James V. Coane + Associates

Photos by Irmina Hamilton House at a Glance Who lives here : A couple of empty nesters Size : 4,000 square feet (371.6 square meters) Location : Pasadena, California Architect : James V. Coane of James V. Coane & Associates The original stable was built in 1930 as part of the John S. Cravens estate in Pasadena, California. Over time, the estate was subdivided. The stable was a caretaker’s home for a while, then other owners renovated the structure. After the current owners purchased it, architect James V. Coane was brought in to virtually rebuild it to bring it back to a more authentic historical state. “Many of the original materials were removed, repaired and reused, while modern necessities were seamlessly added in,” Coane says. All of the stable’s original bricks were removed, cleaned and reinstalled. Above the brick is stucco. The existing backyard pool was reshaped and a spa was added. The pavers are poured-in-place concrete with turf in between. A low bric...

This Traditional Georgian style estate sits on a gently sloping hill side lot in Pasadena. Inspired by the historical homes of Boston, this house has a symmetrical façade and massing. It is clad in used brick with precast concrete coins, moldings, and other Georgian architectural details. To maintain an authentically historical look, the garage is not attached to the house but treated as a separate small building and designed to look much more like a carriage house than a garage. The circular U-shaped driveway takes the visitors to a drop off point which is axially aligned with the front door. The brick, stone, and precast concrete details are similar to that of the main house. It’s also designed into the driveway, walkways, fountain, and other entry court landscaping details. Upon entry to the house, you are welcomed by a large two-story entry with a sweeping circular stairway. In which you’ll see a large crystal chandelier accompanied by traditional beams, colum...

On a small and steeply sloping lot in Beverly Hills, this three story house cascades down the hillside and focus’ on the incredible views of Beverly Hills, Century City, the Getty Center, Santa Monica, and the ocean beyond. As a residential architect in Los Angeles , many of my influences have been from the great Los Angeles Modern Masters such as Richard Neutra, Rudolph Schindler, Craig Ellwood, and Raphael Soriano..  Neutra and Ellwood have built several of their masterpiece residential architecture in Beverly Hills. The design of the house is all about catching the view and creating as much open space as possible. The hillside is so steep that there is almost no usable exterior space, so we had to get the most with the building itself, which is a common circumstance for residential architecture in Beverly Hills that’s built on hillsides.  There was also a desire for a bit of visual and acoustical privacy from the street, as the narrow winding road the property is ...

The house is on a very quiet cul de sac in an old Pasadena neighborhood. When I first met the clients on site to discuss the design of their home, their description of what they wanted to me was very simple. They clearly stated “Jim, we want a house that will allow us to feel very comfortable inviting Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Dean Martin over for cigars and drinks.” To which I replied, “I got it, this meeting is done!” Of course, there were a few more details that needed to be discussed, but that initial description was pretty much the guiding force of this project. As a lifelong Angeleno, I have always admired the Mid-Century Modern residential architects such as Richard Neutra, Rudolph Schindler, Raphael Soriano, and Craig Ellwood. Craig was actually a professor of mine near the end of his life. The Neutra and Soriano archives I studied intensely at my college as a student. So, this Mid Century Modern Architecture home was a dream project for me! ...

Interview by Houzz editor Mitchell Parker Designer:   Please list the first and last name of the designer for this project and the name of the firm, if applicable. James V. Coane & Associates Location of project: City/State/Country/Province Pasadena, CA Size/Dimensions: Please give the dimensions of the room or the square footage of the space. 20′ x 20′ Homeowners’ request: Describe the vision/need the homeowner wanted for just this room and the overall theme. What wasn’t working for them? And what things did they, or you, feel could solve the problems? What goes on in this space? The client decided to build a pool for their children and thought it would be fun to build a separate building for them and their friends to hang out in all summer, and for the husband and his friends to watch sports in. We designed to build a pool house with a large living area, a kitchen, a full bath, and a bedroom with bunk beds to sleep, six guests. The cli...