Finally got around to driving down and checking out the Gamble’s Pasadena winter house. About a 90 minute drive from my house. Beautiful sunny day. $10 entry fee for the tour, they let you take pictures all you want outside, but no cameras inside, and no digital pictures for sale in the bookstore =( It’s really awesome to see the level of craftsmanship, in person.
A few thoughts off the top of my head – The doors are all low, about 6′ or 6’2″ I’d say. Low beams inside, too. Its very dark inside, and the colors are very muted. They use the lighting that was available when it was built a hundred (and one) years ago. And its smaller on the inside than it looks from the outside, because the house itself is only a couple rooms’ deep – and the porches are a good percentage of under-roof living space.
The craftsmanship is incredible, the floor plan is very practical and liveable, the level of detailing just defies description.
Seeing it in person, was kinda like a movie star fan seeing their favorite celebrity in person for the first time.
All those exposed rafter tails have been restored, but you can still tell they take a beating from the weather. Other than that, there are very few clues that the house is a hundred years old. The joints are still tight on all the woodwork inside, furniture, doors and windows, and structural.
“…craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit.” – P. Korn
Edited 2/16/2009 12:44 am by Huck
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"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
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the garage is now the bookstore
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
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the backyard pond as seen from the upstairs deckView Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
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View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
huck... i clicked on the photo ... then i opened your monologue... have you ever watched it with the sound muted ?Mike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
I like it better that way - I actually don't like the sound of my own voice when I hear it played back to me.View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
chimney capView Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
I took this picture because it represents my finding something very rare at the Gamble house - a knot! Two, in fact!View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
hinged screens echo the window design. Incredible to think every door, every window, every cabinet, and almost every piece of furnture, was custom built for that house.View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
the door from the deck to the atticView Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
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detailing at the front doorView Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
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View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
stained glass window - much more impressive from the inside, but they wouldn't let me take photos from there!View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
clinker bricks - a favorite of the brothers GreeneView Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
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View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
one thing I haven't figured out - what are all the downspouts, when there are no visible gutters?View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
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bat-wing eaveView Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
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FWW has a video of the interiorhttp://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/ProjectsAndDesign/ProjectsAndDesignArticle.aspx?id=27096And in the gallery there is a modern version of a G&G library.http://finehomebuilding.taunton.com/item/4286/greene-greene-style-remodelAnd FWW bloghttp://blogs.taunton.com/n/blogs/blog.aspx?nav=main&webtag=fw-editorsblog&entry=245.
William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe
Edited 1/31/2009 8:54 am by BillHartmann
Thanks for posting that, I enjoyed Darrell's video tour, and the FWW editorial. I have a link to Darrell's website on my website, and also, with his permission, a photo of his work. There's a lot going on in that interior, more than you could possibly grasp in one walk-through."...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Very cool!
Thanks for sharing all those pics. I have "Greene and Greene: The Masterworks" and it has tons of interior pics but not so many exterior details.Almost makes a guy want to be a timberframer again. Almost....
Yes, I have that one also. And several others too. For some reason, I can't shake my fascination with their work. The more I learn, the more interesting I find the whole story. View Image "...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Must have box gutters.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
oh big deal....I bet they had help...babies...lol
http://www.cliffordrenovations.com
http://www.ramdass.org
For those that don't know clinker bricks are reject that where over fired..
William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe
Huck,
Gary Katz has a video on his site of the Gamble house. And then he builds a planter box at the end.
Nice pictures. I enjoyed them. What are you shooting with?
Tim - the house is just amazing. I've been thinking a lot about the tools used - the thread on how houses were built 100 years ago. But here's the thing - this is no normal house. Its built to the tolerances of a piece of furniture. No joke. The house - the structure - is built to furniture tolerances. 20 guys took 11 months to build it. If I could pick the best 20 guys I've ever run across in my 30 years of doing this, I could not build a house like that in 11 months, using portable power tools on site.
Here's my theory: The house was pre-fabbed in the furniture shop, using state-of-the-art (for their day) power tools. The reason they could do it that way is the contractor and the cabinet/furniture shop owner were brothers. They could work together in a way that is not common on any jobsite. And these guys were good. I mean good in a way that maybe only a handful of people ever achieve.
A lot of this was lost on the general public, but you would appreciate it. I highly recommend a tour, if you're ever in the neighborhood. I know most people couldn't appreciate it, because waiting for the tour, the group was just sitting around gabbing. I'm taking pictures of these incredible exterior details, and no one else even noticed them. But I do this for a living, and I know. This stuff doesn't just happen. One reason its so easy to miss the craftsmanship is that the house is not ostentatious in any way.
The house is subtle. Much of the craftsmanship is easy to miss, unless you're really paying attention. It doesn't jump out and demand attention. Its kind of like looking at a leaf: a leaf appears natural and organic and plain at first sight, but the more you study the leaf, say, look at it under a microscope, the more awesome the intricacy and organization appears, as you analyze the structure on a cellular level.
I was impressed by photos I'd seen. But seeing it in person, it just haunts you, its so incredible.
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There is a quote on the Gamble House website from an architect who was very familiar with the house, who said the Gamble House is “one of the best crafted pieces of architecture in the U.S., and certainly one of the very best houses ever built." While that's a subjective statement and arguable for a variety of reasons, just reading it sounds like pure hyperbole. But I have to say, I can definitely see where he's coming from.
The Greene brothers sought to make not just a house, but an architectural work of art. That certainly was an impractical goal, but I gotta say, its really remarkable what they achieved by trying!
View Image "...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Edited 2/3/2009 4:36 am by Huck
"The reason they could do it that way is the contractor and the cabinet/furniture shop owner were brothers."It has been a few years since I have read any of this. But I believe I remember that the Hall brothers where business partners that had 2 operations, GC and the shop.Not that one had a contracting business and the other a separate shop business.But I think that one did run one part and the other the other part..
William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe
Sounds accurate to me. Perhaps I worded it wrong, but my point was the close connection needed for the house to be built the way I imagine it was - builder and shop owner would have to be on the same wavelength. View Image "...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Thanx for this threadDoes the 11 months include shop fabrication time or just site time?It would take 11 years for one man to make half of the furniture. LOLChuck Slive, work, build, ...better with wood
11 months, both house and furnishings. I have to assume the "20 men" was the jobsite crew, with probably an equal number working in the shop. The "20 men labored for 11 months" is a sound-bite, that leaves an awful lot unsaid. Plus, my experience indicates that the people in charge of the house are largely ignorant of construction practises in general.View Image "...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
What are you shooting with?
View ImageView Image "...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Huge fan of Greene & Greene, nice pics, hope to see it in person someday.
I also really dig FLW's textile block houses and Schindlers house in Hollywood IIRC.
I also really like the courtyard houses in LA. That is some great Californian architecture.
thanks. I can't believe I grew up less than an hour away, and its a 90 minute drive from my current address, and I'd never been - shame on me!View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
the scarf joint was used extensively throughoutView Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
I was kinda shocked to find out that both the house and the garage are roofed with mineral felt roll roofing! View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
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View Image
I'll post some more pictures later, gotta run for now."...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
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