When I lived in Chicago from 2001–2009, I immersed myself in its architecture and became enamored of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Arts and Crafts Movement.
I was dating an architect at the time who was a big fan of the Prairie School style of architecture, and many of my co-workers lived in the nearby suburb of Oak Park, a mecca to several Frank Lloyd Wright homes. In fact, the CEO of the company I worked for lived in one. How cool is that?
To top things off, my landlady at the time was having an affair with the owner of one of the regularly highlighted homes on the annual Wright Plus Artwalk. Wouldn't you want to know? 🤪 That's another story altogether but regardless, I guess you could say I was getting exposed to several perspectives of this architectural style. 😉
Since then, my love for Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School has only grown. I have toured a few of Wright's iconic homes including the Robie House (where my husband worked one summer), Fallingwater, and Taliesin West. To be inside one of Wright's homes is a unique experience, where form and function combine into a masterpiece. Every design and architectural detail, from the joinery of a table to the height of a ceiling in the entryway, had been carefully considered to achieve his desired effect.
Even interior design elements such as stained glass windows and lighting fixtures were likewise designed to align with his design philosophy: to create environments that were both practical and beautiful, focused not only on a structure's visual appearance but how it would connect and enrich the lives of those inside it. He was light-years ahead of his time, and his influence continues to reverberate in both architecture and design.
In Wright's pursuit of design excellence, it gives me pleasure to think that, in today's world, Wright would likely be labeled as someone with OCD. I have been accused of that, too, as if it were a bad thing, lol. With my decorative mosaic wall mirrors, I strive for excellent craftsmanship and attention to detail. In truth, I'm merely one of Wright's fans, reinterpreting his style into the modern lifestyle, melding it with other influences as he did, and with gratitude, paying tribute to his legacy. 🤩🤩🤩