RENOVATION GOES RETRO HOME GETS '40S DESIGNER TOUCH FOR PUBLIC VIEWING.

Byline: Marilee Reyes Staff Writer

Be prepared for a little romance when you walk into the Pasadena Showcase House of Design 2000.

If you tilt your head and squint just right, you might be able to envision Gene Tierney leaning seductively against a doorway, her slipper satin gown pooling elegantly around her slim ankles.

Perhaps you'll imagine a whispery glimpse of Tyrone Power and Gary Cooper decked out in spiffy tuxedos discussing their latest film escapades in the cafe au lait entry hall.

And of course, getting ready to make her grand entrance through the French doors would be a breathless Loretta Young in a shimmery gown.

Everything old is new again as interior designers have gone retro to re-create the aura of old Hollywood throughout the Pasadena Junior Philharmonic's showcase house, emphasizing the heyday of 1940s film star glamour and posh settings.

``I envisioned the glamour of the 'Thin Man' movies with Myrna Loy, and the whole idea of the classic elegance of the era,'' said designer Gene Zettle of Gene Zettle Interiors in Pasadena.

Zettle is one of more than 50 interior and exterior designers who are focusing their attention on the 12,000-square-foot house designed by Pasadena architect Roland E. Coate Sr. Completed in 1943, the house is the perfect setting to re-create a mood of traditional elegance while incorporating the glamorous feel of early Hollywood.

Each of the decorators will convey his or her own interpretation of the era. Zettle is redoing the living room of the two-story English- and French Regency-style home in the Upper Rancho area of Arcadia. He has chosen a color palette in subtle shades of green and gold, celedon, salmon and a touch of charcoal for the room to ``evoke the essence of Hollywood glamour of the '40s.''

The furnishings are an updated version of that period, Zettle said. Some of the outstanding accents in the room are hand-painted Chinese wallpaper panels featuring bamboo and parrots, an antique grand piano made by the Mason and Hamlin Organ Co. of Boston and a silver-leaf cabinet console - all set against the background of wool velvet checkerboard carpet.

Greg Parker of Parker West Interiors in South Pasadena is doing a media room and bath, including all the modern amenities - such as the high-definition plasma television - while maintaining the feel of old Hollywood chic.

``It's going to be really exciting,'' said Parker, whose color scheme stayed with a combination of warm taupes, beiges and soft neutral tones, punched up with vibrant colors.

Parker is especially proud of the ceiling, which incorporates fiber-optic stars set in Venetian plaster. Faux-finish painting specialists Wendy Stone and Phillip Cohen have executed Parker's design, which is based on the constellations that will be seen over Pasadena in the year 2001.

One of the most outstanding features in the room is an 8-foot-tall sculpture by Gordon Huether of Napa. It is a sheet of cold rolled steel, texturized and formed in the shape of a calla lily. It has glass accents and will be part of a soothing indoor water feature.

An old walk-in closet has been converted to a small kitchen.

``Because it's on the extreme end of the house, you can close it off and make it a true family gathering room where you can relax,'' Parker said.

The choice of furniture is ``evocative of the '40s, that glamorous period,'' he added. ``The woods and fabrics are so rich, and yet it's a very, very clean look.''

Mario Saverino and Kenn D. Myers of MK & Co. of Pasadena are participating in the Showcase House for the first time.

``We've created a lady's haven, a retreat,'' Saverino said. ``It's oozing atmosphere. It's all golds and greens with just a tad of purple for surprise.''

The room looks as if the woman of the house has collected several treasures from trips around the world. There's a chinchilla print carpet and a Moroccan chandelier. The ottoman is covered in an aubergine and gold fabric from an authentic East Indian sari.

``You won't find the fabric anywhere,'' Saverino said.

A day bed is typical of the old Hollywood elegance, piled with decorator pillows. There is a mosaic-top desk table custom-created by Mosaix of North Hollywood; it is a masterful work of art, as the artists combined limestone, laser-incised designs, stencil and grout to make it a one-of-a-kind piece.

``It's exquisite,'' he said.

Old bathroom plumbing fixtures and wall heaters have been replated. There has been an extraordinary effort to preserve the 1930s-era kitchen appliances while updating the work area with modern, stainless steel equipment.

THE FACTS

--What: Pasadena Showcase House of Design 2000.

--Where: Complimentary parking at Gate 8 of Westfield Shoppingtown (formerly Santa Anita Fashion Park) at 300 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia, with continuous shuttle service to the house. There is no parking at the house.

--When: Sunday through May 14.

--Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday; 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. Closed Mondays.

--Information: Tours from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, $20; tours from 2 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and 2 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays, $18; Saturdays and Sundays, $25. For 24-hour recorded information call [phone]. Tickets available at Ticketmaster, [phone] or [phone]; www.ticketmaster.com; or in person at Ticketmaster outlets in selected Wherehouse, Robinsons-May and Tower Records stores. For special evenings at Showcase for a party of 50 or more, call [phone].

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo: Workers remodel a vintage two-story house in Arcadia for the annual Pasadena Showcase House of Design 2000. More than 50 designers work to create rooms reminiscent of the 1940s.

Mike Mullen/Staff Photographer

Box: THE FACTS (see text)