The Pasadena Showcase House of Design 2023: Tour the Most Inspiring Interiors

By Jessica Ritz

Photography by Nolasco Studios

The Pasadena Showcase House of Design 2023, now open and on view through May 21, celebrates several full-circle moments. The 11,000-square-foot Stewart House, within which 32 design firms have reimagined the interiors, also hosted the 19th annual Showcase House some four decades ago. As it turns out, the Marston & Maybury–designed residence has been in possession of the same family ever since.

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Much like the designer showcase, which was founded in 1965 and is considered one of the country's oldest home and garden tours, the estate has a Pasadena legacy of its own. Two-plus acres from mining magnate Lucky Baldwin's Rancho Santa Anita land holdings were carved out when W.L. Stewart, then president of Union Oil Company, bought the former citrus orchard as a wedding gift for his son, Arthur, and his wife, Ruth Nicholson Stewart. The Stewarts commissioned the lauded partnership of Pasadena architects Sylvanus Marston and Edgar Maybury to design the gracious Colonial Revival–style home, which was completed in 1933 for a total of $13,000.

"It was lovely to see how respectful the designers were in the home," benefit chair Matt McIntyre tells AD PRO, noting how the original character-defining features and even elements from Pasadena designer Edward Turrentine's 1980s renovation have been incorporated into the latest decor interventions.

Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts, the organizing entity, keeps its charitable mission at the core of the marquee event. Revenues will add to the more than $25 million that's been raised over the showcase's past 75 years for schools, music education programs, and arts organizations throughout the region. Legacy sponsor Dunn-Edwards continues to be the exclusive paint supplier, with several designers putting Terra Rosa, the brand's 2023 Color of the Year, and its coordinating color palette to use. Rich green tones were popular throughout the house, as were statement wallpapers and inviting floor plans brilliantly intermixing vintage and antique finds and contemporary works.

Tour the Pasadena Showcase House of Design 2023's most inspiring interiors below.

Welcome garden by Greenlink Landscaping

Welcome garden by Greenlink Landscaping

A stately approach to greenery—iceberg roses, boxwood globes, and needlepoint ivy included—emphasize the Stewart House's distinguished facade and projecting Colonial portico.

Foyer by Marbé Designs

Foyer, staircase, and upstairs landing by Marbé Designs

Entrances make an impression, a brief that Marbé Briceno of Marbé Designs took seriously. "The goal was to fuse the concept of the new, sleek modernity with traditional grandeur while paying homage to noted architects Marston & Maybury," she says. To do so, she backdropped a series of custom jewellike glass fixtures by ADG Lighting and a Murano chandelier by Studio Bel Vetro with a Maya Romanoff wallpaper and an Aga John Rugs stair runner. "This eclectic mix restores the soul of the property to its original majesty," says Briceno.

Living room by Tocco Finale

Living room by Tocco Finale

Using an assemblage of Chinese antiques and European pieces, principal designers Dona Dockendorf and Brenda Jacquez infuse the living room with a traditional, layered sensibility. Rock crystal light fixtures and a mirrored glass screen add touches of elegance.

Library by Halter Home

Library by Halter Home

Inspired by Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann's era of Parisian Art Deco, designer Kira Halter cloaks the library in a high-gloss black, saving room for a few metallic moments. Panels of Kravet's era-inspired Hicks Grand wallpaper flank the sofa, a design from Halter's eponymous collection, and works from local shop Maude Woods.

Library bath by Blue Brick Design

Library bath by Blue Brick Design

A mix of cohesively-colored tiles by KJ Patterson and Walker Zanger—all sourced from Mission Tile West—make for a striking impact in the library bath by Lara Hovanessian. Dunn-Edwards's Blue Tapestry coats wainscot and moldings and Flat Vernacular's Cascade pattern via Walnut Wallpaper offer a vintage-tinged backdrop for the black sink basin, which has brass legs from Stone Forest and Arteriors mirror and scones.

