What Frank Lloyd Wright's Own House Tells Us
The buildings dreamed up here changed the course of architecture — and Wright's home was no less a design lab than the studio itself
Houzz Contributor. My name is Bud Dietrich and I am an architect located in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. I am licensed to practice architecture in Illinois, Florida, New Jersey & Wisconsin and I am a certificate holder from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). Since 1996 I have worked from my home office and provide full architectural services exclusively to the single family residential market. My passion is to transform my clients' houses into their homes. I strive to have the "new" home accommodate my clients' lives without fighting them at every junction. I look to add curb appeal to encourage a beautiful streetscape. And I design any addition to look and feel like it has always been there.
Our projects have won numerous design awards as well as having...
Houzz Contributor. My name is Bud Dietrich and I am an architect located... More »
In 1888 the young Frank Lloyd Wright borrowed $5,000 from his boss, Louis Sullivan, to purchase a lot and build a home for his family in Oak Park, Illinois. As many architects before and after did, Wright used his house as a laboratory to explore architectural ideas. He first expanded the home in 1895 with a new playroom and kitchen wing to accommodate his growing family. The second expansion was the addition of the studio in 1898. It was there that Wright and his collaborators designed some of the most important buildings of the 20th century. And it was there that the mature Prairie School came into its own.
But Wright left this home for the last time in 1909 at the zenith of his career. With client Edwin Cheney's wife, Mamah, he fled to Europe, abandoning his wife, Catherine, and their children. Following Wright's departure, the home and studio were cut up into apartments to provide an income for Catherine and the children. By the 1960s the property fell into disrepair, eventually being ceded to the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust in the mid-1970s.
Having spent several years restoring the property to its 1909 condition, the trust now conducts tours of the property. A visit to this home and studio is a must for anyone interested in Wright, architecture or the Prairie School.
But Wright left this home for the last time in 1909 at the zenith of his career. With client Edwin Cheney's wife, Mamah, he fled to Europe, abandoning his wife, Catherine, and their children. Following Wright's departure, the home and studio were cut up into apartments to provide an income for Catherine and the children. By the 1960s the property fell into disrepair, eventually being ceded to the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust in the mid-1970s.
Having spent several years restoring the property to its 1909 condition, the trust now conducts tours of the property. A visit to this home and studio is a must for anyone interested in Wright, architecture or the Prairie School.
| The most significant feature of the original home's exterior is the large and simple gable that floats above the ground. In many ways, Wright's design for his home is like a child's drawing of a house: a simple geometry with a few windows and a door. While Wright would almost assuredly have said that the design had no antecedents, it's clear that he learned from the shingle-style architects. The similarities between Wright's home and the Isaac Bell House in Newport, Rhode Island, is striking. Open floor plans, large expanses of glass, simple shapes and a stress on the horizontal are all features of home designs today. In a sense, these were America's first modern homes. See this house decorated for the holidays |
The original first floor consisted of a living room, a dining room and a kitchen. At the center of the plan is an inglenook with a fireplace and built-in seating. This central mass of fireplace and chimney would become a trademark of Wright's designs. Here, at the very center of the home, we find the warmth of a fire to bring the family together.
| Wright and Catherine raised several children in their Oak Park house. The second-floor playroom, added in 1895, is where the children learned to play musical instruments and were encouraged to put on plays for family and friends. |
And it's the playroom that speaks to Wright's love of family. Sure, he had a totally dysfunctional family life. But the homes he designed, starting with his own, are nothing if not celebrations of family.
The original kitchen was converted to a formal dining room in the mid-1890s. In this room, Wright played with establishing a space within a space. The large, rectangular and decorative light fixture defines the room's center while the high-back chairs form an enclosure of sorts.
Wright's use of built-in furniture is evident here as well. From the overall room space to all the details, including the furniture and colors, Wright wanted to control the environment. Leaving nothing to chance, he preferred to build in sideboards, storage, seating etc., rather than having furniture added as objects to a room (unless, of course, he designed the furniture).
Wright's use of built-in furniture is evident here as well. From the overall room space to all the details, including the furniture and colors, Wright wanted to control the environment. Leaving nothing to chance, he preferred to build in sideboards, storage, seating etc., rather than having furniture added as objects to a room (unless, of course, he designed the furniture).
| Wright built the last addition to this home in the late 1890s. It was used as his office and studio for the last 10 years he lived in Oak Park. At the center of the photo is the entrance to what Wright called the studio. To the left of the entrance is the two-story studio, and to the right of that is the presentation room. The gable roof of the house can be seen behind. While this addition is distinctly different from the original house — this was, after all, where a client would enter and be greeted, so the language of "home" had to give way to the language of "business" — it shares the same detailing and materials, binding the two together. Some of the 20th century's most important buildings were drawn in this studio. From the Robie House to the Larkin Administration Building and so much more, the buildings first dreamed of here changed architecture forever. More: Taliesin Celebrates 100 Years |
Ideabook updated on Dec. 6, 2012.
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And for anyone near Chicago in May, I highly recommend the walking tour of Oak Park. You can get more info at www.gowright.com
In the summer of 1991 my family and I were being transferred to the Chicago area. We must have looked at scores of houses during that summer. While visiting Oak Park to look at a house, we decided to take a tour of the Home & Studio. When we got to the Playroom, my daughter, who was 5 at the time, told me "dad, we should buy this one." Though I totally agreed with her, the price was just a little out of reach!
But seriously, if a 5 year old falls in love with the house it must be good.
Thanks for writing this.
yes FLW was quite a character (highly recommend the book Loving Frank as historical fiction), well ahead of his time as a designer. Don't think I could live in his dark, compartmentalized homes with our open-concept esthetic, but do appreciate his work. Wish I lived in Chicago so I could visit over & over.
My favourite example FLW quirkiness - the piano in the playroom. So that it wouldn't intrude too much into the room, he set it back into the space behind the room ...over the staircase.