01. The Gamble House (Pasadena)
If there is one must-visit destination for Craftsman architecture in California, this is it.
Designed by Charles and Henry Greene in 1908, the Gamble House is a great example of woodwork, joinery, stained glass, custom furniture, and the idea of the house as one complete work of art.
Henry Greene described their approach simply: “There was a reason for every detail.”
02. The Marston House (San Diego)
Built in 1905 by architects William Sterling Hebbard and Irving Gill, the Marston House is one of California’s best surviving Arts and Crafts homes.
The 8,500-square-foot house can still be toured inside, and the original woodwork, furnishings, broad porches, and surrounding five-acre grounds make this much more than a quick architectural stop.
This may be my favorite on the list – a bit more “everyman craftsman” than Greene and Green’s work. A lot of actionable ideas for my wife and I.
https://www.sohosandiego.org/main/hoursmh.htm
03. Annual Bungalow Heaven Home Tour (Pasadena)
If the Gamble House shows what Craftsman architecture could become at its highest level, Bungalow Heaven shows how the style worked in everyday homes.
Pasadena’s landmark district contains roughly a square mile of early-20th-century houses, and the annual home tour is a rare chance to actually step inside a selection of these privately owned bungalows.
https://www.bungalowheaven.org/events/bungalow-heaven-home-tour
https://www.bungalowheaven.org/events/bungalow-heaven-home-tour
04. Thorsen House (Berkeley)
Photo: Beerguy721 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Designed by Greene & Greene in 1908, the Thorsen House was the last of the firm’s legendary “Ultimate Bungalows.”
It is full of the details that make Greene & Greene special—from art glass and intricate joinery to custom built-ins and subtle woodworking details—and private tours can still be arranged with the frat (unique) that occupies the house today.
05. Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel (Anaheim)
It may have opened nearly a century after the peak of the Arts and Crafts movement, but Disney’s Grand Californian is one of the best modern interpretations of the style.
Disney drew from Greene & Greene, Bernard Maybeck, and other Arts and Crafts designers, carrying the theme from the large timber architecture down to the furniture, lighting, stained glass, and decorative details.
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/hotels/grand-californian-hotel
06. Torrey Pines Lodge (San Diego)
Overlooking the Pacific and Torrey Pines, the Lodge is another modern interpretation that takes its Craftsman influence seriously.
Heavy timber, stone fireplaces, stained glass, period-inspired furniture, and extensive woodwork make it worth walking through even if you aren’t staying overnight—the Lodge itself describes the property as a place where “California’s arts and crafts era comes to life.”
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