HOUSE #2

 

After the House on the Rock, I had a bit over an hour to kill before the

next thing on my list. So, I hopped in the Whale (aka the Kia Soul) and headed to Spring Green, WI,

about ten minutes away from the House, because I needed some coffee.

And I knew a place.

The Arcadia Bookstore was open, and they have a coffee shop

amongst the books, so I popped in for a browse and to top up the

caffeine level.

Picked up a new book about George Balanchine, the renowned director

and choreographer of the New York City Ballet.

It is written by Jennifer Homans, who had written a wonderful 

ballet history book, Apollo's Angels, that I very much enjoyed, so I'm looking

forward to digging into this one.

Nice day for a drive.

I had booked myself into the two-hour highlights tour at Taliesin,

the Frank Lloyd Wright house. I'd never seen it before, and figured 

today was perfect to learn a bit more about FLW.

His architecture and design pops up all over the country, and I've run 

into some of it more than once on my travels, so it was time to

learn more about this person.

Is it really a road trip without a few wildly unhealthy snacks?

I'd brought a Cliff Bar too, because I wasn't planning to stop 

for lunch that day, so just snacks.

Was pretty hungry when I got back home.

Incidentally, I'd stopped at a shop in Dodgeville on the way in that had 

previously been a coffee shop, but was now a horrid

Nutrisystem drink shop. I thought it would be rude to just

turn and walk out after I'd realized my mistake, so I got

an "energizing tea" that was expensive and only okay tasting,

and made a mental note to avoid it in the future.

anyway, back at the visitor center.

Shuttle to the house.

Frank Lloyd Wright was born near this location in 1867.

He developed an interest in art and architecture and set up his

personal home here on a hill in southern Wisconsin.

The word Taliesin means "shining brow" in Welsh,

and Wright's home is built into the brow of a hill,

overlooking the valley.

It's changed forms over the many years.

This is the location of the carriage house and horse trough, back

when folks rode around with horses and wagons.

This portion of the house is his drafting house.

A work space.

Drafting tables.

Japanese artwork is all over the residence, as Wright was a collector

of fine Japanese artwork throughout his life.

Built-in shelves are part of this design.

The furniture becomes part of the house.

Always have to take a peek at what's on someone else's bookshelves.

I love these window shutters.

In the living space of the house, there is a grand piano, a harp,

and space for other musicians to gather and play music together in the living room.

Plywood was somewhat new as a working material, so there are

several objects constructed with it throughout the house.

Like this vertical lamp, designed to mimic a tree.

Wright took design inspiration from the nature around him.

This is a music stand.

As a musician, I don't think I'd like this.

You can't change the height of the stand, and if you are seated next 

to a string player, you run the risk of being hit with their bows.

The hooded light seems like it would obstruct vision of sheet music, too.

I admire the effort, though.

The views are wonderful though.

Wright had somehow made an arrangement with the burgeoning power company

to make them bury electric lines, so there are no power lines or poles visible from the property.

Remarkable.

He designed several pieces within the house, that attracted attention

from others and were commissioned to be made for others.

Like this lamp.

I like it, actually.

Wright used the house as a workspace, in more ways than one.

When his 3rd wife mentioned that she'd like to see the birds from above,

he designed and built this birdwalk, to view them just by stepping outside.

these Japanese artwork panels were cut apart from a larger piece and

set into the upper story of the house.

That space became a room for his daughter.

The blue in this space is a compromise to his 3rd wife, who wanted more

colour in the house, as Wright preferred to work with a more natural colour scheme.

The gold under the panels was gold paint mixed with beeswax to give texture.

The view from his wife's bedroom.

Wright had a habit of getting up in the middle of the night to

write down ideas. So as to not disturb her, she had her own bedroom built,

and he his. Honestly, that doesn't sound so bad, especially with a room like this.

An extension of his bedroom was quickly designed and built to feature in

a magazine publication, and as you'd expect, the hasty construction is creating some

structural problems in the present day. Some windows were cut into the ceiling to show how

the students threw the room together.

The estate has plans in place to correct the problems and restore the room.

The room for the magazine feature.

Blue shag carpet from Germany (or Sweden, I can't remember) is original,

and still in pretty good shape after being walked on for decades.

Notice the wooden grating, disguising the heating vent.

The fellow in plaid was our knowledgeable and capable guide for the afternoon.

Wright's sleeping corner.

House on a hill.

After the tour, we were shuttled back to the visitor center and set loose unto the world.

I made a stop at a gas station in Dodgeville to pick up some New Glarus beer 

(only available in Wisconsin) and a couple bags of local-ish cheese curds. Yum!

I have been able to share the squeaky cheese and beer with a special friend,

which just adds to the joy of a day well spent.

It was a nice day to be out and driving around rural Wisconsin.

Perfect weather makes for easy driving, and I arrived home

fairly relaxed and ready to face another boring week at work.

Let's get ready for December and finish off this year in style.