I know nothing of architecture besides it is fun to look at. Frank Lloyd Wright really did not interest me much until I went to Taliesin even though many of his homes and buildings appear on my bucket list. That is what is great about my bucket list. I just add random places to it because who knows one day I might actually want to go. It only made sense to do Frank Llyod Wright's Home and Studio while we were in Oak Park seeing Ernst Hemingway's Birthplace. They are a few blocks apart and an easy walk.
Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio is in Oak Park, IL. It is open daily 9-5. Parking is also street parking. We just left our car where we parked it for Hemingway's Birthplace Tour and walked the couple blocks to Frank Lloyd Wright's Home. Tickets are $24 for the interior tour only and $38 for both the interior and the gardens. Children must be at least 8 years old to go on the interior tour.
Frank Lloyd Wright Home in Oak Park is the first home Frank built for himself and his family. It was done in his classic prairie style with clean lines and rooms within rooms. The house itself is set back from the street in classic Wright style. He wants you to take everything in as you walked to his front door.
Inside the main living room, my favorite feature was the fireplace alcove. I'm sure our guide used a better term for it but that's essentially what it was. This little room next to the fire place for intimate conversation. It would be perfect for reading.
The dining room feature a table with high back chairs and a light that would only illuminate the table. The bay window is blocked out so he could not see his neighbors. He was not fond of his neighbors.
Upstairs was the kids' rooms or dormitories as he called them. The children slept here and was separated by a wall where pillows and other things would fly over that wall. The ceilings are high and arched because Frank didn't like attics -- wasted space he said.
The play room was unique. It was built at child height. It had a balcony where puppet shows and plays would take.
Because Frank like clean lines, the baby grand piano was built into the balcony and suspended over the stairs. We were told to watch our heads so we didn't hit on the piano. That was a first for me.
His studio was through a passageway where he tried to build the tunnel around a tree and of course the tree died.
The studio again was set back from the street and had two entrances.
One would take you into his designers work areas with draft tables and cabinets.
The other side was where he met with his clients and pretty much took over the entire designed process down to the fabrics used on the furniture. I loved that it was an octagon. It felt very cozy which I'm sure it was not.
Overall it was worth the visit. I learned more about Frank Lloyd Wright and his unique designs. You can walk the neighborhood and check out the homes that were designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. We probably would have if we didn't have other plans.
You may not be a fan of architecture but Frank Lloyd Wright's homes and designed buildings are worth visiting because of his design style is so unique and his life story is just as unique.
No comments:
Post a Comment