Greene and Greene Everyday Slide Show

Being inside a truly great house is like being transported to another world. The vision of the architect and the hands of the craftsmen create something that is set apart from the rest of the world. Visiting Gustav Stickley’s Craftsman Farms, or Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater is an unforgettable experience. But sometimes it all comes apart as you enter a kitchen or bathroom. The magic disappears when you see what looks like a typical room of the period. You’re no longer part of a masterpiece, you could be anywhere.

Unless you happen to be touring one of the homes designed by California architects Charles and Henry Greene. In these houses, it is obvious that they didn’t go off the clock when it came time to design the rooms that the public would not normally see. I became aware of this the first time I visited the Gamble House. I had driven from Las Vegas on a Saturday morning, and was killing time in the bookstore waiting for the tour to begin. The bookstore is located in what was the garage, and the restroom in the bookstore is in nearly original condition. As I was leaving the restroom, I noticed a very nice medicine cabinet.

Now the restroom in the garage is probably one of the last details to be considered in designing a 12,000 square foot house and all of its furniture. But not to the brothers Greene. In our November issue is the third and final installment in a series of articles by David Mathias on the work of Greene and Greene. In August, the series began with an overview, and continued in October with a close look at details and joinery. Our final installment looks at kitchens, baths and doors-the everyday items most architects ignore or gloss over. It’s an interesting look, and many of the photos and rooms have not been seen in print until now.

The November issue is on its way to subscribers, and should be on newsstands in the next couple weeks. (The Gamble garage restroom cabinet is on page 68) In the meantime, we have on online slideshow of photos we didn’t have room for in the magazine.
click here to view the PDF slide show(1.08 MB)

Bob Lang