"Welcome to one of the most charming homes in San Marino," says the brochure to the house at 1459 Waverly Road. Normally, that kind of purring might tempt a sarcastic person (present company excepted) to make a snarky comment.

All sarcasm melts away, however, when we take a close look at this intricately built house. First, let's look at the intricately detailed exterior, especially the elaborate roof, or system of roofs. The owners decided not to alter the shape or the footpint of the original house, according to Coldwell Banker agent Brent Chang, who shares the listing with Linda Chang. The owners also hired an expert in this type of historic roof, to keep the house as authentic as possible. 

Inside, craftsmanship is on display wherever we look, particularly on the ceiling. The ceiling beams in this house are part of its special character. In some rooms, the beam is a straight, hand-carved timber. In the living room, where the shape of the ceiling echoes the steeply pitched roof, the beam turns into a segmented arch. Architects love details like this that are both structurally logical and good looking, to boot.

In the upstairs bedrooms, the wood carver apparently was bored by the idea of using straight beams, and instead carved a set of wave-like beams. I'm trying not to use the word "enchanting," but there's no other term.  The kitchen is serene, and features a wooden ventilation hood above the stove top.

Here’s the real estate stats: The house has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, and a three-car garage and sits on a third of an acre. The asking price is $2.95 million. Just think: living here would be like living in rural England, only without the rain. For many people, that would be the best of both England and California.