It’s Showtime!
Author:Abigail StoneThe Pasadena Showcase House of Design marks the beginning of spring in Southern California
Forget the equinox. In Southern California, spring is heralded by opening of the Pasadena Showcase House of Design. 2025 marks the 60th anniversary of the volunteer non-profit’s existence, during which time they’ve raised over $27 million for local music programs. This year a portion of the proceeds will be donated to schools and organization affected by the Eaton Fire.
This year’s event takes place at the Bauer Estate, originally designed in 1928 by acclaimed architect Reginald Davis Johnson and landscape designer Katherine Bashford (Pepperdine University’s campus is also her work). The two-story Monterey Colonial Revival-style home, most recently owned by producer and writer Stephen J. Cannell (21 Jump Street, The A-Team, The Rockford Files), is set on five acres and corrals eighteen major rooms spread out over fifteen thousand square feet. This year’s itineration was especially poignant given that four of the designers lost their homes in the fires that ravaged the city in early January.
Under the direction of interior design advisors Jennifer Bevan and Samantha Williams, who oversaw the blue, green and brown color scheme that winds through these rooms (Williams also found time to put together the inspiring blue and white octagonal morning room), the thirty designers have put together a strikingly presentation that is notable in its cohesiveness and its use of some of the old-skool trends that are being brought back to life, from wallpapered ceilings, to the fabric skirts seen on upholstered furniture or used in lieu of cabinet doors, to the dense layering of pattern on pattern.
Kristen Blazek of A1000xBetter shouldered the home’s carriage house, a separate guest house situated in a courtyard. The intimate two story space consists of a living room and kitchen topped by a bedroom and bath. Reimagining traditional design through a distinctly modern eye, Blazek employs bold textures and dense patterns—like the exuberant “grandpa” marble backsplash, the Zak & Fox wallpaper, Arhaus rugs, art courtesy of The Art Wolf—in an earthy palette that spans the entire spectrum of browns, mixing vintage influences and clean lines.
Chia-Ming Ro of Coastal Homestead has designed a meticulously structured outdoor space where ornamental beauty meets edible abundance. A cutting garden of brilliant blooms, designed to attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds balanced an edible garden of herbs, flowers and produce. Stately obelisks and elegant arches have both ornamental and practical uses, supporting roses, vines and cascading greenery; native and drought tolerant plantings ensure both resilience and ecological harmony.
Noelle Djokovich of Gex Designs transforms the flower room into a stunning retreat in which to arrange the nearby cutting garden’s bounty of blooms. Washed in Life Aquatic, a soft teal by Dunn Edwards, the event’s paint sponsor, and grounded by durable dark marble countertops, the cabinetry’s lattice work climbs the walls and across the ceiling highlighting a floral ceiling fixture by Visual Comfort. Botanical wallpaper by Fabricut and Liberty of London, floral upholstery, cut-work cabinet details and the soft skirt that hides the sink’s plumbing further emphasizes the room’s connection with the exterior.
Named in honor of the original owners, Harry and Alice Bauer, Denise Bosley Interiors has refreshed the room, creating the ideal spot in which to enjoy afternoon cocktails. The centerpiece of the room is the bespoke bar with its custom fluting details and a vibrant backsplash, courtesy of a Zak & Fox wall covering that echoes the design in the carriage house and brass hardware from Rejuvenation.
Peltier Interiors‘ Amy Peltier, Marina Kelly and Jessica Levy shouldered the aptly named grand living room, with its step-down entry and imposing proportions that include an alcove that opens to the southern terrace and the pool below. Inspired by traditional and classic design, the space balances elegance and comfort, using fabrics from Scalamandre, furniture from Woodbridge Furniture’s Portico Collection, and custom lattice work that envelopes the walls and ties this room to the flower room and the home’s gardens, and bringing texture and intimacy to the expansive space. The Pasadena Showcase House of Design, now open to the public and running through May 18th, Tuesdays through Sundays, from 9:30-5, and til 6 on Fridays.