About a year ago LOML and I toured Gamble House, a Greene and Greene tour de force in Pasadena, CA. A few minutes ago I saw on television that a local craftsman, working on the restoration of another G&G property nearby, will lead monthly tours of Gamble house this year.
The PBS program, Life and Times, showed how Jim Ipkejian is tasked with recreating furniture and other fittings, using pictures of the original custom designs. The house was purchased by a speculator who had plundered it, selling the original fittings for more than the purchase price of the house. Pasadena has since passed an ordinance prohibiting the removal of original equipment from craftsman homes.
The tour series is called "Details and Joinery: A Craftsman’s Tour of The Gamble House". My experience on the general-public tour last year was less than it might have been. The craftsmanship is stunning, but the docent leading the tour was much more concerned with crowd control than woodworking. To get the crafstman's perspective, with open cabinets and drawers, sounds really interesting.
I encourage all SoCal woodworkers, or those planning to visit the area, to take advantage of this opportunity.
The 2-1/2 hour tours are limited to eight people and require a reservation. Cost $75. http://www.gamblehouse.org/tours/details.html
The PBS program, Life and Times, showed how Jim Ipkejian is tasked with recreating furniture and other fittings, using pictures of the original custom designs. The house was purchased by a speculator who had plundered it, selling the original fittings for more than the purchase price of the house. Pasadena has since passed an ordinance prohibiting the removal of original equipment from craftsman homes.
The tour series is called "Details and Joinery: A Craftsman’s Tour of The Gamble House". My experience on the general-public tour last year was less than it might have been. The craftsmanship is stunning, but the docent leading the tour was much more concerned with crowd control than woodworking. To get the crafstman's perspective, with open cabinets and drawers, sounds really interesting.
I encourage all SoCal woodworkers, or those planning to visit the area, to take advantage of this opportunity.
The 2-1/2 hour tours are limited to eight people and require a reservation. Cost $75. http://www.gamblehouse.org/tours/details.html
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