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I did all the usual sightseeing tours and the long, tiring walk up to the Hollywood sign, or at least as far as they would let us go. There was no way I was going to pass up one of the most famous architectural sights in history. Established as a National Historic Landmark in 1978, the Gamble House presents some of the most fascinating architectural construction of its time. The main terrace is beyond the rear facade of the residence. It has patterned brick paving with planting areas, a large curvilinear pond, and garden walls made with distinctive clinker bricks and boulders.
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(Their oldest son Cecil was already working for Procter & Gamble; their middle son Sidney had just started at Princeton University.) Mary’s younger sister, Julia, also came to live with the family. By the summer of 1910, all the custom-designed furniture was in place. At the same time the Gambles were selecting their lot on Westmoreland Place, a house designed by the firm of Greene & Greene was being built for John Cole on the adjacent property. Perhaps meeting the architects at the construction site, and certainly impressed with the other Greene & Greene houses in the Park Place neighborhood, the Gambles met with the brothers and agreed on a commission. Avoid damage to house and disruption of visitors and Gamble House activities.2.
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I enjoyed the tour though virtual and the home is magnificent. Heir to the Proctor & Gamble soap and candle company in Ohio, David Gamble and his wife Mary decided to build a winter home in Pasadena, where fellow Cincinnatians, architects Charles and Henry Greene had their practice. Devotees of Japanese style, an exotic craze that swept throughout the west at the end of the century, Greene and Greene were a perfect fit for the Gambles, who traveled extensively in the Far East.
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Visions of Japan: Exploring the inspirations behind the Gamble House
Happy man receiving good news while reading text message on cell phone at home. Girl sitting in loft coffee shop and making bets online on sport bookmaker's webcite. In 1985, the home gained worldwide notoriety as Emmett "Doc" Brown’s house in Back to the Future.
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About the Greene and Greene Architects
Oldblackdog, if you have a chance to take the tour, check if they still have the one called "Behind the Ropes" tour. The Gamble family established a professorship at nearby Occidental College. The professorship has been held by Buddhist Studies expert, Dr. Dale Wright, and is currently held by Historian of Late Antiquity Dr. Kristi Upson-Saia. One of the wooden panels in the entry hall is actually a concealed door leading to the kitchen, and another panel opens to a coat closet.
The Craftsman style uses a nature-inspired color palette featuring browns, olive greens, and rust oranges. Allowing the structure to blend in with the surroundings helps establish a sense of unity with the landscape and a relaxed feel. It's a not to be missed tour if you're ever in Pasadena, CA. The surrounding neighborhood also has many beautiful examples of Craftsman architecture, including other Greene and Greene's. I wish you could spend more time there because I think the walk through makes you miss some of the details and you get the feeling the mastery is in attention to details. This home has long been my favorite, for all of the obvious reasons.
Gamble House (Pasadena, California)
The Gamble House uses teak, oak, maple, mahogany, and cedar to incorporate contrasting colors, grains, and textures. Wood details include custom built-ins, inlays, and an exposed interlocking joint staircase. Although the Greenes never traveled to Japan, they found inspiration closer to home, frequenting the Japanese Garden at The Huntington with its historic Japanese House and ceremonial teahouse. The brothers drew inspiration from Japanese import stores and books.
Timeline
David and Mary lived in the house until their deaths in 1923 and 1929, respectively. Cecil Huggins Gamble and his wife Louise Gibbs Gamble began living in the house after Julia’s death in 1944, and briefly considered selling it. They soon changed their minds, however, when prospective buyers spoke of painting the interior teak and mahogany woodwork white! Craftsman architecture features many hard-carved wood millwork details, including trims, columns, and decorative elements.
Once they arrived in Pasadena, the brothers decided to remain. Yet their use of wood is as much about quality as quantity, for they exploited the wood’s potential through craft and raised the beauty of their architecture inside and out. Their manipulation and expression of wood broke from the applied decoration of the prevailing Victorian, Queen Anne and mission styles of the day, and in this light their architecture can be seen as modern. The Arts and Crafts Movement in American Craftsman style architecture was focused on the use of natural materials, attention to detail, aesthetics, and craftsmanship.
The wonder of this property is that, while most high end properties are not anything I could relate to, or for that matter would want to relate to, the warmth, quality of materials and craft are just inspirational. I've toured the place twice, the last time 15 years ago and it's influence has not diminished. The attic is used as a conference room now and just has modern type chairs, etc, in it. As it was used for storage, there wasn't furniture specially built for it. What is spectacular about it is that it is encircled by those gorgeous windows.
Teak, maple, oak, Port Orford cedar, and mahogany surfaces are placed in sequences to bring out contrasts of color, tone, and grain. Inlay in the custom furniture designed by the architects coordinates with the inlay in the tiled fireplace surrounds, and the expressed, interlocking joinery on the main staircase was left exposed. COMMERCIAL FILMING (exterior only) AND PHOTOGRAPHY ARE PERMITTED BY RESERVATION ONLY. Commercial use is defined as use of content/footage for publicity, tourism, print, film, social media, documentary, commercial or other for-profit use as designated by Gamble House staff. The Gamble House is often described as America’s Craftsman masterpiece, establishing the standard of Craftsman-style homes.

Where the house diverges from the Japanese aesthetic is how it defines spaces. The Greenes’ style is “enclosed,” explained Trotoux, whereas Japanese architecture is open and spacious with pavilion-style designs. This digested influence is seen throughout the Gamble House. The rafter tails extending beyond the house’s eaves evoke Japanese sensibilities, yet they were an invention of the Greenes and are rarely found elsewhere. Similarly, the home’s Japanese metal lanterns, which differ from traditional designs, are adorned with art glass.
Most of the house is actually quite dark for much of the day. Then you go up into this attic and everyone says, "I'd love to live in this room!" The entire house is amazing. My father was a docent there for some years and my husband and I planned to take our wedding pictures on the grounds (free to the public) but as it rained that day, we had to find somewhere else. We were there again last November and we took a few pictures outside just for fun. It made me wish (again) we'd been able to take our wedding pictures there; it's just so gorgeous. The rooms of the home were built using multiple kinds of woods.
Their quarters are neat and comfortable, though noticeably less bright and airy. In one room, a mannequin stands dressed in a maid uniform of the time. Happy family- father, mother and daughter playing a video game at home. A young Latin American man with a soccer ball is sitting on the couch and using a mobile phone.
Ft. on the second floor for large porches and terraces for outside relaxing and even sleeping during the warm Pasadena nights. Strong ties to nature were made apparent as one entered through the front door. Attention to detail befitting the Japanese-style of architecture started with the stained glass located on the front door. The house is located on a grassy knoll overlooking Pasadena's Arroyo Seco, a broad, seasonally dry river bed. Because of the Gambles’ attraction to the environment, the Greenes designed the house to complement the rustic setting.
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