Photography & Graphics: Samuel F. Lewis
What seems to be a regular suburb that is found a short commute from any large city is Oak Park, Illinois. A thirty minute commuter train ride from downtown Chicago, Oak Park at first glance appears to be familiar. A shopping district blended with local small retail business, national franchises, restaurants, and small office buildings give way to well kept homes with manicured lawns, landscapes and parks.
Walking toward their destination Samuel Fleming Lewis and Stephen Kladder, the artists and interior designers of INSTUDIO, noticed that the ordinary gave way to the extraordinary on Forrest Avenue.
Without a guide book or map the architectural artistry and brilliance of the work of Frank Lloyd Wright stood out among other homes built during the same period. The artists and designers were soon at the 1889-1909 Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, a National Historic Landmark House Museum.
Approaching a Frank Lloyd Wright house has its challenges as the architect had a talent for making all sides of his architecture equal in design and detail. Samuel and Stephen discovered that what they thought was the side of the house was actually the front.
The two decided to take a guided tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio. The tour guides shared the life of the legendary architect along with their knowledge of architectural and interior design details of the historic Home and Studio. Samuel and Stephen then took a self guided walking tour of nearby homes using an architectural guide map to 35 Frank Lloyd Wright structures in the area published by the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust.
A pioneer in promoting advanced engineering for construction and modernism in architecture, over one hundred years ago Frank Lloyd Wright was exploring living concepts that we take for granted as emerging trends today.
Wright used skylights, clerestory windows or horizontal bands of windows and hidden windows for natural light.
His homes were personalized with the use of local building materials and finishes to give them a sense of place, along with using colors found in nature to bring the outside in.
Wrights space plans were developed around family activities such as a family room, craft room, music room or a home office.
Frank Lloyd Wright had a passion for living. He was shamelessly self assured and a great promoter of his work and ideas over a hundred years before the internet and social media. He was the rock star architect of his day and remains one today.
While visiting Chicago don’t miss the opportunity to visit the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio. For tour information call: 708 848.1976 or visit GoWright.org
Visit Samuel & Stephen at instudio-sf.com to learn how to incorporate lessons learned from the master into today's home.
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