Dining room by Rachel Duarte Design Studio

Dining room by Rachel Duarte Design Studio

This space posed a particular challenge for Rachel Duarte, given that the room already had "diamond in the rough" landscape-scene mural panels dating from the 1980s. "I thought the murals were special but needed to be updated and revived," she says, who coated the scenic's surrounding millwork in Dunn-Edwards's Italian Basil paint for a more contemporary take. Marcus William by Stout upholstery and drapery, a Lorelei chandelier from Visual Comfort, Wildwood cabinetry and lamps, and an antique Chinese armoire from Pin Dynasty set a lavish backdrop for the tablescape composed of Ginori, Haviland, and Waterford goods. The dining table and chairs are Duarte's own design.

Butler's pantry by Rachel Duarte Design Studio

Butler's pantry by Rachel Duarte Design Studio

"Much like the [dining room] murals, I wanted to preserve but update the beautiful [pantry] cabinets," says the designer. To enhance their white finish, she layered the space with contrasting dark walnut wood surfaces and wall panels covered in a pearlescent grass cloth. She freshened up this functional corner of the house with new shelving, Currey & Company chandeliers, Kohler fixtures from Ferguson, and Emtek hardware.

Kitchen by KMP Interiors

Family room by KMP Interiors

Kitchen and family room by KMP Interiors

Despite an expansive footprint that extends to family room, the open-floor kitchen still feels intimate. Designer Kirsten Poole employs a rift-sawed oak island and wine bar along with Thermador appliances and Perrin & Rowe fixtures. Post-meal, diners can retreat to the roomy Cisco Home sectional sofa in the family room.

Artist's Wunderkammer by Rosemary Home Design

Artist's Wunderkammer by Rosemary Home Design

In designer Christopher Grant Ward's artist studio, the pièce de résistance is a custom table made from sustainably harvested African mahogany. The interior spawns from a dream Grant Ward had involving a dragonfly, emphasized even more so by the hand-painted Porter Teleo wallpaper.

Garden room by R/terior Designs

Terrace by R/terior Studio

Garden room and terrace by R/terior Studio

"I envisioned this space to be a place to host, an ideal spot to commune surrounded by nature all year round, day or night," says designer Rydhima Brar. Assembling Jason Mizrahi's sculptural accent chairs with Tidelli outdoor seating, Coco Republic tables, and Studio M lighting, she does just that, but not without a dose of fun: Emblazoning outdoor upholstery with luscious patterns, as with the settee in C.W. Stockwell's iconic Martinique print, allows Brar to "experiment with colors, patterns, uniquely new and refurbished furniture that reflect a modern sensibility without completely ignoring the formality of the home's architecture." The stunning custom outdoor bar by Bones Studio is a focal gathering point.

Speakeasy by Sukeena Homes

Speakeasy by Sukeena Homes

"The totality of the space transports you to another time and place," says designer Gwen Sukeena of show house speakeasy. An even greater sense of escape comes through in the corridor ceiling's butterfly wallpaper, as well as the set of repurposed Art Deco doors from Pasadena Architectural Salvage, hand-blown light fixtures by local artisan Evan Chambers, and hand-painted sfumato murals. Plush furniture upholstered in Thibaut fabrics offset the solid Cosentino Dekton bar top.

Powder room by Karen Billman Designs

Powder room by Karen Billman Designs

Sometimes you need a little bling. Sophomore participant Karen Billman's design for the powder room embraces this philosophy with her choice of a Scalamandré wallpaper she describes as "a traditional grass cloth design with a twist: hand-sewn beadings that sparkle in the light." A small crystal chandelier, custom vanity, Deepest Sea paint from Dunn-Edwards, polished nickel fixtures, and additional accessories from Ferguson Kitchen & Bath and Sherle Wagner International enhance the glamor.

