Now, most people who are not fascinated by architecture or live outside of Berkeley may not be familiar with Bernard Maybeck. (Wiki page is here – and well worth reading)
I am also going to suggest that you take a look at the following books at Amazon – not to read, just to look at the covers to give you an idea of space, shapes, style, and materials . Decorative details, vaulted ceilings with exposed beams, fine arts, and the extensive use of wood. You can find more information on the BAHA website.
Ok, I will get to the point.
George, on one of his forays down the hills toward Berkeley stopped and chatted with a woman adding to her Little Free Library Box. This was in front of her house – a Maybeck house from 1907. Designed and built for one of the faculty department heads at UC Berkeley. After coordinating calendars, we were invited there this afternoon for tea. They have had the house for a couple of years – with all the challenges involved with getting things done in a house that had been previously vacant for almost five years while dealing with the pandemic.
The house is amazing – all wood walls, details, arches. Along with amazing windows (including many with the original diamond leaded glass). Not to mention servants quarters (1907 remember in a huge house), pantry, multiple entrances. Definitely a house built for adults, multiple living areas, large formal dining room. I restrained myself and left my phone in my bag. It is a private home and Andrea&Mike have been careful to work with the Historical Society people but are definitely avoiding having it become a listed house. You don’t want to live in a listed house and have a fight about plumbing, wiring and a kitchen that badly needs updating.
Me? Our house was designed by one of Maybeck’s students and built in the 1930s. We have the high vaulted ceiling, exposed redwood, old grown beams and a few builtins. But we also were able to replace the foundation, build out the lower level and replace old windows with energy efficient ones and upgrade wiring and heating. Did I mention updating 2/3 bathrooms?
Back home, I nuked the last package of “vegetable noodles” and went back to audio books (I am now on Foxglove Summer) and added more stitches to the Long Dog, Flower Bot, and stitched the top portion of the frame for a 2022 temperature SAL.
three pages now complete, and my pattern keeper reports 37% complete
Which is only the top portion and the January shelf. Stitched on 16 ct, Zweigart chocolate Aida. The frame is 4011 sulky, the rest will be DMC.
He taught Julia Morgan? He did the Palace of Fine Arts? Wow!
Remembering Steve Jobs’s fight over trying to replace the Jackling house that was falling down around his ears till he gave up and moved into town, I can understand why your neighbor doesn’t want the historic register taking note.