deep, 0.28 acre homesite includes is 
beautifully framed by mature landscape and 
verdant expansive lawns and lead to an under-
roof outdoor living space repeating the arched 
detail of the interior design. For those who 
might want to add to the back yard’s offerings, 
additional yard space behind the garage and a 

hedge adds to the possibilities for a pool or 

garage expansion.

Part of the garage includes a work, hobby or 
studio space, for the tinkerer, the artist or perhaps 
a writer’s den. 

Set deep in the sedate residential quarters of 
San Marino, the high fashion shopping, elite 
restaurants, and services of downtown and old 
town Pasadena are just five minutes away. For 
those with school age children, the San Marino 
School District, which serves k-12th grade, 
is one of the most highly rated in California.

1940 St. Albans, in San Marino, offers four 
bedrooms, three and one half baths and 3290 
square feet of living space. The property was 
just co-listed at $1,899,000 by Carol Majors of 
Coldwell Banker and Sabrina Wu of Sotheby’s 
International. For more information, visit www.
MajorsMarketPlace.com or call Carol at 626-
399-9665 or Sabrina at 626-688-0100. 


START AT THE 
BEGINNING

What’s the first question you ask yourself when you’re ready to buy a home? It should be, 
“How much can I afford?” Without that crucial piece of information, you can’t even begin 
your search. Figure your monthly income and debt payments, order your credit reports, and 
determine how much you can put down.

 Now, apply for pre-approval from a number of lenders, to shop for the best interest rate and 
terms. You can choose fixed or adjustable rate, and a conventional or government or jumbo 
loan, among the most common types of mortgages.

Now, what do you want out of your new home? Want a location within the city, right 
downtown, in the suburbs, or a rural setting? How many bedrooms and bathrooms, in a 
single family home or townhouse or condo?

Now that you’ve figured out what you’re looking for and what you can afford, locate the 
neighborhoods that satisfy your requirements. An area real estate agent can give you 
information about schools, your work commute, and proximity to shopping and recreation.

 Find your agent through referrals and interviews to get the right “chemistry.”

 You can browse listings online, but the agent should be able to provide a list of suitable 
properties right away. Make appointments for tours and attend open houses if available. My 
upcoming column will guide you through the next steps!

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If your business paid Federal Taxes last year, and you don’t have a Qualified Retirement 
Plan, you just gave money to Uncle Sam that you could have saved and invested for your 
retirement instead!
Whether your business is currently not taking advantage of one of the many Qualified 
Retirement Plans available today; OR: If you currently have a plan and would like a no-cost, 
unbiased review of your plan, I would be more than happy to review your situation and cater 
something to your specific situation.
Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com