Guest bedroom by Tocco Finale

Guest bath by Tocco Finale, Foothill Tile & Stone Co., and George's Kitchen & Bath

Guest suite by Tocco Finale , Foothill Tile & Stone Co. , and George's Kitchen & Bath

A Japanese-inspired wallpaper swathes the guest bedroom, serving as a rich ground for Tocco Finale's invitingly layered, gold-toned lighting and sophisticated bed linens. In the adjoining bath, the designer opts for brushed brass Crosswater London fixtures courtesy of George's Kitchen & Bath to enrich the all-white tile interior.

Primary bedroom by Courtney Thomas Design

Primary suite by Courtney Thomas Design

Primary bath by Courtney Thomas Design

Primary suite by Courtney Thomas Design

"Parents put the needs of their children and the public spaces first. But our bedrooms are our retreats and parent bedrooms are like oxygen masks on planes," says designer Courtney Thomas, who set out to reassert the importance of the primary suite. Wanting to create an escape, her mind wandered to the Kruger National Park in South Africa, inspiring "the palette of mossy greens, pale taupes, and African purples." In the en suite, a monkey-emblazoned wallpaper from Cole and Sons, lilac mosaic marble tile by Artistic Tile from Mission Tile West complete the retreat. Adds the designer: "It almost makes you forget the wildness of raising the kids who live just outside your door."

Upstairs terrace by Meredith Green Designs

Terrace by Meredith Green Designs

For the light and breezy upstairs lanai terrace with a loosely tropical vibe, designer Meredith Green imagined "if Daisy Buchanan's porch were in the Caribbean." Capital Lighting's Cecilia fixtures and a dramatic Banana Leaf chandelier by Varaluz (both from Ferguson) illuminate the outdoor seating, including the fanlike rattan lounge chairs.

Bedroom by Loue Interiors

The Parisian Hotel Suite by Loue Interiors

Relying on a restful palette and vintage pieces, designer Louise Mueller creates a relaxed retreat. A favorite detail? Mueller used vintage textiles to create a custom coverlet.

Bedroom by Ashley Marie Design

Young gentlemen's bedroom and bath by Ashley Marie Design

"I fell in love with the picture of [an old] plane cockpit I found through Leftbank Art," says designer Ashley Marie O'Connell, who used the piece as the starting point for her bedroom. Furnishings from Four Hands and a few custom works from P.H. Furniture Collection rounds out the space. The attached bath features products from Signature Hardware, Mission Tile West, and Innovations wall coverings.

Guesthouse living room and loft by the Art of Room Design

Garden retreat by the Art of Room Design

In the guesthouse, dubbed "the garden retreat," designer Maria Videla-Juniel employs Thibaut's Aerial View wallpaper because it "is reminiscent of the formal gardens of the property, with classical balustrades and very geometric shapes in neutral colors." Wood accents and natural materials juxtapose with neutral components to feel "crisp and relaxing at the same time." Original artwork is from Fresh Paint Art Advisors.

Guesthouse bedroom by Goli Karima and ASID Pasadena Chapter Student Members

Modern guest haven by Goli Karima (of Home Front Build ) and ASID Pasadena Chapter Student Members

ASID Pasadena president and advisor Goli Karima has partnered with lead student designers Missa Kato and Melet Michelle Halabaso. "We wanted to extend that feeling of relaxed optimism created by the natural light and into the ambiance and overall design of the room," Halabaso says. Accent pieces and furnishings are from local showrooms including Carbon Shack, Atacama Home, Source Art, and Diva Furniture.

Pool cabana lounge by the Studio For

Pool cabana dressing room by the Studio For

Pool cabana dressing room by the Studio For

Pool cabana lounge and dressing rooms by The Studio For

Stephanie Leese lets natural materials speak for themselves in this laid-back poolside setting, incorporating intriguing moments such as a Signature Hardware drop-in copper sink and "natural wood [that] pops off the fun wallpaper patterns" from York Wallcoverings. The spaces also showcase custom millwork from Morales Cabinets, Walker Zanger tiles, and California Faucets fixtures from George's Kitchen & Bath.