A stunning 1932 Spanish Colonial Revival home, located in the Alhambra Park tract, received the 2013 Katherine Hildreth Memorial Heritage Home Award by Alhambra Preservation Group in a recent award ceremony. “The homeowners of this historic home have done an extraordinary job of restoring and rehabilitating this house since they purchased it a decade ago. It is a great example of the way historic preservation can pay big dividends to communities by enhancing property values and restoring neighborhood character and pride,” stated APG President Christine Olson in presenting the award.
When the current owners first saw the home in 2004, they fell in love with the home’s distinctive historic character and many original features – Spanish arches, hardwood floors and hand-troweled plaster walls. Despite its charm, the home needed a lot of TLC, so they went to work to make this house their own. They tore up old carpeting and refinished the original hardwood floors. They found a color palette that better reflected the home’s style. They redesigned the home’s “modern” 1950’s kitchen into one that is highly functional and beautifully characteristic of a Spanish style home. The home’s exterior also received a makeover that included new wrought iron fencing and gates, specifically designing them to match the style of the house. Just recently, the home’s landscaping plan was updated. Now a profusion of succulents and California desert plants grace this home.
Community has been a thread throughout this home’s 80-year history. Today that sense of community continues. Surrounding neighbors have discovered inspiration in this home’s restoration with several adjacent homeowners borrowing design ideas. This home’s rehabilitation is the perfect example of how historic preservation builds community as neighbors help neighbors, through the sharing of ideas, experiences and lives.
Photo courtesy of Mark Tran.
The Prose of Preservation 
Leave a Reply