Popular Woodworking 2008-11 № 172, страница 44

very common objects indeed: doorsand cabinets for the kitchen and bath. With photographs from 10 Greene &r Greene houses, fron 1 modest to majestic, we'll get a grand tour of the Greenes' gift for elevating mundane elements to high art.

In a Greene <Sr Greene home, there are no unimportant details. Everyday items are crafted with the same degree ofskill and care

Both Useful and Beautiful

A place for everything. In the Bolton home, the then-new telephone was given a built-in home.

as showpiece items, and designed with the same thoughtful blending of form and function. A cabinet in a servant's area would be simple and of less expensive material, but as well const ructed as dining room bui It-i 11 s.

Then and Now

In a modern home the kitchen is a gathering place, perhaps the only room in which the

Out of sight, not out of mind. Located in the Gamble garage, this medicine cabinet is gracefully designed, nicely detailed and well constructed.

entire family spends lime together. This is a relatively new phenomenon in urban/suburban America where, historically, kitchens were often small and t he domain of hired help. I arge kitchens that are well-integrated with the rest of the home have facilitated the change. Cemral air conditioning has also played a role - kitchens are no longer sauna-like.

Bathrooms have undergone a similar transformation. One hundred years ago, few would have considered the bathroom a sanctuary. For many contemporary people, that's exactly what a bathroom is. Today's marble-clad, whirlpool-equipped baths bear only a passing resemblance to their forebears.

In the world in which Charlesand Henry Greene lived. kitchens and bat hs were al most entirely utilitarian. Fort heir wealthierclients, the kitchen was rarely seen; it wasa room in which only the staff spent time. Thus, attention todetail in these rooms provided limited return to the architect. Yet, even in their modest commissions, the Greenes attended to the details in kitchens and baths just as they did in every other aspect of their work.

In the Kitchen

Intact 100-year-old kitchens and baths are rare. The Gamble house, of course, is largely unchanged from that time. Restored rooms in other Greene <Sr Greene homes retain some of the original elements (or reproductions of them). The Carol i ne DeForest house, however, still has its original kitchen right down to the wooden countertops.

The DeForcst house isa wonderful example of the Greenes' work prior to the ultimate bungalows. Built in 1906. this 2,700 square-foot home has many interesting features. The main entrance to the house is on one side rather than facing the street. The walkway brings visitors to a wonderful covered porch. The double-door entry leads to a living area with a wall of windows above an inviting window seat.

The kitchen isquite small and simple. The cabinetsare a straightforward but attractive board-and-bauen design decorated with hun-dredsof roundhead brassscrews. Theslotsin the screwsalign with the grain direction of the wood; ii'sasubtle. obsessive touch.

The Gamble house kitchen is large by comparison - though not by today's standard for a house of that size. Its center island layout would seem familiar to many homeowners today. The lack of a kitchen table is one clue that this isn't a typical, modern kitchen design.

Custom closct. The closet doors in the fenny Reeve house provide an important design element for the room, along with serving a practical need.

68 ■ Popul ar Woodworking November 2008