Pasadena's Craftsman houses and why the kitchen and bath matter
Pasadena is one of the places the American Craftsman house was defined: Greene and Greene's Gamble House and Blacker House are California Historical Landmarks, and Bungalow Heaven holds more than 800 small Craftsman homes built between 1900 and 1930. In those houses the kitchen and bath are the two rooms most likely to have been remodeled badly in the 1960s or 1970s, and the two most likely to still need new pipes and wiring.
When Pasadena's design review applies
Pasadena's historic preservation code ties the Certificate of Appropriateness to exterior work: most exterior alterations, demolitions or relocations of designated or eligible historic resources outside the Central District need one (Zoning Code §17.62.090), reviewed by staff or the Historic Preservation Commission. For a kitchen or bath, that usually means:
| Work | Exterior change? | Likely path |
|---|---|---|
| New cabinets, counters, tile, fixtures | No | Building permit only |
| Moving interior walls | No | Building permit (engineering if bearing) |
| Replacing or resizing a window | Yes | Check with Design & Historic Preservation |
| New exhaust vent through an exterior wall or roof | Yes | Ask staff which route they accept before the permit |
| Skylight over a bath | Yes (roof) | Check with Design & Historic Preservation |
| Bump-out addition for a larger bath or kitchen | Yes | Certificate of Appropriateness expected |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column →
Based on Pasadena Zoning Code §17.62.090 B.1 (exterior alterations). Confirm with the City for your property; designation and review levels vary.
What to keep, what to replace
Usually worth keeping
- Built-in china cabinets, butler's pantry cabinets with glass doors, and breakfast-nook benches
- Original wood trim, casings and picture rail around the room
- Cast-iron tubs and pedestal sinks, reglazed and refitted
- Original wood windows, repaired rather than replaced, which can also avoid design review
- Hexagon or small square floor tile in good condition
Usually replaced
- Galvanized supply pipe and old drain lines
- Wiring without grounds or GFCI and AFCI protection
- Toilets over 1.6 gallons per flush, which the fixture law sweeps up once a permit is issued
- Later cabinets and laminate counters from a 1960s or 1970s remodel
Rules that come with an older house
Lead paint (pre-1978)
Any paid work that disturbs more than 6 square feet of interior paint per room in a home built before 1978 falls under EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule: a certified firm, certified renovators, lead-safe work practices and the Renovate Right pamphlet before work starts. Window replacement and demolition are covered regardless of size.
Water-saving fixtures (pre-1994)
California Civil Code 1101.4 applies to every house built before January 1, 1994, which includes every Craftsman. A remodel permit triggers replacing non-compliant toilets, showerheads and faucets throughout the house. The details are in Title 24, CALGreen and the fixture rule.
Craftsman and historic kitchen and bath remodels in Pasadena, CA that fit the house
A remodel that suits a Pasadena bungalow uses the house's own vocabulary: inset or flat-panel cabinet doors in painted or stained wood, simple hardware, square or subway wall tile, small hexagon or square floor tile, and lighting that doesn't fight the original fixtures elsewhere in the house. New cabinets can be built to the proportions of a surviving built-in. See kitchen cabinets, small bathroom remodels, and the main kitchen and bathroom remodel pages.
