FL Wright house for sale

In high school and early college (as an architecture student) Frank Lloyd Wright’s life and designs captivated me. And why not? He still represents the quintessential American architect with good reason — although in my opinion Frank Gehry will soon give him a run for his money.

CultureGrrl points out a Washington (state) home designed by Wright and up for sale. From the Seattlepi article she cites:

The idea behind these small houses was to offer beauty, practicality and affordability to families of average means. In practice, “affordability” never quite meshed into the equation, but Wright remains conspicuously alone among A-list architects who actually have tried to improve the state of middle-class single-family homes.

The Usonians weren’t stock plans. Wright designed each one uniquely, right down to the furnishings and light fixtures. They were rectangular or L-shaped in plan, generally constructed of concrete block and redwood, with lavish window areas and lovely but fussy detailing that kicked up the cost.

The Brandes’ house, one of three Wright designs in the Pueget Sound area, is a 1,600 square foot home — with 300 square foot guest house — on the market for $2 million:

Photo Dan DeLong/Seattle Post-Intelligencer

A few years ago my wife and I stayed in a building designed by Wright. The Price Tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, is now also an inn. The rooms in this former office building are quite wonderful, and breakfast on the 19th story balcony was grand. However, as the Seattlepi story points out, Wright’s kitchens and bedrooms lack in square footage. The Price Tower serves as another such example; the elevators are not for the claustrophobic, and the kitchen in the restored penthouse is miniscule.