Textile-block gets it Wright

La Miniatura -- built in Pasadena in 1923 -- is remarkable, even by Frank Lloyd Wright standards. One of only four of the famed architect’s local textile-block designs, this renovated home is considered by some to be the most romantic of that style, which features an open floor plan, a seamless indoor-outdoor flow and roof terraces for outdoor living, popularized in the early 20th century.

Wright’s textile-block creations were constructed of precast concrete blocks with patterned exterior surfaces through which natural light flows; the pattern of the blocks varies on each project.

The home, also known as the Millard House -- it was built for Chicago transplant Alice Millard, a dealer in rare books and antiques -- uses more vertical lines than typical Wright designs. It is situated in a tree-covered ravine and sits among other notable neighborhood residences designed by Charles and Henry Greene, Wallace Neff and Myron Hunt.

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To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, send high-resolution color photos with caption and credit information on a CD and a detailed description of the house to Diane Wedner, Real Estate, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A., CA 90012. Questions may be sent to [email protected].

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Blocks of ages

Location: Pasadena

Asking price: $7,733,000

Last sale price: $1,185,000 in July 1996

About this house: Part of the romance of this property is the light that streams in through the patterned blocks and the outdoor views from nearly every room. In the two-story living room, which opens to the pond and formal gardens, one wall has glass doors topped by textile blocks. Opposite is the fireplace, decorated with blocks and an ornate screen. A corridor on the third level leads to the master bedroom, which has high ceilings and a view of the backyard arroyo and gardens. After the home was completed, Frank Lloyd Wright’s son, Lloyd Wright, added a two-story guest house.

Size: This house has four bedrooms and four bathrooms in 4,230 square feet. The lot is 40,537 square feet.

Features: The home has an updated kitchen with professional appliances, a loft above the master bedroom, a maid’s room and a two-car garage.

Listing agent: Crosby Doe, Mossler & Doe, (310) 428-6755

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HOME OF THE WEEK UPDATE

Mrs. Cubbison’s House

Location: Mt. Washington

Size: Three bedrooms and two baths in 2,194 square feet, on a 17,423-square-foot lot

Published on: Nov. 18, 2007

Listed then for: $1,399,000

Sold for: $1,345,000 on Feb. 14, 2008

Beachfront Vertical “Cottage”

Location: Seaside Walk in Long Beach

Size: Three bedrooms and 4 1/2 baths in 4,200 square feet, on a 2,680-square-foot lot

Published on: March 18, 2007

Listed then for: $3,985,000

Delisted in January 2008 and relisted in July for: $3,625,000

Queen Anne Victorian

Location: Mt. Washington

Size: Four bedrooms and 2 3/4 baths in 4,141 square feet

Published on: April 29, 2007

Listed then for: $1,395,000

Leasing today for: $5,730 per month, including the guest house