The first time I visited the Gamble House, the bungalow masterpiece designed by early 20th century architect / brothers Greene and Greene, my palms got sweaty. I have always loved the brothers' lavish sense of detail and their references to Japanese architecture, found in the ubiquitous 'cloud lift'. This door was inspired by the Thorsen house in Berkeley, California, another surviving and breathtaking Greene and Greene bungalow currently occupied by one of UC's many fraternities. It is oversized (4'-0" x 7'-0"), as many arts and crafts doors are. The Greenes wrote their own book when it came to standards, such as door heights and widths, and many of their doors are shorter than today's standards and codes allow. The management at the Gamble House frown on the practice of pulling out a tape measure and copying dimensions so one must make a measured guess as to the proportions. Easier said than done.

See a 3-foot version of this door with sidelights.