The living room is more complex than the central room of the home. " While the formal arrangement of box-like shapes connected to a central pavilion may seem to be simplicity itself, the spatial experiences that result are far more complicated than might first be imagined. The interior, which is finished in gypsum board painted white, has an exposed pine beam and plywood roof that is typical of Gehry's signature ennobling of commonplace materials." (Steele, 3) There is an idea of complexity and simplicity in this home, and it is enhanced by: keeping all the vertical surfaces plain and white to reflex the light, and all the solid roofs in natural wood to add contrasting shadow. The glazing over the front door, which is echoed across the space to allow for a distant view immediately after entering the room, also contributes to this contrast. (Steele, 3)

The Family Area "A less formal grouping of banquettes around a fireplace is located in the southern arm of the cross, which is made to seem even more secluded by a drop in the level of the floor and the ceiling. Low windows, which are deliberately placed at eye level when one is seated, also give the room a more domestic sense of scale, as does the diminutive size of the fireplace which has a tall, slender copper mantle that projects up through the roof as a sharp metallic silver." (Steele, 4) There are French doors as well to add to the elegance of the room. The Kitchen is amazing with a long U-shaped granite topped island, with plenty of area to prepare food. The center of this wing provides a more homey area for the busy family to enjoy time together. This room also contains all the family mementos that seem quite appropriate in this room as opposed to other areas of the house. Marna Schnabel's office is a quite getaway for the lady of the house and can be further excluded by pocket doors. Mrs. Schnabel's desk is built into the wall to allow more floor space than would usually be seen in a room this size. Outside of the office is a stairway that leads to the bedroom of the Schnabel's daughters, which are upstairs. When one travels downstairs from the office they find themselves in the master bedroom. The master bedroom is a diamond shaped room that overlooks water on all sides. The water, which it overlooks, is a reflecting pool that contains ten inches of water. The pool is one foot ten inches below the floor level of the bedroom. (Steele, 7-8)

The concept of the Schnabel house was one that was dear to Gehry. "In fact, the design was one I had fantasized about for my own house. I had wanted to build it, but I did not have the money... The plan did not fit the Brentwood site, but I tailored it... I wanted to make it a kind of sculpture garden, with various pieces set around. Even though the lot was small, I was trying to make it look like a bigger estate by separating the pieces, the gardens and what was in between, I was trying to create an internal open space that was private, and I pushed everything out to the edges." Frank Gehry (Steele, 8)

The pendentive skylights between the bottom of the dome and the outer wall were added, as the house was already underway to add a perception of weightlessness of the sphere. As if the sphere was floating in the middle of the room. (Steele, 3)

The first view of the Schnabel house is through the high double garden gate that shields the house from the street. The sculpture garden is a result of the collaboration between Gehry and the Schnabels. There seems to be no method to the distribution of each element of the garden. This look of random distribution is dispelled and one sees that each piece in the garden should be appreciated. (Steele, 3) "A straight pathway, paved with pale cream California sandstone, leads directly to a cruciform building that projects into the geographical center of the site, which it holds with singular authority, Along the way, this path, which is disarmingly axia

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Approximate Word count = 3702
Approximate Pages = 15 (250 words per page double spaced)