DESIGN OF OUR TIMES/ ARTS & CRAFTS ERA HOME SELLS FOR $1.8 MILLION IN SAN DIEGO

GUEST BLOG / By Ken Pecus, Compass Realty--San Diego’s 1910 Bartlett/Webster house is a blending of Craftsman, Prairie, and English styles, a trademark of its architect William Sterling Hebbard. 

Built during a building boom on the Southside of world-famous Balboa Park at a time when San Diego was preparing for the California/Pacific Exposition of 1915-16. 

The house was commissioned by Erastus Bartlett, a major developer, and promoter of the South Park neighborhood, for his mother and sister. It has also been home to Fred Hakel, a renowned violinist who played with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra in the early 20th Century. 

The home received its historic designation in 1999 and has undergone multiple remodel and restoration projects in the ensuing years. The entry foyer is a wonderful wood-detailed vestibule that leads to all parts of the 2284 sf. home. The first growth wood detailing from the formal living room to the formal dining room is the stuff of craftsman dreams. 

There are built-in bookcases, picture rails, and four fireplaces that dot the landscape, all having renovation work completed by San Diego's iconic Authentic Fireplaces. Three of them even have the original Grueby Tile. 

Off the dining room, there is a wonderful office or reading room that gazes out at the tree-lined neighborhood around.  

The home might be historic, but the gourmet kitchen with a Sub-Zero refrigerator, dual-fuel Wolf Range, and a Bosch dishwasher is the backbone of modern happiness. We all love breakfast nooks and this home has a great one. The kitchen also features a spacious Quartz Island with the surrounding perimeter counters being classic Soapstone. 

Sleeping quarters are all upstairs. The master suite, dining room, family room, and great room have fireplaces. Upstairs has a beautiful terrace overlooking pristine water-savvy rear yard gardens. Both baths have been remodeled and feature Carrera marble counters. The large 2-car garage is free standing with a wide generous driveway offering plenty of additional off-street parking. 

Additional features include a tankless water heater, fence replacement, garage door replacement, electric panel upgrade, bird screens at the roof eaves, refinished hardwood floors, and a 200sf basement which currently is used for laundry but perhaps a wine cellar should be considered. Basements are truly rare in Southern California. 

This home has excellent karma carefully restored by the loving family of an ardent historian of architect Hebbard. Much of the home’s history is available for viewing at the Museum of History in nearby Balboa Park. It recently sold for $1.825,000, which was $200,000 over the asking price.