Pasadena architect Harold J. Bissner, with Mrs. Bissner, planned this hospitable small house as an expression of their viewpoint and with pertinent family needs in mind. Their site, on which sunlit windows and patio open, is part of an old wooded estate called Chapman Woods. The Bissners decided on a U-shaped plan to preserve large, rare trees on their lot. These include India stone pine, aromatic red cedar, sycamores, ponderosa pine, and the tall, shady oak around which their patio spreads like an extra outdoor room.
Since the Bissners enjoy both entertaining and privacy for themselves, they decided on an all-purpose room enlarged by a glass wall opening on the green- planted terrace. Separated from the living room, it has a built-in TV set and bar, a card table, books. This family room is a convenient entrance to the secluded, intimate dining room. Off the latter, Mr. Bissner designed a moderate-sized kitchen in a self-contained working wing for service, storage, maid's room, and bath.
While relatively small, all rooms have a capacious, uncrowded air of extending the house outdoors. This practical arrangement space makes the house seem larger. Mr. Bissner wisely placed the least important areas of his house on the street side so that the wooded outlook, which the living section of the house faces, is not wasted on garage, hall, and baths. The bedrooms each have a convenient access to the terrace.
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source: House and Garden Magazine | Special Issue - 40 house plans, 1953
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