Several furniture masterworks designed by Bernard Maybeck for the 1909 Roos House will be featured in the December 9th California Historical Design Auction.
ALAMEDA, Calif., Nov. 29, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Bernard Maybeck, widely considered one of the most important American architects and the father of the first mission chair, began work on the Leon L. Roos House in 1909. Designed for the clothing magnate and his wife, this would be one of his largest private homes set in San Fransisco's Presidio Heights. Unlike many of his clients, the Roos family asked him to design a select grouping of furniture pieces to go with the home, this furniture would ultimately be the grandest and most important design works from his illustrious career.
The Roos home remained in the family when it was passed down to Dr. Jane Schaefer Roos, the daughter-in-law of Leon and Elizabeth Roos, who had married Leslie Roos in 1962. She maintained the home and its contents for the next several decades, passing the home to her son, Christopher Roos in 2008. On the 100-year anniversary of its construction, the home was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2017, the home came on the market for the first time since its construction, selling for over $13 million. The original Maybeck furniture was placed in storage, where it has remained until now.
In the summer of 2000, Gus Bostrom, owner of California Historical Design, and his father were invited to attend a violin concerto at the Roos House. Gus, a young 20th Century decorative arts dealer and auctioneer, was in awe of this home and its furnishings. He met the owner, Jane, and her son Christopher whose great grandparents had built the home and stayed in touch with him. Through this relationship, the Roos House furniture will reemerge from storage as the centerpiece at the next California Historical Design auction in December.
The Roos House masterworks coming to auction include the monumental trestle table, as well as the large living room sofa and loveseat. The pieces are made of old-growth California walnut, each hand carved and painted with floral details. The Roos family crest was a centerpiece throughout the home and was also incorporated into the carved designs on each piece. It is unclear who crafted the designs for Maybeck, yet the work shows striking similarities to the output of Arthur and Lucia Mathews at their Furniture Shop.
The furniture designed by Bernard Maybeck was quite limited - and the amount that has survived even more so - with the vast majority sitting in public buildings or museums. The December 9th auction of the Roos House furniture is an incredibly rare opportunity for serious collectors to consider owning an important piece of 20th Century design history.
Media Contact
Gus Bostrom, California Historical Design, Inc, 1 510-647-3621, [email protected], www.acstickley.com
SOURCE California Historical Design, Inc
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