Fifteen-thousand square-feet. Five acres. Eighteen major rooms. Ten indoor fireplaces. Thirty-plus designers. The numbers associated with the Pasadena Showcase House of Design 2025 are impressive. But it’s another statistic that reminds us how the Showcase House’s 60th edition is startlingly different from any other since the event’s inception in 1965: Four participating design professionals lost their own homes in the recent LA fires.
If the impact of recent events is palpable, the spirit of mutual support and resilience is strong, too. Take the Empty House Party, for instance, another beloved tradition spearheaded by the Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts organization. Over the course of its history, the volunteer-run nonprofit has raised more than $26 million for local arts programs. Following the launch party’s initial postponement (it was originally set for January 10), a sold-out crowd of 500 guests filed through the 1928 Bauer Estate and Gardens in San Marino on January 31, sharply aware of the nearby Eaton Fire’s damages while buzzing with anticipation for the forthcoming transformation.
Now, the Monterey Colonial Revival-style estate and its sprawling garden—originally the product of celebrated architect Reginald Davis Johnson and landscape designer Katherine Bashford, respectively—is ready for its refresh reveal. More than 30,000 visitors are expected to tour the estate’s latest iteration when the property opens to the public April 20 through May 18. Before then, take a look back: Only two families have owned the manse in its entire history, and AD featured the 1992 renovation undertaken by legendary TV writer and producer (and Pasadena native) Stephen J. Cannell and his wife, Marcia.
Luckily, the latest renovation is in good hands. Program veterans and Showcase House interior design advisors Jennifer Bevan and Samantha Williams estimate that approximately half of this year’s featured talents are returning participants. Meanwhile, the inclusion of first-time industry creatives like Directory member Alexandra Azat of Plaster & Patina, Kirsten Blazek of A1000xBetter, Julia Chasman Design, Gardzen Studio, Noelle Djokovich of Gex Designs, Eva Hughes of Black House Beige, Julie Pforzheimer and Shannon Chi of PforziesChi Designs, and Beatriz Rose Design signals an exciting evolution.
“I’m seeing a lot of English influence in this house,” says Williams, whose jaunty blue-and-white plan enlivens the sun-soaked octagonal morning room. “Little touches that used to be old-fashioned are coming back into fashion.” Designers are all-in on wallpapered ceilings, fabric lampshades, Forbes & Lomax switches, or sink skirts. Beatriz Rose’s garden room and art studio supports her case, with Crapper British plumbing fixtures, antiques sourced from Lee Stanton and Pointers, and accessories from Nickey Kehoe, plus handmade treasures from LA makers Studio Melt and ceramic artists Raina Lee and Victoria Morris. “I imagined a room that would bring the gardens inside, encouraging activities like watercoloring and potting, with a color palette inspired by Beatrix Potter’s illustrations,” Rose shares.