Frank Lloyd Wright Home

In the late 1800s, the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, was the home of fine and fashionable Victorian manors. But in 1889, this home broke new ground. It was the home of Frank Lloyd Wright, the architect who created an American architecture from the colors and shapes of the natural American landscape.

Wright was just 21 years old when he built this home for himself and his wife, Catherine. It was the first home he ever designed, following the weathered, shingle style that was popular on the East Coast at the time.

The room that best reflected Wright's vision was the dining room (figure A) . Here, he designed everything, including the oak table and high-backed, spindled chairs. The room emphasizes natural materials and earth tones.

While Wright was developing his unique style, he and Catherine raised six children in this home. It was for his children that he built the finest room in the house. Down a narrow, arched hallway was the magnificent playroom (figure B). It featured a barrel-vaulted ceiling with a clear span of 18 feet--enough room to toss a ball. The skylight's decorative grille had a pattern of leaves and pods. Over the hearth was a mural from the Arabian Nights, a favorite story of the Wright family.