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The Gilliland House* A Gustav Stickley "True" Craftsman Style Home |
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The Gilliland House* A Gustav Stickley "True" Craftsman Style Home |
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Back in 1907, Lewis Gilliland was likely perusing the latest issue of Gustav Stickley's magazine, The Craftsman, when his eye fell on the drawing shown above under the heading, "A Bungalow of Irregular Form and Unusually Interesting Construction". Complete with floor plans and interior finish renderings, the article provided plenty of detail. As a subscriber, he was able to send to the magazine for a complete set of drawings for the house, with suggestions for how to engage an architect to realize them on the owner's site. Mr. Gilliland then went to noted Portland architect Ellis Lawrence and commissioned him to turn these designs into this beautiful home. It was completed in 1910. In the summer of 2006, American Bungalow magazine (Issue #50) featured an extensive article on this house, its history and restoration.
When the house was purchased in 1998 by the current owners, "everything was white, walls, carpet, tiles, even lots of the woodwork". Since then, the current owners have "touched all rooms and surfaces" in their efforts to restore and remodel this home in the true craftsman spirit. In addition to having personally spent hundreds of hours stripping paint off wood, they have sought out and hired skilled local craftsmen and artisans to create cabinetry, furniture, lighting and finishes that, while not slavishly following some sense of what "looks Craftsman", captures the philosophy of the movement against mass production, and therefore truly "is" Craftsman.
From the moment you enter, an overwhelming sense of space and warmth envelops you. The cathedral ceiling in the grand living room affords a lovely view into the cozy balcony library overlooking it and manages to comfortably contain the massive stone fireplace with it's original screen. Shifting scale, be sure to notice the detailed carving all around the room, and the strip of original varnished wallpaper trim that encircles the space. The living room contains handmade furniture, including a coffee table by John Hildahl that uses a graceful arch patterned after the one spanning the entrance to the dining room. In the dining room Handel sconces illuminate Bradbury and Bradbury wallpaper, as well as furniture by David Gray and Dennis Loveland.
Each of the children's bedrooms have custom murals. Another downstairs bedroom had been converted by a previous owner, and it's closet was converted into kitchen storage. The former pantry has been turned into a breakfast nook off the delightful kitchen. Vintage pottery was the inspiration for the palette.
(*)This house is referred to by its historic name because it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For more on the history of the house and the role of Ellis Lawrence, who designed many homes here in Irvington, go to the listing for this house in the National Register pages of this website. The Miller House, an original design by Ellis Lawrence while in independent architectural practice, is also on this 2005 Irvington Home Tour.