Burleigh Residence
As lush and meditative as the West Coast drive leading to this Pasadena home, Burleigh Residence is a two-storey tree house renovated by Breland–Harper with a deep sensitivity to its neighbourhood.
Once unoccupied for 14 years, Burleigh Residence is now a mid-century modernist haven, restored in homage to Southern California’s climate and cultural hybridity. Working in harmony with the structure’s original promise – a single pavilion floating on pilotis and immersed in a mature tree canopy – Breland–Harper prioritised light, shadow and ventilation to highlight the dynamic natural topography and strengthen the dialogue between indoors and outdoors.
The home’s deep eaves and post-and-beam construction recall contemporaries such as Buff & Hensman and Vladimir Ossipoff.
The home’s deep eaves and post-and-beam construction recall contemporaries such as Buff & Hensman and Vladimir Ossipoff – architects who allowed Japanese aesthetics to infuse their post-war design language, helping define a unique Pacific vernacular. Crisp, minimal and restrained interiors extend this sensibility and gracefully let the surrounding plant life to dominate and create a calming oasis.
A striking new entry stair, set beneath six-metre ceilings, stitches the reverse floor plan together, with primary bedrooms on the lower level and shared living spaces above. The former three-car garage has been converted into bright, open bedrooms with new millwork and trims; dropped ceilings were removed to reveal dramatic volume. Each room opens directly onto the garden through a connected network of balconies and terraces.
Every change made and every concept explored at Burleigh Residence was considered through the lens of longevity.
Umber trims and frieze boards frame floor-to-ceiling glass windows, subtly eroding the boundary between built and natural environments. On the upper floor, the kitchen occupies a prime position as the programmatic and collaborative heart of daily life – made warmer and richer still by the original wood-burning fireplace.
Though furnishings are sparse, each room conveys an admiration for fine craftsmanship. In the dining room, a vintage Japanese screen, found stripped of its silk surface, reveals the newsprint papier-mâché and wood lattice beneath. Outdoors, Walter Lamb pieces composed of bronze tubing from post-war army surplus will develop a rich patina over time. In the primary bedroom, a Knoll Womb chair rests beside an antique Chinese wedding box, while Clara Porset chairs and Paul McCobb tables juxtapose 19th-century Japanese ikebana baskets.
A simple yet expressive mix of cultivated and uncultivated planting pools around the property: sculptural eucalyptus trees, finely textured podocarpus and California oaks are accented by local species such as foxtail agaves and vigorous cacti. Behind the home, a shady zone also conceals a koi pond.
Generational care was at the heart of the restoration. Every change made and every concept explored at Burleigh Residence was considered through the lens of longevity.
