Designer Showcase Homes

Here are some of this spring’s crop of designer showcase houses:

--The Pasadena House, which benefits the Los Angeles Philharmonic, is a 9,000-square-foot Craftsman mansion that features extensive gardens and a pool installed for the occasion.

Open to May 16, it will have a variety of fine arts and crafts boutiques, classical music and food service as simple or as elaborate as you wish. Hours are Wednesday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; weekends 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information call (818) 792-4661. Tickets, which are available at Ticketmaster, are $15 in advance and $18 at the door.

--Design House ‘93, offered by the Sandpipers on the Palos Verdes Peninsula from Tuesday to May 16, will sooth visitors with koi ponds and intimate gardens on a spectacular site overlooking the ocean.

Luncheon and fashion shows will be held Tuesday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., weekends 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door. For information call (310) 374-1403.

--Victoriana aficionados will appreciate the mansion displayed by the Whittier Historical Society Tuesday through May 23. The new 6,000-square-foot home lovingly reproduces the glories of the Victorian era.

Besides regular design lectures there will be a Mother’s Day Brunch and Saturday night murder mystery parties. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Entrance fee is $15 and for more information call (310) 945-8921.

--Casa LaQuesta, a Spanish hacienda, will be the focus of the Orange County Philharmonic Society’s House of Design April 17 through May 16. Encircling the top of a hill in Tustin, it is said to have a spectacular view of the county.

Along with informal fashion shows and a marketplace boutique there will be classical music and jazz, an alfresco cafe and design lectures. Hours are Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information call (714) 840-7542. Tickets are $16.

--The San Diego Historical Society is presenting a Craftsman-style, 1911 mansion overlooking San Diego Bay. Open today through May 23, it has its original gardens with historically accurate plants that hark back to the turn of the century.

Luncheon, cappuccino, pastries and home decor lectures are available Monday through Wednesday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and weekends 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $15. For more information call (619) 232-6203.

--Saturday through May 30 a Tudor-style country manor will be transformed into a design house to benefit the Ventura Symphony. Located in Santa Paula and surrounded by citrus and avocado groves, it is home to a family with six children so there are “a lot of kiddie rooms,” said a spokesperson.

Besides luncheon there will more than 50 artisans who will present everything from fine jewelry to art photographs in greenhouses on the property. Hours are Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday noon to 4 p.m. and Friday evening 5:30 to 8:30 when designers will serve as hosts. Tickets are $15 and for information call (805) 644-3772.