Mountain Views News          Saturday, July 23, 2011

17

HOMES AND PROPERTY

Mountain Views-News Saturday, July 23, 2011 

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


Just Listed: 1908 Craftsman Artfully Restored, Seamlessly Remodeled… Picture perfect!


Mark Dulaney, Sierra 
Madre general contractor, 
has worked miracles on 
his home’s original 1000 
square foot bungalow on 
North Auburn, expanding it 
to 2866 square feet (taped 
by REST) over the past few 
years. This home was featured 
in the 2010 “Coolest 
Kitchens” tour at Taste of 
Sierra Madre.

“We used to live next door,” Dulaney recalls, 
“and always loved the neighborhood and the 
charm of this home. We bought it a decade ago 
from a couple who moved to the Inland Empire, 
seeking a much bigger home for a lot less money. 
I’m sure glad we stayed here in Sierra Madre. The 
values have held much better than other areas, and 
the real estate market is still strong here.”

Dulaney, a local contractor for over twenty years, 
created an expanded Craftsman that reveres the 
original, while incorporating the needs of today’s 
buyers. “It was important to make the old and the 
new blend seamlessly together, so you can’t really 
tell where one ends and the other begins,” commented 
Dulaney. 

The end result reveals exquisite formal living 
and dining rooms restored to vintage glory, two 
refreshed original bedrooms with a connecting 
bath updated with dual sinks, which then lead to a 
great room featuring a magnificent kitchen, casual 
dining nook and family room. A third main floor 
bedroom is located off the kitchen, as is the side 
entrance and laundry room.

“I love doing the carpentry. “I built the cabinetry 
doors myself to my own exacting specs. I wanted 
them to have modern features, but look beautiful 
and true to the period. I was especially careful with 
the small details like the hammered or pebbled finished 
cabinet and door handles to match the front 
door, which I carried throughout the house.”

Somewhere in the middle of the kitchen’s huge 
center island, clearly destined to be the hub of 
the home, is the back dimension of the old home, 
though it’s not at all evident today. “I hate when a 
home that’s remodeled ‘shouts out’ to say, ‘Here’s 
the new part!” he chuckled.

Speaking of the island, Dulaney purposely designed 
the kitchen with multiple chefs and entertaining 
in mind. The counters are slab soapstone, a 
material often used in the period, and very practical 
and “green” for use today. There’s no chemical 
polishing needed. Apply vegetable oil into the 
stone, and it becomes water and stain resistant. Just 
keep an eye on it, adding more oil when it begins to 
dry out. This “old” but elegantly “new” and green 
solution leaves a honed sheen and brings out the 
veining in the stone. 

Dulaney had the slate flooring of the kitchen 
laundry and half bath custom cut into a mosaic pattern, 
giving the room texture and some deep green 
color, complementary to the soapstone. 

The appliances are gourmet chef grade, with a 
Thermador Professional gas stove with six burners 
and a griddle, plus two ovens to please any aspiring 
foodie. The backsplashes feature a mini subway 
tile, with a faint pebble finish, to continue the 
feature identified in the hardware. 

Perfect for staging party beverages and appetizers, 
a second sink, wine chiller and extra cabinetry 
are located adjacent, but not too close. The laundry, 
appointed in the same quality cabinetry and flooring, 
can be easily utilized as an extension of the 
kitchen for large functions.

Adjacent to the driveway, an office or bedroom 
with its own private entrance was added in the remodel. 
It offers flexibility to the floorplan, perfect 
for use as a home office, an au pair or extended 
family. 

The second floor is dedicated entirely to the 
master suite. Dulaney has achieved the ambience 
of an aerie, a tree house overlooking the lush, recently 
landscaped back yard from its own shaded 
balcony. Imagine your first cup of coffee in your 
private retreat here! You can enjoy both the view 
and the central fireplace from your pillow. The 
master bath and closet are generous, and includes a 
separate tub and shower and a closet room/ dressing 
area that is large enough to accommodate a crib 
or desk, if an additional use is needed. 

Dulaney was delighted to uncover original 
Douglas fir flooring on the front porch. He refinished 
the wood to its earlier luster, truly expanding 
the living space with generous shaded seating on 
the front porch, ready for your wicker furniture or 
rocker and favorite cold beverage. 

