Issue 152 June 5th 2019

The Headlines

Still Bend Most Popular Airbnb In Wisconsin

Frank Lloyd Wright is one of the most famous architects to ever live. Given his history with Wisconsin — he was born in Richland Center and educated at University of Wisconsin-Madison — it's no shocker that one of his designs has resulted in the most popular Airbnb in the state.

The Bernard Schwartz House (aka "Still Bend") in Two Rivers is reported too be Wisconsin's most wish-listed places to stay. The four-bedroom, four-bathroom home can be booked for $450 per night at airbnb.com. A minimum two-night stay is required.

If you're looking to get in this summer, just a handful of open dates are left on the calendar. As of May 30, all of July's booked and just eight total days are available in June and August combined. More info here.

If you can't stay a night, then be sure to check out Still Bend on this year's "Wright and Like" Tour coming up this weekend! Get tickets here.

Martin House Announces 2019 Summer Tour Season

Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House is now open seven days a week for specialty tours, educational programs, and special events. Highlights include: "Wright Nights" self-guided tours for $10; "Twilight Tours" for special evening admission to the site; "Photography Tours" for exclusive access to first-floor interior photography of the Martin House and the "All Wright All Day", an all-inclusive tour experience. A free community Family Fun Day will take place on Saturday, June 8, from noon to 3 p.m. A landscape and garden tour will be introduced in July.

The Martin House also offers education programs throughout the summer months, including free Architect Adventures family programs, as well as three one-week long Summer Camp sessions in July. Special events this season include "Bricks and Brews" on Friday, July 12, from 6 to 9 p.m. featuring samples from more than 20 local breweries and cider halls. More here.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Birthday Picnic & Party!

Celebrate Frank Lloyd Wright’s birthday at the small but magnificent Pope-Leighey House on June 9th! Come and visit the only Wright House open to visitors in the D.C. region. Join in for a Sunday afternoon of al fresco fun on the lawn of Pope-Leighey while you enjoy a local jazz group and take open house tours of this hidden architectural gem. Sip a drink, snap some photos of the house, and enjoy a picnic in mid-century modern style! And make sure you've got the Wright stuff to win the themed trivia game.

This event is BYOP – bring your own picnic! But save some room for the tasty birthday desserts included in the price of your ticket, and beverages on offer from local vendors. No outside alcohol will be permitted on site. This event is rain or shine - rain location will be in the stunning Woodlawn event tent. More here.

A Look At Kentuck Knob

Regina Cole of Forbes give us a short history of Frank Lloyd Wright's Hagan House (aka "Kentuck Knob.") Situated just below the crest of a hill, Kentuck Knob stands 2,050 feet above sea level. Designed on a hexagonal module, Kentuck Knob is an example of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian houses, meant to be more affordable for the average American.

One of the last houses Wright designed, I.N. and Bernardine Hagan moved into Kentuck Knob on 29, July 1956, their 26th wedding anniversary, and spent the next thirty years there.

Lord Peter Palumbo of England has owned the house since 1986. He and his wife, Hayat, have maintained the house as a museum open to the public for tours since 1996. While they have proudly preserved Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture, the Palumbos have put their own stamp on the grounds with a collection of about 30 pieces of contemporary sculpture. Read the entire article here.

A John Rattenbury's Kessler House Is On The Market

Located in Maplewood, New Jersey, is a unique mid-century home designed by Taliesin trained architect John Rattenbury. Rattenbury worked on over 60 Frank Lloyd Wright projects in the nine years from when he became a member of the Taliesin Fellowship to when Wright died. The aesthetics of the Kessler Residence have obvious parallels to Wright’s own designs both in its Prairie-style architecture and its interior details.

Nicknamed "Shizuka Na Uchi", meaning “The Calm or Peaceful Home,” the home achieves this through a connection to the outside. Although slightly more lavish in size and material than a traditional Wright home, the way the architecture integrates itself with its natural surroundings is one of Wright’s main principles. The 1.8 acres of lush landscape house a heated pool complete with whirlpool and a waterfall, a treehouse, a pergola, and a built-in gas barbeque grill. The home’s two-story reception area leads into the glass-enclosed living room with elaborately designed ceilings and custom built-in furniture. At 7,000 square feet, the home boasts seven bedrooms and 10 bathrooms — each bedroom includes its own ensuite bathroom. Now it can yours for $2,999,000. See the photos here.

Announcing Vida's "USONIAN Program"

Infusing technology and design, the opportunity to align the connection between Wright’s work and a broader audience is now just a click away. The Vida collection is the first of many collaborations in development in Frank Lloyd Wright's USONIA program. Taking a zero waste and global approach to offering licensed goods, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation is treading new water by offering an affordable product line directly to design-focused consumers.

“We’re incredibly excited to share lesser-known works from Frank Lloyd Wright’s design portfolio with a global audience and make them available through a sustainably-produced, high quality print-on-demand program” said Stephanie Pierotti, VP Licensing, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. “This is the first time the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has developed an evergreen apparel program beyond traditional casual “souvenir” apparel, such as t-shirts and sweatshirts. From apparel to smartphone cases to candles, anyone who enjoys amazing designs can add a Frank Lloyd Wright item to their closet or their home and find new ways to enjoy Wright’s work.”

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation aspires to offer modern art-focus products worldwide. “The bridge between living contemporary lives and experiencing a more connected approach to reaching an expanded audience, Frank Lloyd Wright'a USONIA program meets a core value of the Foundation: the connectedness between humanity and community” said Gennifer McKissack, Licensing Marketing Manager, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.

The "Usonia" concept was developed by Wright in the late 1930s. Wright’s Usonian Houses — modest houses for the middle class developed after the Great Depression — in many ways represent Wright’s ideals better than any other work he created for clients. Conceived through innovation, bound to nature, and responsive to the lives of their inhabitants, Wright’s Usonian homes enrich their occupants’ lives with beauty, using a democratic, American architecture available to all. Wright's first Usonian house has been nominated for UNESCO World Heritage designation. See the collection here.

Ennis House Back On The Market

Wright's largest textile block residence in Los Angeles—the iconic Ennis House—has come back to the market for a whopping $23 million. It would be wonderful if a Hollywood mega star or deep pocketed producer would buy and restore this important 1924 Wright design. Here's hoping! More info here.

Demolition Application Completed for Booth Cottage

The Chicago Tribune reports that Glencoe officials announced late last Friday that the new owners of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Booth Cottage have officially completed a demolition application. That said, positive conversations between the new owners, Village officials, and the Frank Lloyd wright building Conservancy have taken place on ways to avoid razing the structure continue. Let's hope something can be worked out to save this Wright building from being lost. More here.

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