There is a ladder when it comes to experiencing Frank Lloyd Wright’s houses. Pictures are worth more than descriptions, a tour is more valuable than an image, and spending a night at a Wright rental beats a guided visit. But nothing supersedes living in one of the architect’s creations. Among his tremendous body of work, Wright designed residences more than any other building type, and though some have been converted into house museums or used for other purposes, the vast majority remain private homes.
For those fortunate to live in one, a Wright-designed home is so much more than just shelter: It’s architectural excellence, American history, and insight into the mind of one the world’s most radical designers. Often, his work has a profound impact on the ways inhabitants view the world. Below, AD speaks with 10 homeowners about living in one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s houses and how the experience has shaped them.
George Smith House (Oak Park, Illinois)
The first time Frederick Grier lived in a Frank Lloyd Wright home, it was the architect’s own residence, Taliesin. The year was 2003, and Grier was an apprentice at Wright’s training program, the Taliesin Fellowship. “I was in student housing then,” he says of that era. Nearly 20 years later, the opportunity presented itself again: Wright’s George Smith House, one of the architect’s earliest commissions, was for sale.
At the time, Frederick and his husband, William, a priest, were living in church housing. Their three-bedroom apartment on Chicago’s Gold Coast near Lake Michigan “was an amazing setup, but it was clear we needed something else,” says Frederick, who now works as an architect in affordable housing. “I’d been looking for houses for a while, and nothing was quite right.”
The George Smith House was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1898. It's located in Oak Park just outside of Chicago.
Eager to stay within the Chicago metro area with good schools for their daughter, the couple narrowed their search to Oak Park, a quiet neighborhood west of the city. “When this house hit the market, one of our good friends who is a real estate agent sent it to me. She knew I was a former apprentice and a big Frank Lloyd Wright fan,” Frederick says. “Initially, it was just out of curiosity that I came to visit the home.”
But that changed the moment he walked into the home. Suddenly, he wasn’t just fueled by innocent interest, but a genuine desire to own the property. “I completely fell in love; something happened in my heart. I realized what an awesome insight into early Wright this was.” He noticed the exact techniques he’d studied at Taliesin: mitered glass windows, trim that carries throughout the house, and more. Immediately, he knew he’d found the family’s home.
