Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio

We always remember our first impressions. They are pure and reverberate for all time. I remember my first impression of Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio when I was home from school for the holidays. I toured the Home and Studio then since I was a casual admirer of Frank Lloyd Wright, the Prairie School (or Style), and the Japanese influence that progressed through his designs. His architecture boldly pushed the horizontal lines over the midwest landscape and beyond. But his unique flair was his natural integration of Japanese cultural and design elements. I was shook.

Some years later, I returned for a second. They say that it’s “never as good as the first time,” or that “you can never go home again.” In the spirit of Frank Lloyd Wright, I would be defiant in the face of this.

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Walk through this side door to retrace the steps where Frank Lloyd Wright lived and worked at his Home and Studio.

Dazzling interplay of light and shadow cast across the hallway inspires motion and creativity.

The Dining Room showcases a long, low table set with tall-backed chairs, and a geometric space topped with windows featuring repetitive motifs.

The Playroom is a breathtaking experience of release from the compressive hallway to the expansive imagination of Frank Lloyd Wright.

The Drafting Room is the heart of the Studio, an open two-level workspace ideal for collaboration between Frank Lloyd Wright and his architects.

The Office is adjacent to the Reception Hall, both carefully planned first impressions that introduce the Prairie Style of design to potential clients and guests.

The Reception Hall shows off unforgettable perspectives, bright natural light, and soothing patterns and tones in the stained glass.

The Library is one of the more recent designs of Frank Lloyd Wright, and the final stop of the guided interior tour.

“I like the style of Frank Lloyd Wright! He has very clean lines with a lot of detailed work. The Home and Studio has a lot of built-in storage. The interior space is very open. I like the high ceilings too. The neighborhood audio tour is very interesting. I like the Hills-Decaro House best. The exterior looks Japanese!”

An unassuming treasure nestled in historic Oak Park, the exterior resembles a domestic fortress. The Home and Studio’s energy radiates from deep within its heart. Open space, natural light, and interior design featuring beautiful, warm wood make this house a home and a National Historic Landmark. Whenever your first impression, the year is 1909, the last year of the Wright family in residence, exquisitely preserved by the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust.

Lisa, my mom and I toured the Home and Studio together. It was their first impression, my second. Walking through the side door as we followed our guide brought me back. I remembered the smells, the sounds—both strong memory cues—and the feeling of being outside inside. I could see through walls. I knew what was in the next rooms. Open space and natural light in abundance were so unexpected and unique. The beautiful rich wood grain resonated natural energies and washed us with a hush.

“The guided interior tour is excellent! The tour is informative, and the guide is very personable. I like the Playroom the best. I also like the Reception Hall because of the colorful glass skylights. The Drafting Room’s layout is clever and very functional. I like the way Frank Lloyd Wright integrates natural light!”

Our interior tour guide was excellent about preparing us for our approach to the Playroom. He described the transit as compression to expansion. The dark, narrow passage led to an open expanse of wonder. Frank Lloyd Wright designed this delightful space (and a favorite of many guests) for his children. Like every other room in the Home and Studio, attention to detail and quality were on display every inch.

Another memorable space was the Drafting Room, the focal point of the Studio. Ingenious roll-away storage, fireproof vault, and two-level open space provided for unlimited collaboration. This was where Frank Lloyd Wright and his architects planned homes that would become historic and pillars of design.

The Reception Hall opened the way to the Library. The long perspective pointed toward the multi-faceted room housing artifacts of many cultures. A copy of the floorplan to the Home and Studio was on display. The Library itself was the latest design in the Home and Studio. Our interior tour guide wanted us to see the evolution of Frank Lloyd Wright’s designs from the side door to the Library. The Home and Studio was more than a home and studio. It was a living proving ground for groundbreaking ideas in architecture and interior design. The Home and Studio might appear to be a mishmash, but this was intentional. It is a physical record of the working life at home of Frank Lloyd Wright.

After the guided interior tour, we embarked for our historic neighborhood walking tour. We carried devices that played audio clips that were keyed with each house on the map. We saw several homes that were commissioned by clients of Frank Lloyd Wright. Some were designed by Wright while others were designed by his architects. A few received extensive redesigns by Frank Lloyd Wright for reasons explained during the audio tour. The neighborhood felt like a living snow globe. And we were part of the scene.

“I really like the Reception Hall and the Drafting Room with the two levels and the roll-away storage. I am impressed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Japanese influence, and his emphasis on wood, large windows, natural light, and open space. There are so many nice little touches. The quality is evident from the first step to the last!”

I asked everyone for their impressions. First, my mom: “I like the style of Frank Lloyd Wright! He has very clean lines with a lot of detailed work. The Home and Studio has a lot of built-in storage. The interior space is very open. I like the high ceilings too. The neighborhood audio tour is very interesting. I like the Hills-Decaro House best. The exterior looks Japanese!” Second was Lisa’s first: “The guided interior tour is excellent! The tour is informative, and the guide is very personable. I like the Playroom the best. I also like the Reception Hall because of the colorful glass skylights. The Drafting Room’s layout is clever and very functional. I like the way Frank Lloyd Wright integrates natural light!” Coming in third was my second: “I really like the Reception Hall and the Drafting Room with the two levels and the roll-away storage. I am impressed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Japanese influence, and his emphasis on wood, large windows, natural light, and open space. There are so many nice little touches. The quality is evident from the first step to the last!”

First house viewed during the historic neighborhood walking tour is the Arthur B. Heurtley House, one of the first examples of the Prairie Style, and designated a National Historic Landmark.

Next is the Charles A. Purcell House, designed by William Gray Purcell and George Feick; note the contrast in style from the Heurtley House.

Third up is the Laura Gale House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Next is the Peter A. Beachy House, originally a modest cottage, extensively remodeled by Frank Lloyd Wright after a trip to Japan.

The Frank Thomas House, across the street from the adjacent Austin Gardens, is described by Frank Lloyd Wright as “flaring outward, opening like a flower to the sky.”

The Hills-Decaro House has undergone some transformations over the years, but still bears the mark of Japanese influence through the roofline and clean exterior.

The Nathan G. Moore House bears the original design in the style of Tudor Revival at the request of Nathan Moore, but a fire in 1922 extended Frank Lloyd Wright the opportunity to redesign the original structure.

It’s never as good as the first time. Sometimes it’s better. I’m older and so are the homes, but they look the same while my appreciation for them is looking better. You can go home again. And you can walk the neighborhood and take your place in the scene.

To learn more and plan your visit to Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, click Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio

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