Mansion Global

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Dining Room Serves Up His Signature Style

The architect’s Oak Park, Ill., home and studio includes a formal dining space considered to be a model for Wright’s future designs

Save

Leaded-glass windows became a Wright staple. These have his early lotus-flower design, with the windows filled in below for privacy.

James Caulfield/The Frank Lloyd Wright Trust
Leaded-glass windows became a Wright staple. These have his early lotus-flower design, with the windows filled in below for privacy.
James Caulfield/The Frank Lloyd Wright Trust

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright used his 1889 Oak Park, Ill., home and studio as a testing ground for his vision of the architectural style he would call the Prairie School.

Wright used inexpensive materials to experiment with cohesive open spaces and roomy hallways. The three-bedroom home, where he and his wife, Catherine Tobin, raised six children, cost $6,000 to build—the equivalent of about $185,000 today.

But it was the formal dining room, after an 1895 renovation, that is considered the first example of how each of Mr. Wright’s design elements creates a singular composition, says David Bagnall, curator and director of interpretation at the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust in Chicago. Wright’s designs, including recessed lighting and built-in cabinetry, retain their timelessness.

"Everything is hidden behind the scenes, it’s very much the way things are made now," says Mr. Bagnall. The dining room addition, in particular, later became a model for the architect’s designs in more opulent homes, he adds.

More:Designing a Bedroom so Relaxing It Will Help You Sleep

Here are some dining room elements of the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio:

1. Leaded-glass windows became a Wright staple. These have his early lotus-flower design, with the windows filled in below for privacy, says Mr. Bagnall. Price: $68,300 for similar panel from 1stdibs.com

2. The recessed lighting—installed as the architect was merely anticipating the arrival of electricity to his residential area—is behind a geometric carved ceiling to form a visual connection to the furniture below. The architect used rice paper to filter light to the center of the room. The panel illuminates the dining table while leaving other parts of the room in shadow. "It brings drama to the interior," Mr. Bagnall says. Price: $260 for wood-panel reproduction at maclinstudio.com

3. High-back solid oak chairs create a room-within-a-room for entertaining and help frame the faces of diners. "They kind of form an enclosure around you," he says. The six chairs became a prototype for the architect’s custom furniture. Price: $3,800 for six similar chairs from chairish.com.

From Penta:Jetting to Arts and Culture

4. Wright designed a solid wood table with clean lines. He used oak throughout the home to unify decor. Price: $10,650 for a similar table on shopwright.org.

5. Built-in cabinetry hides hot-water radiators and offers additional storage to minimize distractions. The ledges provide space for serving food. Price: $6,800 per cabinet from 1stdibs.com

6. Burlap walls create an organic feel. Wright skipped fussy wall coverings and chose muted honey tones to make the room feel less formal. "He moved away from colored wallpaper," says Mr. Bagnall. Price: $125 per roll from Burke Déco