The Batman's Matt Reeves slips into an old Pasadena mansion
The stately and stylish mansion was built in 1914, during Woodrow Wilson's presidency, according to tax records. Pasadena is a suburban Los Angeles town full of architectural treasures. Whatever your taste in architecture, you'll find something to suit your taste in Pasadena, whether you love midcentury modern, Tudor, Craftsman, or red brick Colonial Revivals. The listing describes this property as an "English Arts and Crafts gated estate," which it is, though it has clearly been thoroughly modernized over the years.
The house was designed by noted architect Reginald Davis Johnson and is located on a quiet side street near the uber-posh Langham hotel in Pasadena. The property was sufficiently appealing to hotshot Hollywood director/writer Matt Reeves ("Cloverfield," "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," "War for the Planet of the Apes," "The Batman") and his wife, Melinda Wang, who just bought it for $5.5 million. It represents a significant discount off the original ask of $6.4 million, despite being still a hefty amount by almost any standard.)
On a high knoll well above the street, the house is surrounded by hedges and gates. To get to the mansion, which is almost at the very back of the half-acre lot, a long driveway passes a grassy island with a stone fountain. There are two full floors of living space in this pitched-roof structure, as well as finished attics and basements. The estate has about 6,000 square feet of living space, including six bedrooms, four full bathrooms, two powder rooms, a detached two-car garage, and guest quarters upstairs.
It was listed by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties' Matt McIntyre; the buyers were represented by Berkshire Hathaway's Larry Young.
A sophisticated renovation has been completed on the house since it was last sold in 2015 for $3.5 million to Morgan Stanley banker Darren Edwards.
The gray-blue roof and trim contrast nicely with the creamy white stucco outside. An English garden-esque feel is achieved with a wee porch and plenty of manicured boxwoods.
The previous owners opted not to whitewash the hardwood, leaving the original wood detailing unpainted. Hence, interiors are visually rich in details and history, while blending nicely with modern conveniences.
