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
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 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
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
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