Most people who adore legendary houses aren't given to foot-stomping episodes. So gauche.
Fans of architectural treasures, in fact, tend to step quite lightly through the doors, to preserve the heritage, majesty, and, perhaps most pressing of all, the home's original flooring.
But Gamble House mavens can be forgiven for engaging in some foot-stomping of the mental kind, at least when the height of summer arrives. The Greene & Greene masterpiece, located in Pasadena, is a woodsy wonder, and it possesses an upstairs sleeping porch, perfect for a roasting July night.
You won't be able to snooze on the outside deck -- no foot-stomping, please, or whining -- but you will be allowed to tread more thoroughly about the various nooks/crannies of The Gamble House, at least from July 30 through Aug. 16, Thursdays through Sundays.
The short-running, very popular "Upstairs Downstairs" walk-through takes in off-the-usual-tour spots like the laundry room, some basement areas, and the servants' bedrooms, described as "surprisingly light and accommodating."
Was the impressive Craftsman structure a sort of Pasadena version of "Downton Abbey," back in the early 20th century? Docents will be on hand to talk about the day-to-day running of the not-overly-large but oh-so-stately household, which was built for the family of David B. Gamble of Procter & Gamble.
Tickets, though, will be as popular as the idea of spending a warm night dreaming on that sleeping porch. Best book ahead of the July 30 opener, as this is a two-week-only happening.
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The landmark's usual one-hour tours run throughout the week, and will continue after this deeper look wraps in mid-August.
Surely we can't be alone in our sleeping porch obsessions? True, true, many Gamble enthusiasts rhapsodize over the "Tree of Life" stained glass entrance, the hand-hewn joinery of the staircase, and the tile-exquisite fireplace.
We SoCalers can all have our own "we'd love to live in the Gamble House" daydreams, and our dreams are all allowed to be different and reflect our interests. But supporting the house, via tours, is our common show of gratitude, as well as an excellent way to gather more material for our flights of house-happy fancies.
Tickets are $20 to the "Upstairs Downstairs" tour.
