EpitomeOfChic

One of my favorite books is “Loving Frank” written by Nancy Horan. I love when you read a book where fact and fiction blend, because you can look up the houses or sites, that take place in the story.  They become alive, more full of life I would say.

In this case, the characters were part of Chicago’s society. At the time, the american architect Frank Lloyd Wright was being commissioned by many families in the suburb of Oak Park, to design their homes, in his signature “prairie style”, characterized by low horizontal lines and open wide spaces.

After I finished the book, I wanted to learn more about Frank Lloyd Wright’s work; the houses he designed in Oak Park, and where he had met Mamah Borthwick Cheney, the woman he fell in love with, while designing a home for her and her husband. This was a huge scandal at the time!  The rest  ….. you have to read the book

Below are  some of the houses he designed in that neighborhood.

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The Hills-DeCaro home

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The Moore-Dugal home

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Frank Lloyd Wright

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Edward Hill’s home

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Heurtley house

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Edwin Cheney and Mamah Bosthwick Cheney house

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Frank Thomas house

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William Martin’s house

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Mrs. Thomas Gayle House

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Walter Gale

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Peter A. Beachy

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William H. Copeland

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George Furbeck’s house

Una de mis libros favoritos es “Loving Frank” escrito por Nancy Horan. Me encanta cuando en un libro se mezclan la ficción y a realidad, porque de esta manera puedes buscar las casa o lugares en donde se estaban los personajes del libro. Estos espacios se convierten en espacios vivos, mas bien como lleno de vida diria yo.

En este caso, los personajes forman parte de la sociedad de Chicago, Para esa época, el arquitecto americano Frank LLoyd Wright había sido comisionado por varias familias en el suburbio de Oak Park, para diseñar sus casas, en su estilo caracteristico de pradera. Esta historia estremecío este suburbio, fue un gran escándalo, en la america de principios de siglo!

Las casas que salen publicadas son parte de las casas comisionadas a Frank Lloyd Wright en el suburbio de Oak Park. La mayoría son “estilo pradera”, con lineas horizontales y amplios espacios interiores.

images: all images by www.oakparkdining.com and Ivo Shandor via www.wikipidea.com