TAKING A GAMBLE

Does your home speak to you?                                       

Does it have a story to tell?

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of re-visiting the Gamble House, a turn-of-the-last century Craftsman style home in Pasadena, California.

This 100 year old gem of a house was designed by the architectural geniuses Greene & Greene.

I have to admit, I admired this home just as much the second time around, both for its turn-of-the-century simplicity and its incredible attention to detail.

I use the word ‘incredible’ – yet, this doesn’t adequately describe what the house has to offer.

Astounding is more like it.

The effect of these rooms bathed in a golden light, is almost magical. It literally takes your breath away.

From the moment one first steps into the darkened entry, you realize you are in for a treat as your eyes gradually become accustomed to the light.

You notice first, the lovely image of an oak tree etched into the leaded glass panes of the front door, its limbs stretching far and wide into the transom and side light windows.

You notice it in the smoothly rounded edges of the polished Burmese teak, framing the grand central stair.

You notice it, too, in the delicate silhouette of a lantern in the shape of a crane, a bird that – in Japan – represents longevity.

You notice the repetition of certain motifs – trailing vines and the ever-present Chinese ‘cloud-lift’ – everywhere you look.

It’s present in the leaded glass light fixtures, the carved mantle and friezes, in the stair rail and even the carved inlays on a bed frame.

Good design relies on repetition.             

Designers and architects alike know this, and rely heavily on such simple tools to create an innate rhythm of beauty and celebration throughout a clients’ home.

In the case of the Gamble House, it was the symbiotic relationship between owner and architect that created this exquisite national treasure.

This is a distinction the home shares with another famous masterpiece – Frank Lloyd Wright’s ‘Fallingwater’  – for the very same reason.

In both instances, it is a case of two brilliant minds coming together:  a homeowner with an intense passion for the arts, and the desire to build the home of their dreams, – plus an architect who had the creative skills and mindset to make those dreams come true.

Of course, that alone isn’t enough.

There needs to be trust, first and foremost, and a degree of confidence in each other, and the task at hand.

It involves ‘taking a gamble’ –pun intended.

In the case of the Gamble House, the architects worked closely with the clients in the design of the house, incorporating specific design elements to complement items belonging to the family.

Suites of delicate, yet sturdy furnishings were custom designed for almost every room, all of them created by Greene and Greene to complement the decor.

It seems no expense was spared.

In fact, the celebration of art, craftsmanship and – yes, beauty –  is celebrated throughout, right down to the fireplace tools and switch plates!

The Gamble House has been described as “a house that reflects the clients’ way of living, interpreted by the architects skill and creativity”.

In that vein, it is an absolute gem.

The owners knew this, as did their children. In fact, years later, when the heirs to the estate had the house on the market, they happened to overhear a prospective buyer express an opinion on how to lighten the relatively dark  (by modern standards) interior:

“We’ll just paint all the woodwork white, that should brighten things up.”

Gasp.

As the story goes, that one remark was enough to take the house off the market – immediately. And the rest is history, as the family donated the house instead, to the city of Pasadena to be preserved and admired for eternity.

I don’t know that everyone knows about the Gamble House. Much loved, it is certainly not a well-kept secret.

For anyone who is a fan of the Arts and Crafts movement, or even if you are not a fan – if you haven’t been there, and you live in LA – go there.

It will surely be the highlight of your day.