1255 Rancheros Rd, Pasadena, CA 91103

Sited atop a private road in Linda Vista, this modern compound has an impressive architectural lineage, including a complete remodel by lauded architects Buff & Hensman. The home is privately sited downslope from Rancheros Road. It stretches across a nearly 3/4 acre parcel, integrated into the hillside terrain. The interior spaces are oriented northeast providing uninterrupted vistas of the nearby canyon and distant San Gabriel Mountains without solar glare or heat gains. A long drive from the main road leads to a carport and the entrance to the main house, which consists of a great room with a recently updated kitchen and the original fireplace, a primary bedroom with a spacious en suite bathroom and built-in furniture by Buff and Hensman, an additional bedroom and bathroom. Between the main house and the pool house is a kidney-shaped pool from the 1950s. The pool house is a studio space with a kitchenette, restroom, and its own working fireplace. Large sliders allow it to open to both the pool and a spacious private deck. The lower level of the cabana is an exercise room with a separate entrance. Updated landscaping enriches the terraced rear yard that flows into the natural canyon where no other homes appear to be in site. The original house was designed as part of a mid-century modern enclave. Salvatore Merendino, chair of USC School of Architecture's Industrial Design Program, and Shirley Williams, an industrial designer and architectural draftsman, collaborated on the design and construction of the original post and beam house in 1948. Years later in 1986, Buff & Hensman, also faculty at the USC School of Architecture, were hired to completely renovate the original home. They rethought the main house, designed the pool house and carport, and reconsidered the property's terracing. Buff & Hensman enriched the original home with their signature textured stucco, walls of glass, integrated wood cabinetry, lofted ceilings and multi-directional clerestory windows.

Environmental Designs, 1949 Buff and Hensman, 1988 - This mid-century modern residence was originally conceived and built in 1949 by Environmental Designs (Sal Merendino and S. E. Williams) both faculty at USC, then reimagined by Buff and Hensman in 1988. The renovation married period post and beam construction with balloon frame wall sections clad in Buff and Hensman's signature coarse stucco finish. The original stone fireplace serves as a tangible link uniting old and new. Walls of glass frame mountain, city, and canyon views. The current owners have continued the evolution with freshly updated kitchen, baths, and a new climate controlled wine cellar that doubles as a space for entertaining. Extensive use of imported stone and ceramic tile throughout the residence creates a high-key environment awash in light. The flexible floor plan is enhanced by a separate cabana that works well as a guest suite or home office. The landscaped grounds include a freshly renovated iconic kidney-shaped pool, expansive decks and terraces on a nearly 1 acre plot of land.