Without Frank Lloyd Wright and his immense influence on architectural design, modern residential architecture would look nothing like it does today. His use of open floor plans, natural light, organic materials, and simple one-story home designs was incredibly influential on the mid-century modern movement and laid the groundwork for so many aspects of modern home design that we now take for granted.
Frank Lloyd Wright designed hundreds of homes over his long career, but many other 20th century architects propogated his designs by emulating his iconic style. This gorgeous Nashville home, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation fellow Bruce Draper, is a beautiful homage to the iconic architect in every way.
While this isn't a true Frank Lloyd Wright home, it's the next closest thing to the real deal. As mentioned in Caitlin Lucia's (aka @nashvillewithcaitlin's) caption, its designer, [Robert] Bruce Draper, was once an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright's under the FLW Foundation's Taliesin Fellowship. Robert Bruce Draper was an accomplished architect in his own right, and one of his homes, the Dr. Richard and Mrs. Margaret Martin House, is even listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Who better to carry on Lloyd Wright's iconic style than one of his own successful students?
This lovingly crafted home wears its architectural influence on its sleeve. Between the omnipresent wood paneling, slate stone walls, and big, angular windows flooding the home with natural light, it maintains the simple, organic style that Lloyd Wright pioneered in his Prarie-style homes. It has this very warm, woodsy feeling that pairs perfectly with the lush arboreal landscaping outside, but its sleek, sloping lines and mid-century modern motifs create an air of style and prestige. It's not too rugged, not too pretentious - it's just right.
As Caitlin Lucia noted, the home at 1117 Park Ridge Drive still has a lot of the original architectural details from its 1960 build that would be difficult, if not impossible, to recreate today. According to its Zillow listing, its beautiful exterior is made from real California redwood, has authentic solid terrazzo floors from Italy, and many of its ceilings feature shoji-paper inspired Oriental screen panels that help diffuse and soften the light. The home also features radiant floor heating - another Lloyd Wright-inspired touch, as he favored heated floors over insulated walls for a cheaper, more streamlined construction that allowed for big windows and lots of natural light.
This home sits only a 15-minute drive from downtown Nashville, Tennessee, but it's situated on a 2.43 acre plot of land hemmed by mature trees and simple, unpretentious landscaping, a miniature forest oasis with a stone's throw from Nashville's urban sprawl. At $1.5 million, it's not a cheap buy, but for a conveniently located five-bed, four-and-a-half-bath home designed by a Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice, the price fits the product.
Caitlin Lucia's comments were full of people worried that somebody will move into this architectural beauty, cover its surfaces in millennium gray, and destroy its soul with a "modern minimalist" renovation. Like them, I pray that such a tragedy doesn't happen. This home is only one degree removed from Frank Lloyd Wright himself, and should be treated as a piece of history, not just some boring fixer-upper. As far as the Zillow listing indicates, no one's made an offer on this home yet. If you're a lover of authentic mid-century modern architecture with deep pockets, here's your chance!
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2024-07-22T20:24:20Z dg43tfdfdgfd