Gamble House Guest Bedroom Sconces

The pieces designed by architects Greene and Greene are some of my favorites. These sconces are reproductions of the Gamble House guest rooms lamps designed in 1910. The original used Tiffany stained glass but that was out of my budget. Instead, I used pieces of a handmade silk scarf that featured actual impressions of sumac, eaucalyptus, and Japanese maple leaves (from Metal 'n Thread). The wood is oiled sapele, a type of mahogany.

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The inlay is done with a technique called stab inlay using silver wire. The design is created by "stabbing" a channel into the wood and the pre-bent silver wire is placed there. Water is applied to swell the wood channel shut to anchor the wire and then the surface is sanded flush with the wood.