10/20/2026
On the Market: Architect Bob Ray Offenhauser’s Own Folly-Inspired Home in South Pasadena
Inspired by the garden pavilions and follies of the French and Italian classical traditions, architect Bob Ray Offenhauser’s personal residence melds traditional design with a contemporary outlook. Completed in 1978, the house is enlivened by a theatrical, scalloped parapet with ball finials, reflecting the rise of postmodern classicism at the close of the 1970s.
The house is located on the former grounds of the Tanner-Behr estate, better known as Villa Arno, a 1917 Italian Renaissance Revival residence designed by one of Pasadena’s favorite sons, architect Reginald Johnson. On what was the estate’s original entrance garden and driveway, Offenhauser designed not one but two separate homes, referring to the pair as his “Grand Pearls.” Together, they celebrate the classical tradition and European style by braiding together their gardens, courtyards, and architecture into true Gesamtkunstwerk.
Inside, the interiors carry Offenhauser’s original vision forward, with the house organized as a series of pavilions, each oriented toward its own garden. My favorite aspect of the design is the glazed, barrel-vaulted gallery connecting the main house to a pavilion with a distinctly Roman air. The gallery’s curved lines recall lacy Victorian conservatories, lending an even more romantic note to the composition.
445 Columbia Street, a 3 bedroom, 3 bath, 2,837 square foot home located on a 14,832 square foot lot, is listed courtesy of Eric Lavey with VANTAGE MGMT for $4,199,000.
