Gamble House - Pasadena
Today, I made a short road trip to Pasadena, California. Pasadena is a beautiful city filled with great old houses and great architecture. My destination today was the Gamble House which was designed by the Greene brothers and built in 1908 for the Gamble family (Procter and Gamble). The house is a craftsman style house with an Asian influence. I took the tour of the house which was $10 and one hour long. Worth every penny and every minute! There was a group from Michigan in my tour group - here to watch the Rose Bowl game on Monday. The city of Pasadena is preparing for the big parade - the bleachers are in place, and camera crews are setting up their tents and cameras in preparation for Monday morning.
The main entrance or foyer is filled with teak wood and is gorgeous. The main staircase is surrounded by a handrailing that is made entirely of teak. This was one of the few places in the house where you can touch the wood. Even the docent/tour guide can't touch the wood. All the nails and screws holding the pieces in place are covered by small pieces of wood, made of maple to cover the teak! The website has beautiful pictures of the interior including the beautiful staircase and the stained glass door - click here. My father would love to see all this - he is a cabinet maker and stair maker by trade. I will have to make sure we make it to the Gamble House on his next trip to California.
Every room is filled with wonder. Each room has its own individual design - the living room has a carved piece of redwood just below the crown molding of the room. Just gorgeous - with seagulls, waves - trees whatever the wood suggested was carved onto the wood. The lighting in the house is dim as was typical of the era. Most of the bulbs in the house are 25 watts or less. The foyer has a beautiful teak door with an exquisite stained glass window of an oak tree. The lamp shades in the main foyer are made from the same art glass that is used in the front door.
The kitchen is filled entirely with cabinets made of maple! The original sink is still in the kitchen and a stove from the 1930s or 40s. Most of the furniture in the house was designed by the Greene brothers and made in Pasadena by the Hall brothers.
The picture below is an example of the top of the windows and most of the outside doors. All the moldings are identical for each window - all designed by the Greene brothers. Each room in the house has its own character and its own design. The living room has a beautiful carving just under the molding that is carved from a large piece of redwood. The artist let the grain of the wood dictate the piece - and the waves and seagulls, and beautiful trees are very natural looking and beautiful as a result! To see a part of the carving, click here.
The gardens in the back of the house are lovely as well. What particulary caught my eye is the beautiful pond in the back of the house. The design is so beautiful and integrated so well into the back steps. I can imagine sitting by the pond on a peaceful afternoon without a care in the world! Next time you are in Pasadena - I highly recommend making a stop and taking a tour of the Gamble House!
