5540

This was the home of contractor Thomas E. Telfer, who built it in 1907 on land purchased from the original developer, John Lewis Cochran. Telfer subdivided the land and built four homes – the estimated cost of each house was $3500. He built the garage to use as a workshop for the construction of his home and the three adjacent ones. Telfer also built other homes in Lakewood Balmoral, including three on the 5500 block of Magnolia. He moved to Pasadena, California in the 1920s and passed away in 1932. The ownership of this home after Telfer is complicated, because 12 different owners are listed for the property. Between 1939 and 1956 it was bank owned. In 1956 Richard Conway purchased the home and it remained in the family until 1993.

From the street, the American Craftsman influence is apparent in the strong horizontal design of the façade, with the wide front porch and overhanging eaves. The stucco exterior and beautiful craftsmanship of the wood elements of the home are a fine example of this style. Many windows feature leaded glass, with a small triangular element based on a tulip. Across the front of the building is a ribbon window with three sections. At the second floor the windows are symmetrically placed with unique divisions for the panels of glass. On the third floor is a dormer that was added in 2014.

The ceiling on the porch is the original beadboard, and the color matches the replacement front door. When you step inside, you will see the second door opening into the reception area, with a fireplace as the focal point. What was once an ordinary brick mantel has been upgraded with stonework. It is now a gas assisted wood burning fireplace which required a lot of work to make it functional, due to the weak construction of the support under the hearth. On either side of the mantel are two windows with nine divided lights, framed in the original oak.

The living room is a continuation of the reception area. The beautiful oak woodwork had been painted, and after it was stripped it was finished in a lighter stain. A small bay window brings light into the living room along the south wall. As you face the dining room there are two cabinets of a Stickley design that are built-in with glass doors and divided lights. The original stucco walls have been preserved in the living room, stairwell and upstairs hallway.

The dining room has a beamed ceiling and many unusual features. On either side of the bay are larger windows that display some original leaded glass windows discarded from another home in the neighborhood. The three center windows are diamond shaped leaded glass. Along one wall is a built in china cabinet with leaded glass that matches the windows on the façade. The room is paneled in oak with a rectangular recessed panel below the top ledge. Above each window is a crown molding in the style of the original home. Many had been removed, but a few remained, and the owners had copy moldings made in oak. All the doors are two paneled and oak.

The back of the home had been altered when the current owners purchased the home. The back porch now serves as an office/study. Years after the back porch had been enclosed, the kitchen was enlarged and reconfigured with the removal of a pantry. Then later, a full bath was tucked in the space between the office and the kitchen. Since access to the kitchen from the front of the house was via the staircase, with two steps up and two steps down, the entrance was closed off and the dining room entrance was retained.

The kitchen was updated in 2006, with white cabinets and newer appliances, a stone backsplash, ceramic flooring and a black marble counter top. You may note that with the change of the entrance to the kitchen the workspace was expanded.

From the dining room, you may descend to the basement to see the recreation area and exercise room. The basement was dug down two feet to accommodate more activity. An original laundry chute from the master bedroom connects to the new laundry. All the wood elements of the home upstairs are replicated in the basement to create the continuity of design.

Back in the reception hall, you can take the staircase to the second floor. Note the Arts and Crafts straight wood spindles, the two steps to the landing, and also the sky light, which was added to brighten the stairs.

The central hallway opens onto three bedrooms and a bath, which also has a skylight. The master bedroom extends across the entire front of the house. The room was made more spacious by the removal of the ceiling and the replacement of the front dormer. The front windows are original. A small gas fireplace was added, along with cabinetry and new larger closets that match the woodwork in the rest of the house. On the wall opposite the façade, above the door and closets, is a triangular storage and display area, complete with sliding ladder to access to the shelving.

Two more bedrooms at the back of the home are smaller, with windows that open to the back yard.