Gamble House, Pasadena, California

The Gamble House is an iconic American Craftsman home constructed in 1908. Today it is an “American National Historic Landmark” and an Arts and Crafts masterpiece.

The three-story Gamble House was influenced by traditional Japanese aesthetics and by Californian craftsman, spaciousness, and climate.

The American Arts and Craftsman style architecture focused on the use of natural materials, attention to detail, aesthetics, and craftsmanship.

The house was built on a grassy knoll overlooking Pasadena’s Arroyo Seco, a seasonally dry river bed. The house was designed to fit the environment and complement the rustic setting.

The building is enmeshed with the landscape using a blend of human-made materials and natural materials such as granite and creeping vegetation that grows up onto the foundations of the terrace and steps.

The house’s design reflected a love of nature, which was incorporated into the interior using wood, metal, art glass, and semi-precious stone.

David and Mary Gamble, for whom the Gamble house was designed as a winter residence, lived in the house during the winter months until they died in 1923 and 1929, respectively.

Water feature and garden wall at the Gamble House in Pasadena

Highlights of the Gamble House

The abstraction of clouds and mist designs that are applied to the house’s doors, windows, screens, beams, chairs, and lanterns, to emphasis the forms found in nature
The tree theme composed of three components can be found in every room – using teak, maple, oak, cedar, and mahogany
The idea of three grouped objects together can be seen in many rooms
The three entry doors of the Gamble House
The custom furniture designed to coordinate with the inlay in the tiled fireplace surrounds
The exposed interlocking joinery on the main staircase
The China cabinets in the Gamble House
The concealed wooden panels doors in the entry hall which lead to the kitchen and another panel opens to a coat closet
The Gamble family crest, a crane and trailing rose, that was integrated into many locations around the house
The garden pond behind the Gamble House
The landscape and gardens which are integrated with the architectural proportion and detailing