The Legacy of Frank Lloyd Wright
Directions to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Home and Studio
Frank Lloyd Wright and Ernest Hemingway used to live in the same neighborhood. They’re the great sons of Oak Park. In fact, they’re 7 minutes walk away from each other’s house. So, if you are done visiting Hemingway’s House, walk on your left and turn left on Chicago Avenue until you find 951 on your left.
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Frank Lloyd Wright’s Home and Studio Tour
If you live in a house with an open concept, you are certainly living in a house influenced by the designs of [easyazon_link asin=”0394564367″ locale=”US” new_window=”yes” nofollow=”default” tag=”pridecostume-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”yes” popups=”yes”]Frank Lloyd Wright.[/easyazon_link] He’s the first architect who introduced the open concept and the use of natural lights to make every space in the house well-ventilated and lighted. He wanted nature inside his house by the inviting natural light outside through his windows, doors and ceilings designs. And he’s the master architect of it. His designs are actually simple and away from the messy, crowded and complicated interiors what we see in modern homes today. He wanted space and simplicity but functional designs. All of these are evident in his own home and studio where he used to live for 20 years! His designs were heavily influenced by the simplicity of Japanese architecture.
No individuals are tourists allowed to get into his home and studio without joining a tour that costs $15. If you are taking photographs, you’ll pay additional $5 and you have to sign a document that says you’re not gonna sell those photos. The tour lasts about 30-45 minutes, depends on the size.
They also have another tour that goes from one house to another house (all designed by Wright) in the neighborhood but you can skip that if you’re in a hurry or if you don’t want to pay another tour.
I’ll show you what’s inside his home and studio.
- The columns at the entrance of his studio / office have statues of birds which a friend of his designed as a gift. From here, you talk directly to the receptionist without being inside.
- This is his library. When he ran out of money, he brought his family here to sleep so he could rent out his home which is on the second floor. It’s hard to imagine.
- Looking at these pieces of furniture, his office is away from the clutter of stuff architects are known for? LOL…
- This is his studio where he and his students work for designs they were commissioned to do.
- This is a space in the house where social gatherings happened. It’s very spacious but not huge. That grand piano on the left is inserted into the wall so he could use more space. There are stairs leading down on the arched door’s left and you literally pass under half of the grand piano’s body. Take note, too, of the design above the shelves. You can go up there and sit, and feel like you are in a theater watching a performance. In modern design, this could be the attic, maybe? 😀 And my favorite of all is that detailed and intricate wood work on the ceiling which the natural lights pass through.
- The opposite side of the pic above.
- In one of the rooms upstairs.
- The couple’s bedroom. That painting above the patio’s door is not a nut job. But it’s a real fresco done by one of his friends.
- Look at those chairs and table. Those glass windows and the ceilings.
- A separate dining room for his little kids.
- The living room. While I like how the lights came through the windows, I don’t like those sofa that’s attached to the wall. It’s just too much for me. LOL…
- This is what you see right away when you enter his house.
After the tour (I was the only one in it), I explored the neighborhood alone to see some of the houses Wright designed. I saw some of them on my way back to the train station via N. Forest Avenue.
This is the Moore-Dugal House built in 1895. It’s his own version of an English Tudor house. I don’t know if it’s only me but I really find this design ugly. What do you think?
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