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| Left: The signage on the Studio, Right: The Front of the home, Photography: Studio Marcus Hay |
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| Inside the Entryway, Photography: Studio Marcus Hay |
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| Left: Inside the Entryway and Front Door, Right: The Parlor, Photography: Studio Marcus Hay |
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| Left: Small area with table and Chairs, Right: Hallway, Photography: Studio Marcus Hay |
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| Left & Right: Prep Area on the side of Dining Room, Photography: Studio Marcus Hay |
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| Inside the Dining Room, Photography: Studio Marcus Hay |
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| The main bedroom and bathroom, Photography: Studio Marcus Hay |
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| Left: Inside Mrs Wrights Nursery and Day Room, Right: The Kitchen, Photography: Studio Marcus Hay |
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| The Children's Playroom, Photography: Studio Marcus Hay |
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| The Exterior & Interior of The Studio, Photography: Studio Marcus Hay |
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| Left: The Reception Area, Right: Detail of Plans, Photography: Studio Marcus Hay |
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| Inside The Drafting Room, Photography: Studio Marcus Hay |
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| Mr Wright's Office and Desk, Photography: Studio Marcus Hay |
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| Inside the Presentation Room, Photography: Studio Marcus Hay |
If you are ever in Chicago and you want to escape the hustle
and bustle of the city, take a trip out to Oak Park, The idyllic suburb is
where Frank Lloyd Wright settled in 1889 at the age of 22. Richly dense with
tree lined streets and big homes, this area is far cry from the reality of the
big smoke. It was the reason most people moved out there after the big Chicago
fires in 1871, to be on safe land and away from the unsafe city. I decided to do a tour
of the suburb via a bike tour organized by The Go Wright/ FLW Preservation Trust. It’s a
great way to view all of the many houses and the temple he designed in the
area.
After the bike tour I visited independently the Frank Lloyd
Wright Home & Studio, It has been restored to it’s former glory to around
the time FLW left his wife and family to take up with another woman in 1909. It
was a constant work in progress and went through 2 major renovations, first in
1895 when the house was remodeled and also in 1898 when the Studio and Connecting Corridor were built. The Studio is amazing
with a Reception Area, The Drafting Room, FLW’s private office and a Octagonal Presentation
Library; I think was my favorite part to see where he and many other
Influential Architects worked on developing the Prairie Style which has become
so recognized as a part of his overall look and style.
Wright used his house to
experiment with his new ideas about architecture. He made the space feel more
open by creating wide doorways, rooms that lead into each other, and built-in
furniture. He used skylights and recessed lighting to create a more dramatic
atmosphere, Wright's
home, made of brick and dark shingles, is filled with natural wood furnishings
and earth-tone spaces. The architect's determination to create an integrated
environment prompted him to design the furniture as well—though his apparent
lack of regard for comfort is obvious. In the lead windows are colored-glass
art designs, and several rooms have skylights or other indirect lighting. A
spacious barrel-vault playroom on the second floor includes a hidden piano for
the children's theatrical productions.
There are so many aspects of the house that don’t seem
empathetic to modern living but it is amazing the clever techniques he uses,
the light is so painterly and even though a bit dark for me in places, It is
used very cleverly. I really enjoyed seeing his first home and having been to
Taliesin 2 in Arizona only last year; it was great to see the difference
between his early life and then his later life and where he resided, they are
both similar in ways but also very different.
Check out my other Frank Lloyd Wright Taliesin West post, click here.
