Gaze with wonder at the Pasadena home of folk artist Louis Steinhauser

Beautiful houses aren’t a rarity in Pasadena, but even in a town full of architectural treasures, this one stands out from the crowd.

Located in the Historic Highlands landmark district, the 1929 Spanish Colonial Revival was the family residence of artist Louis Steinhauser.

A master woodworker, Steinhauser endowed the 1,649-square-foot home with astonishingly lovely hand-carved and painted ceiling beams, cabinetry, and built-in furniture. Faces, landscapes, ships at sea, orange groves, animals, and a faux pipe organ are but a sampling of the elements depicted in Steinhauser’s intricate Bavarian-style carvings.

Other notable attributes include peg and groove wood floors, pocket doors, original light fixtures, a built-in vanity, and fantastic original tile in the home’s two bathrooms.

The 10,403-square-foot property has plenty of natural beauty to offer as well as man-made, with orange and lemon trees, a rose garden, lavender bushes, and various flower beds scattered about the grounds.

Last sold for $360,000 in 2001, it’s now listed with an asking price of $899,000.

Courtesy of Colette Dornblum/Pacific Union

• 821 E Howard St [Pacific Union]
• 821 E. Howard St [Virtual tour]