Arts-and-Crafts Style

Figures A and B--Architects Henry and Charles Greene renovated this foursquare cabin into a home that is custom-made for the laid-back California lifestyle. Boulders from the bed of a local stream tied the home to its natural setting, while the massive exposed wooden supports mirrored the trunks of nearby trees.

Figure C--Revolutionary architects began using arts-and-crafts principles as a reaction to the stately traditional Victorian mansions. Ornamentation was kept to a minimum, and wallpaper featuring intricate, complex designs was replaced by plaster walls painted in smooth earth tones.

Figure D--The furniture was also reflective of the arts-and-crafts lifestyle, and the Duncan-Irwin House featured chairs by Gustav Stickley and a bookcase by the Roycrofters.

Figure E--Two years after they finished the Duncan-Irwin house, the Greenes created an even more dramatic expression of their arts-and-craft vision with the Gamble House. The pair created a unique California architectural style by skillfully blending arts-and-crafts design principles with the Southern California landscape.

Figure F--The interior of the Gamble House features handsculpted Burmese teak paneling, a staircase with elaborate mortise-and-tenon joinery and is often described as a "symphony in wood."

Figure G--The Gamble House was commissioned in 1908 as a winter home for Mary and David Gamble, heirs to the Proctor & Gamble fortune.

Figure H--Deep eaves shelter the home from the hot Southern California sun, while the strong horizontal roofline mirrors the lay of the land--a reaction to the vertical characteristics of Victorian architecture.

Figure I--One of the prime draws of Pasadena for wealthy Midwesterners like the Gambles was the area's mild climate in the winter. The design of the home reflected their desire to spend time outside, with terraces and sleeping porches that allowed overnights in the fresh air during winter--something that definitely appealed to the Cincinnati natives.

Figure J--The staircase features open mortise-and-tenon joinery, and the hand rail was carved from a single piece of teak.

Figure K--The Greenes also designed furniture for the home, including this dining-room table crafted from mahogany.

Figure L--The bookcase is made from mahogany that was imported from Honduras.