IF YOU CAN STAND THE HEAT ... HOME TOUR REMODELS START IN THE KITCHEN TO UPDATE BEAUTIFUL OLDER HOMES.

Byline: Linda Hutchinson Staff Writer

A home can have a personality all its own. Its floor plan, windows and decor can be open and welcoming or dark and gloomy.

But that personality can be changed, and with the home improvement boom going on in this country, homeowners aren't afraid of transforming their living space. An estimated 80 percent of American homes were built before 1980, requiring most homeowners to invest in some kind of repair or improvement on an annual basis. That's taken the home improvement business to $170 billion in sales per year.

To see just how a home's personality can be enhanced or changed completely, the American Society of Interior Designers will showcase four older homes and one new one that have been remodeled for the design group's 17th annual kitchen and interior tour Oct. 19.

Five homes in Glendale, San Marino and Pasadena were chosen to be updated by five ASID designers. Here's a rundown of what you will find on the tour.

Glendale: Spanish colonial built in 1936

Designer Robin Dorman (Robin Dorman Design Concepts, La Canada Flintridge) took the kitchen of this home down to the studs, seamlessly rebuilding it to match the rest of the house.

``This house is a Faberge egg - a real jewel,'' Dorman said.

While the house already has gorgeous floor tiles, interesting ironwork and a number of hand-painted walls and ceilings, the kitchen ``was the only thing that didn't fit into the home,'' Dorman said.

First, it was too small. Dorman made it seem larger by creating an archway between the butler's pantry and kitchen. She also coffered the ceiling and put in new cabinetry with custom-plated pewter hardware and specially designed rosette detailing with a hand-rubbed finish.

A hand-painted range hood was added. Look up to see the hand-painted ceiling and custom-made iron lighting in the pantry and the kitchen that Dorman had made to match the rest of ironwork in the house.

Of note: Over the heavy leaded-glass front door studded with ironwork florets, Dorman installed a new custom-made ironwork awning with leaves, spirals and daffodils that hold up plates of delicately swirled amber baroque glass.

Pasadena: English Tudor home built in 1923

How do you add on to the oldest house on the tour? Very carefully, said designer Mary Kenyon of Mary Kenyon Design of Pasadena.

Kenyon added about 140 square feet of extra space to the back of the home, and it made a world of difference in space and flow. The first floor of this two-story cottage works nicely with the backyard swimming pool.

``It just needed to be reorganized,'' Kenyon said.

The newly created breakfast nook and living room are adjacent to the doors that lead to the pool. She managed to tuck in a small powder room and laundry area near the newly designed galley-style kitchen, which now sports a Viking range topped with a sage-tiled back splash, dark green granite counters, traditional white paned-glass cabinetry and chestnut-colored hardwood floors.

In the newly reconfigured halls, Kenyon matched the new archways and molding to those in the original part of the home for a seamless look.

Outside, Kenyon added a new brick patio that wraps around the side of the house to a garden. Don't miss the lovely fountain, which brings water down a flat face of river stone and adds a lovely babbling-brook sound to the backyard area.

San Marino: French Normandy-style home built in 1930

While this house certainly had potential, Jennifer Bevan of Jennifer Bevan Interiors of South Pasadena suggested some changes.

``We needed to make it into a family home, so we opened it up,'' Bevan said. ``We wanted to take the oldness of the architecture and improve it for today.''

While remaining respectful of the home's ``good bones,'' Bevan removed a rear staircase to create more room in the kitchen and coffered the ceiling, which adds a dimensional effect. Upstairs, she turned a section of the old hallway into a master closet and remodeled the bathrooms.

To the very high, beamed ceiling in the living room, Bevan added a reproduction chandelier in iron and crystal to add just the right touch. Her use of vibrant colors and rich fabrics throughout the home complete the look and feel of France.

Pasadena: Northern European-inspired cottage built in 2002

You approach this home, designed by Cynthia Bennett & Associates of South Pasadena, on a long, graveled driveway canopied by oaks. It has an air of old Northern Europe, particularly the practice of turning old barns into homes. That is where Bennett took her inspiration.

Walk into a completely open two-story home that is anchored by a huge center kitchen and you'll see what we mean. Over the kitchen is a second-floor library, which looks down into the great-room area. Look for details that reveal Bennett's 20 years of living in the Netherlands. Dutch antiques are all over the house.

Pasadena: Asian-influenced traditional home built in 1954

In what could be described as new century modern, designer Rozalynn Woods of Rozalynn Woods Interior Design of Pasadena had carte blanche from the homeowner to do whatever her heart desired.

Woods looked East for inspiration, using a black-lacquered cabinet base for the kitchen center island, an all-teak bar area complete with a wine cellar and Asian-styled sliding doors that can either separate the kitchen, dining room and living room or be tucked away.

She installed state-of-the-art recessed lighting and an all-house stereo system. Filmy drapery panels move on tracks and provide gentle yet effective window covering. Glass tiles, honed granite and rough mosaic tiles provide a variety of interesting textures. Woods also replaced a traditional American bathroom with an authentic Japanese bath, complete with a drainable slotted teak floor.

Once you've taken the self-guided tour, you can shop the design boutique and take home some of the touches you've seen in these homes. All proceeds benefit ASID, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to design students and classes and certification for designers.

ASID KITCHEN & INTERIORS TOUR

What: Self-guided tour of five area homes (maps will be provided).

When: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 19.

Tickets: $25 in advance, $35 the day of the tour. Call [phone].

CAPTION(S):

6 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color; 2 -- cover) Above: Wrought-iron gates lead from the entry to the dining room of this 1936 Spanish colonial home in Glendale. Its kitchen (pictured on the cover) was completely remodeled from floor to ceiling by Robin Dorman Design Concepts.

Photo courtesy of ASID

(3 -- color) Coffered ceiling in the kitchen is hand painted. Ironwork was custom made to match what was already in the home.

(4 -- color) Above: Crown molding and paned-glass cabinetry lend a traditional look to this 1923 English Tudor-style home overlooking Pasadena's arroyo. Dark green granite counters and a sage-tiled back splash add rich-colored accents to the remodel by Mary Kenyon Design.

(5 -- color) Near left: The great room, inspired by old Dutch barn remodelings, is at the heart of this cottage in Pasadena, designed by Cynthia Bennett & Associates. Loft space serves as a children's library and lookout over the great room, while the open kitchen anchors the entire space.

(6 -- color) Far left: Northern European-style shutters lend charm to the cottage's exterior.

Leo Jarzomb/Staff Photographer