Out back, the family room opens directly on 
grade through French doors to the spacious covered 
patio with built in barbecue station. Here and 
many other places in the hardscape, Arroyo stone, 
the real not the fake stuff, was built into low retaining 
walls, pillars and beautifully defines the front 
walk and entrance. 

The huge outdoor rock fireplace, with a seating 
hearth, is the piece d’ resistance of this artisan’s 
stone work. Angled so it can be enjoyed from inside 
in the family room, and even the kitchen, it 
speaks to the foresight and planning Dulaney put 
into the home. 

The two car garage, set at the back of this .23 
acre property, was finished with the intention that 
it be a recreation area, studio or other living space 
use, and is plumbed for a sink and bath. 

221 Auburn Avenue was just listed by Pauli Morin 
of Coldwell Banker in Arcadia at $1,180,000. It 
offers four bedrooms, two and one half baths. For 
more information, contact Morin at 626-233-2047 
or PMorin@ColdwellBanker.com. An open house 
will be held next Sunday, July 31, from 2-4 p.m. 


Cool News About Fans 

(NAPS)—You no longer have to let your 
ears suffer so the rest of you can feel cool 
and comfortable. Using modern sound 
control technology, some of today’s fans 
enable you to feel cooler without the loud 
noise of older fans. For example, consider 
one of the new Honeywell QuietSet fans, 
which offer multiple levels of “quiet” that 
correspond to your personal preferences. 
At the lowest settings, the sound from these 
fans is virtually undetectable, making them 
great choices for areas where you don’t 
want additional noise, such as TV rooms, 
bedrooms, offices and children’s nurseries.
Beyond the quiet factor, today’s new fans come in sleek, modern designs such as a slim tower or 
stand fan. You can pick the one that works best with your decorating style and personal space needs. 
In addition to their attractive designs and ability to keep you feeling cooler with minimal noise, 
today’s modern fans can also help save money on cooling costs. According to the U.S. Department of 
Energy, cooling and heating accounts for almost 56 percent of the energy used in a typical U.S. home, 
making this a family’s single largest energy expense. You can save up to 20 percent on cooling energy 
bills in the summer simply by running a whole-room air circulator along with air conditioners or 
central cooling systems.Using a fan in conjunction with an air conditioner or central cooling system 
improves the circulation of cooled air throughout a room. Therefore, less cool air is required to 
produce a cooling effect. This allows you to raise the temperature on your thermostat, using less 
energy to cool the same space.To find out how much money fans can save you annually, visit www.
honeywellfansavings.com, where a free interactive “savings calculator” enables you to quickly and 
easily determine how much you can potentially save on your cooling bills by using a fan in your 
home.With advances in sound technology and design, along with their money-saving potential, it’s 
no wonder that fans still rank high on the list for spring and summer “must-have” products. So say 
good-bye to your old, loud fan and trade it in for a newer model that helps provide quiet, cooling 
comfort. With today’s quiet, efficient fans, you can save some cold cash and increase your comfort 
in warm weather.


BENEFITS ON BOTH SIDES


There are new rules regarding short sales meant to improve the experience for both sellers and 
buyers, but the legalities and legwork can overwhelm even the most savvy. Of course, that’s where 
the real estate agent shines, handling the paperwork and the phone calls, leaving you to focus on your 
move.

 Keep in mind that if you’re expecting to buy a home on short sale, you can get a great deal, but don’t 
expect miracles from a bank that has agreed to accept a price lower than what the sellers owe on their 
mortgage. These short sales often generate multiple offers, and if a home has been approved to sell for 
$200,000, don’t expect to waltz in and offer $125,000.

 The real advantage of a short sale deal is that the home will likely be in much better physical condition 
than its foreclosure counterpart. Often, a foreclosed home will have been abandoned for months, and 
perhaps trashed before being vacated. A short sale property in better condition is in and of itself a 
benefit with real value that offsets any lower price you could offer on a foreclosure.

 And for sellers, a short sale preserves your dignity, reduces some of the stress, and won’t damage 
your credit history as much as a foreclosure. Whether selling or buying, consult an agent for the best 
results.


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