$2.6 Million Homes in California – The New York Times

Sierra Madre | $2.6 MillionA midcentury-modern house with three bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms, on a 0.7-acre lot

Sierra Madre, a small city in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, is known for its annual Wistaria Festival and its proximity to the Angeles National Forest. This house was designed in 1965 by Harlan H. Pedersen, a local architect, using rustic colors and materials that reflect its surroundings.

The property is a 10-minute drive from the Mount Wilson trail, popular with hikers; Pasadena and Monrovia are about 15 minutes away.

Size: 3,152 square feet

Price per square foot: $825

Indoors: A long driveway leads from the street to the base of the house, where brick steps rise to the glass front door.

The foyer is bright, with a skylight built into the wood-paneled ceiling. To the left is a dining room with hardwood floors; off to one side is a small space used as a painting room. Through the dining room is a galley-style kitchen with quartz countertops and custom cabinets.

From the kitchen and the dining room, steps lead down, past a half bathroom, to a sunken great room with floor-to-ceiling windows that bring the mountain vistas indoors. The midcentury hanging lights are original, as is the fireplace, set in a wall of brick. Glass doors open to a balcony that extends the length of the space.

Off the living room is a den with a wood-paneled ceiling; it also has balcony access.

Stairs from the center of the home lead up to the second level, where two bedrooms are off an interior balcony that looks down into the great room. Turning left at the top of the stairs leads to the primary bedroom, which has a private balcony and an en suite bathroom with a deep soaking tub and a separate steam shower. At the other end of the hall is a guest room with a sloped ceiling and its own bathroom, recently updated with a walk-in shower.

The lower level of the house is configured as a guest suite, with a living room, bedroom and full bathroom, as well as a wine cellar and laundry room.

Outdoor space: Both of the balconies offer plenty of space for admiring the landscape, with room for seating. Off the driveway is a basketball and pickleball court, and behind the house is a swimming pool with a waterfall and an attached spa, as well as a stone-paved area for lounge chairs. The attached garage has one parking spot; there is space for more cars in the driveway.

Taxes: $33,024 (estimated)

Contact: Travis Bayles and Steven Moran, The Agency, 626-230-4759 or 973-464-4455; theagencyre.com

This house is in the Easton Addition neighborhood of Burlingame, across the street from a private Catholic elementary school and less than a block from a branch of the public library. Burlingame hugs the coastline of San Francisco Bay, and parks and playgrounds with bay views are within a five-minute drive.

The citys walkable downtown, with its independent boutiques and restaurants, is about five minutes away. A CalTrain station, about a mile from this house, carries passengers into San Francisco and San Jose. San Francisco International Airport is a 10-minute drive.

Size: 1,980 square feet

Price per square foot: $1,312

Indoors: This homes storybook facade has been well preserved, with green shutters, a matching window box on the second story and an arched stone entryway.

The front door opens into a foyer with hardwood floors. To the right is a formal living room with coved ceilings, white-painted beams and a fireplace with a simple white mantel.

Through this space is a formal dining room with an adjoining sunroom that could serve as a bright den or a playroom. The dining room connects to the kitchen, which has been updated with stainless steel appliances, including a Wolf range with a copper hood, and a white-subway-tile backsplash. A wide doorway leads to a breakfast room with its original 1930s built-ins and windows that face the backyard. Also on this side of the house is a mudroom with an attached half bathroom.

From the foyer, stairs lead to the second level, where there are three bedrooms and one bathroom. To the immediate left of the stairs is a room large enough to hold a queen-size bed. Next door is a full bathroom with lavender tile and a bathtub tucked into an alcove. On the other side of the bathroom is the primary bedroom, the largest of the three, and across the hall is a smaller bedroom with access to a private terrace.

Outdoor space: A brick patio with space for a dining table and a barbecue is in back of the house, facing a grassy backyard with hydrangea and rose bushes, as well as hedges and mature trees that offer privacy from the neighboring houses. The attached garage holds one car.

Taxes: $34,032 (estimated)

Contact: Lisa Karson, Golden Gate Sothebys International Realty, 650-759-4644; sothebysrealty.com

The seller, who bought this house in 2015, has spent the past six years remodeling it from the foundation up, adding a small swimming pool and rebuilding the garage. Other upgrades include new plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems, and turning the second level into a suite with a bedroom and sitting room.

The property is in a quiet Coronado neighborhood, away from the more heavily trafficked routes that carry commuters and day trippers into downtown San Diego. The beach is a little more than half a mile away, with lifeguard stands, firepits and a section designated as a dog park.

Size: 2,228 square feet

Price per square foot: $1,153

Indoors: A path from the sidewalk to the homes entrance passes a fire table made from bricks that were part of the original foundation.

The front door opens into a living room with a brick fireplace, two ceiling fans and black-and-white floors that continue into a nook currently used as a home office. A barn-style door in the nook opens to reveal a guest room, large enough to hold a full-size bed. Another guest room is just off the living room, and has street-facing windows.

Beyond the office space is an open kitchen and dining area. On the kitchen side of the room, subway tile forms a backsplash and stretches from the floor to the ceiling of one wall. The stainless steel appliances include a new six-burner range. Hardwood floors stretch across the space, from the kitchen to the area set up for dining, where glass doors open to the rear deck.

Between the kitchen and the office nook is a full bathroom with more subway tile lining the walk-in shower.

From the kitchen, stairs lead to the carpeted second level, where an open space at the landing is set up as a den. Around the corner is the primary bedroom, which has a full en suite bathroom and access to a large space that could be turned into a closet. Another bathroom, with a deep soaking tub and a wall of patterned tile, is also on this level.

Outdoor space: Behind the house is a wood deck big enough to hold a few lounge chairs and a small table. Between the house and the garage is a plunge pool. The garage offers storage space and two parking spots.

Taxes: $26,988 (estimated)

Contact: Lisa Padilla, Compass, 858-717-9350; compass.com

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$2.6 Million Homes in California - The New York Times