Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 4, 2012

13

HOMES

 Mountain Views News Saturday August 4, 2012 

One Of A Kind: Featuring unique homes and gardens and the people who create them Story by Chris Bertrand. Photos by Susanne Hayek


JUST LISTED… JUST COMPLETED 

Arcadia Estate Designed by Robert Tong

Highly respected local architect, Robert Tong of Sanyao 
International, invested one of his finest efforts on the design 
of this just completed this Arcadia masterpiece. If one creates 
a wish list of the finest bells and whistles for a new estate these 
days, Tong and builder, Bowden International have the list 
committed to memory. 

Bowden began with the perennially strong Arcadia community 
known for its stellar schools and easy commute access. It doesn’t hurt that the new 
BART station under construction will make the train ride to LA and beyond even 
easier soon.

The 7543 square foot, five bedroom, seven bath home was built in what Tong and 
Bowden call “new California Mediterranean, evocative of Southern California’s finest 
architectural history,” according to listing agent, John Garton.

It’s hard to decide which details to call out as each and every room has been 
meticulously fine tuned to a highly discriminating standard of both materials and 
workmanship. The two story, grand foyer sets the expectations high from the first 
glance, with intricate wrought iron work with magnificent, inset repeated patterns. 
The curved staircase floats softly from first floor to second.

The long lines of the foyer’s Italian marble flooring draw the eye in to appreciate the 
scale and depth of the entry, bounded by darker contrasting stonework following the 
intricate contour of the staircase. 

The two story dining room’s grandeur is simple yet effective, using oversized 
geometric shapes to wow, and a continuation of the dramatic marble flooring for 
continuity. Double stacked doors and windows provide a breathtaking vertical scale 
to the room, softened by the gallery overlook from the second floor. The wrought 
iron work bears repeated mention, especially as it is used as artwork complimenting 
the arch and pillar work of the formal areas.

The living room, with six arched windows and a stately central fireplace boasts a 
long list of high end amenities, but my favorite is the subtle, yet superb work of 
Evan Wilson of Le Grande Studios in La Crescenta. In this, Wilson’s first project 
for Bowden, he created a sophisticated hand painted, barrel ceiling in soft hues that 
enhance rather than overpower the room.

Wilson continued his inspiration as well on the patio’s outside fireplace area, an area 
perfect to seamlessly extend the entertaining space of the dining room through the 
three sets of french doors.

Tong hit yet another home run with his master bath, a beautiful study in mirror 
images. Using a stunning combination of three complementary stones for counters, 
flooring and tub surround, the bath is functional as well as oh, so elegant.

The home theater room includes a 120 inch, wide screen media system, and a wet 
bar. With two levels of seating space for a crowd of nine, there’s never a bad seat in 
the theater. 

The sumptuous library and spacious family room both boast beamed ceilings, but in 
the interest of attention to detail, they are treated differently. The traditional library 
includes a wall of custom built-in cabinetry for storage and display and a wood ceiling with intricate millwork detail, all finished in a rich dark hue.

The casual areas are open to one another, for comfortable, California-style living, and easy indoor to outdoor entertaining. Stainless steel appliances dot the kitchen like jewels around the 
neck of the massive slab stone center island. The detail work on both the counter fabrication, with intricate notches and edge work on the counter slab, and beautiful added corner carpentry 
on the cabinetry provide a gorgeous hub for this home, as a kitchen always is, no matter how large the residence. 

If you have that seemingly endless list of “gotta haves” for an Arcadia home of your dreams, like an elevator, a gorgeous pool, wok cooking area, gated entry, and… and… and… this home 
probably fulfills your wishes with artisan craftsmanship, exemplary materials and solid, inspired design.

2001 S. Santa Anita Avenue, Arcadia will be open Saturday, August 4 and Sunday, August 5 from 1-5 p.m. The home is offered at $3,688,000 by John Garton of Dilbeck Estates Christie’s 
International Real Estate. For more information, call 626-233-0228.


THE DANGERS OF TREE WORK 

As reported by The Pasadena Star-News in Pasadena, California, a 31-year-old tree trimmer died after 
apparently being electrocuted and falling from a palm tree Saturday, July 28 in Arcadia, California. 

This sobering accident is a stark reminder of the dangers of tree care and highlights the need for tree 
care companies, along with homeowners/property managers who hire them to uphold the highest 
standards for worker safety. 

"Unfortunately for the industry overall, serious accidents seem to be increasing," says Peter Gerstenberger, 
arborist for the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA). "We need to transform the industry 
and create a safety culture that will keep all tree workers safe in an inherently hazardous occupation." 

To help prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future, homeowners looking for tree care 
companies should:

• Hire a qualified tree care company. Find one at www.treecaretips.org. 

• Ask for current certificates of liability and workers' compensation insurance, if applicable. 

• Ask for local references, and check on the quality of their work and level of service. 

• Verify professional affiliations the company might have, such as memberships in business 
and/or professional organizations, or Accreditation with the Tree Care Industry Association. 

• Insist on a signed contract as to cost, dates when work is to be performed, and exactly what 
is to be done. 

• Get a second opinion and quote.

In these tough economic times, homeowners are tempted to go with the lowest bid, or even to attempt 
tree work themselves. "Either scenario can be extremely risky," cautions Gerstenberger. "As 
this accident demonstrates, pruning large limbs, felling trees and especially climbing into trees are 
hazardous activities even for trained professionals."

With over seven years of field experience as an arborist and 25 years of working in safety, compliance 
and education, Gerstenberger is a nationally recognized source for tree care standards of practice. 
He is the Senior Advisor for Safety, Compliance & Standards advisor for TCIA.

About the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA): Founded in 1938, TCIA is a public and professional 
resource on trees and arboriculture. It has more than 2,000 member companies who recognize 
stringent safety and performance standards and who are required to carry liability insurance. 
TCIA also has the nation's only Accreditation program that helps consumers find tree care companies 
that adhere to industry standards for quality and safety; maintain trained, professional staff; and 
are dedicated to ethical and professional business practices. With access to the latest and best safety 
standards and training, the typical TCIA member company has 50% fewer accidents than a typical 
non-member.


ANALYZE THIS

When you’re ready to make an offer on your dream home, will you gaze into a crystal ball for 
mysterious guidance to determine the magical price that the sellers will accept? Oh, if only 
it were that easy! There are a number of factors to consider when formulating your offer, but 
one of the most important tools is the Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) prepared by 
your real estate agent.

The CMA takes the characteristics of your house (number of rooms, square footage, age, location, 
etc.) and compares it to similar listings in the area. You’ll see the prices of properties 
that are currently for sale, have recently sold, or have expired without selling. Current listing 
prices are irrelevant, but pay attention to the prices at which properties SOLD, because that’s 
what buyers were willing to pay.

Throw out the highest and lowest prices in the range and figure an average sales price for the 
remaining homes. Your agent will help you determine how those “average” homes compare 
to the one you want, so that you can adjust your offer accordingly.

Be sure to note how recently those sales took place, too, because sales from six months ago 
are probably no longer relevant or useful for your decision. Your agent will help interpret the 
information so that you can make a fair offer likely to be accepted.


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