The Robert R. Blacker house. It is difficult to put into words how stunningly, spectacularly beautiful it is. I first became aware of the Blacker house by reading Randell Makinson's book about Greene & Greene, The Passion and the Legacy, a little over a decade ago. It was in those pages that I first encountered the claim that Charles and Henry Greene considered the Blacker house to be their masterpiece.

The David B. Gamble house, designed soon after the Blacker house, is the best known building by Greene & Greene because it has been open for public tours for more than thirty years. It too is spectacular, a wonderful testament to the marvelous possibilities afforded by the coming together of design genius with enlightened client, substantial budget and dedicated craftsmen. The total unification of the result leaves one in awe.

After I visited The Gamble House for the first time, I became incredulous at the Greenes' claim that the Blacker house was THE masterpiece of their careers. Surely they were mistaken. Nothing could top their work for the Gambles. My mind simply couldn't entertain the possibility.

One of the great privileges of my life has been visiting so many of the houses designed by Greene & Greene. Some are grand, others are more modest; some are immaculate, others in need of attention. But all are wonderful and every visit leaves me feeling that same way: privileged. Even so, my first visit to the Blacker house stands out in my mind. I learned that day that one shouldn't question an architect's choice of their best work. Charles and Henry Greene were, of course, absolutely correct. The Blacker house is their masterpiece.

Stunningly, spectacularly beautiful. Perfect in every detail. Chicago architect and scholar L. Morgan Yost, a disciple of Frank Lloyd Wright, called the Blacker house the most perfect house ever built. His statement pertains not only to the house, it includes furniture, lighting, stained glass and metalwork as well. There is no way to separate house from furnishings -- they are a cohesive whole, as integrated as the parts of one's body.

To attempt to describe a complex object is a fool's task which means that it should be right up my alley. So,here goes... The first word that comes to mind is: wood. Entirely inadequate except as a very basic starting point, that word is very fitting. The iconic Greene & Greene style is wooden. The Blacker house is clad in wood shingles stained a deep green that helps unite the 12,000 square foot structure with its environment. There is more wood in the exposed rafter tails and the metal-strapped post-and-beam work in deep reddish brown. Windows and doors, in a much lighter golden-brown, serve as accents.

As wonderful as is the exterior of the Blacker house (and it is), there is far better inside the fantastic art glass paned entry. Once again, wood is the dominant material. Mahogany, teak, redwood and Port Orford cedar utilized in the most fantastic paneling, interior beams, lighting fixtures and furniture. The massive entry hall alone could constitute a life's work, boasting a stairway that is truly artful with detailing and execution worthy of the finest furniture.

Wonders continue in the dining and breakfast rooms which constitute a two-room suite divided by a retractable wood and glass wall. Every aspect of these rooms was designed by the architects, from the paneling, furniture and lighting to the fireplace tools and ventilation grates in flower motifs.

Across the entry hall is the living room, likely the most beautiful space I have ever seen. The incredible beams and paneling are trumped by the gold-leafed lotus motif at frieze level which plays with the warm light from the six magnificent art glass basket lanterns that hang in the room. The living room furniture is, quite literally, art. The room is now filled with exact reproductions -- many of the original pieces grace the collections of art museums. The armchairs are considered by some to be the ultimate expression of Greene & Greene design. It is a room that, as my friend Tom Moore observes, takes one's breath away.

That is not mere hyperbole. In calling the Blacker house their masterpiece, Charles & Henry Greene sold the house, and themselves, short. I believe that Morgan Yost was correct, that this is the most perfect house that has ever been built. More than just a masterpiece, it is a national treasure and an important part of our architectural heritage.

(In the next entry, we'll examine one of the wonderful pieces of furniture from the Blacker house living room.)