How to choose your Fireplace

Zillions of options for fireplaces these days – what works for you? We discuss options and advantages of three main types – masonry – pre fabricated and direct vent.

The Gamble House

Session # 1

Session # 2

The Gamble House – Pasadena, California

The Gamble House

If you get a chance – visit the Gamble House.
It’s in Pasadena, about an hour outside of Los Angeles. The home, built in 1909, for David and Mary Gamble (he was the heir to the founder of the Proctor and Gamble company) is an amazing example of Craftsman architecture. The home was designed by Greene and Greene, the architectural firm of brothers, Charles and Henry, at the height of their career.

The home is now owned by USC (University of Southern California) and is open for tours. I think I’ve been 8 times. You feel like you are inside an antique cabinet.

Entering the house you see this amazing staircase to your right.

The Gamble House staircase

Strapping detail holding beams together

The Gamble House beam detail and iron strap

Pairs of casement windows with extended sill and lintel

The Gamble House window detail

Exterior details of the exposed, carved and finished structural timbers

The Gamble House beam mortise and tenon detail

Stories – Historic Spanish Style – Gut Remodel

Session # 1 – The Beginning

Session # 2 – The Rebuild


Session # 3 – The Pool and Pool House


Session # 4 – The Finishes !!!

Gut Remodel, Addition and New Construction All in One

Santa Monica Spanish Gut Remodel - Front view

Out with the old

Front door after re build
Demolition of the old

Rebuilt new entry

Santa Monica Gut Remodel - framing

A “Gut” remodel/restoration of a turn of the Century Spanish revival home located in Santa Monica.
The house was completely stripped to the “good” studs and rebuilt from the inside out.  As is the case in Los Angeles,
rebuilding a home and bringing it up to current building code standard, requires building from the inside out.  New foundations,
framing and mechanical systems create a new home.

  • Remodel/restoration of Spanish revival home
  • New pool house and custom pool with fountain
  • Complete “Chef’s style” kitchen
  • Unique open beamed ceiling
  • Moroccan tile
  • Plaster ceiling molding

Santa Monica Gut Remodel - pool house and pool
Santa Monica Gut Remodel - living room
Kitchen cabinets - rough install
Santa Monica Gut Remodel - happy tradespeople !
Testing paint colors
Santa Monica Gut Remodel - finish kitchen
Santa Monica Gut Remodel - Moroccan tile and plaster ceiling in the hallway
Santa Monica Gut Remodel - tile risers on stairs
Santa Monica Gut Remodel - Pool house
Santa Monica Gut Remodel - steel column frame for pool house
Santa Monica Gut Remodel - exterior painting
Santa Monica Gut Remodel - gargage for living
Santa Monica Gut Remodel - custom driveway gate

Parts and pieces – the front gate and custom wrought iron.

Santa Monica Gut Remodel - craning in trees

Landscaping with large specimen trees being craned onto the site.

Framing
Santa Monica Gut Remodel - outdoor fireplace

Bungalow / Ranch Remodel

Remodeled !

Bungalow_remodel finish2

Before

Bungalow_remodel1_before

Below are the new and existing plans. Most of the older homes have lots of tiny rooms. The are also usually oriented to the front yard and most people would rather have a more open kitchen / living space that opens up to the back yard.

Opening the house to the back yard and creating a kitchen / living room

The tiny old kitchen opened up to become a new one!

This typical, 800 square foot, post WW2, suburban house in Los Angeles was about as plain as they come. Check out the video story – above – detailing the design – construction and finishes for this home published in Finehomebuilding !

Finehomebuilding Ranch Remodel