Lamberson House Restoration

peterm · Post by **peterm** » Sat May 30, 2009 6:00 pm

Yes, immediately below the line of "soldiers", or header, would be the opening of the fireplace. It is one of Wright's "walk-in" fireplaces. Stafford 111 took a look at it, and agreed with architect Michael Blatt who said something to this effect: When enclosing an opening like this, the masons would typically use as little material as possible, which would probably mean one wall in thickness. To restore the original opening will be messy, but hopefully not too much work.

And yes, we do have the drawings which show the fireplace details.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Sun May 31, 2009 3:22 pm

While searching for the elusive Pauson photos, I came upon a Lamberson entry, in yet another of the many picture books on my shelves, this one called
"Essential Frank Lloyd Wright" (Carolyn Knight; Parragon Publishing, 2001). The astonishing photo seems to be credited to Alan Weintraub/Arcaid.

Jeff Myers · Post by **Jeff Myers** » Sun May 31, 2009 3:58 pm

I like the Ironing board/ Table

I might be mistaken on that but it looks like an ironing board to me.

Paul Ringstrom · Post by **Paul Ringstrom** » Sun May 31, 2009 4:01 pm

I visited this house when it was owned by this family. I believe he was a high school coach. The place was so full of "stuff" that you really could appreciate the architecture.

peterm · Post by **peterm** » Sun May 31, 2009 4:31 pm

Thanks so much, SDR! Loren Knox showed me this photo but I had forgotten about it (probably suppressed it...) The area around Pella and Oskaloosa was settled by the Dutch, and here we have a fine surrealistic example of "country dutch" taken to an extreme.

Every modification that was done to the house was already in place as of this photo. It's exactly as I thought, the built in benches along the north wall must have been removed to accommodate the bloody tube! How about those lace curtains? All of a sudden mini blinds are looking good...

What would Frank say???

Oh, I just noticed the corner hutch obscuring the far mitered glass corner.
Incredible!!!

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Sun May 31, 2009 4:50 pm

Built-in benches ? Did the house have those at one time -- in place of the originally-designed loose ones you're now building ?

SDR

peterm · Post by **peterm** » Sun May 31, 2009 4:59 pm

Excuse me- I meant built in shelves...

Education Professor · Sun May 31, 2009 10:54 pm

peterm.....thanks for the info and the photo about the fireplace. I agree that you should be able to go "hoodless" with the modern technology that exists now. Once renovated, it will indeed draw much better than it did originally.

Thanks again,

EP

RA · Post by RA » Mon Jun 01, 2009 10:22 am

One must admit that the placement of the dining table is pretty creative.

However, looking at that photo is very disturbing and unsettling.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 12:06 pm

Oddly, the position of the dining table is the only thing connecting this view to the architect's intention, I believe. The forthcoming tripartite table will
occupy the same spot, if the original plan is followed. I believe Peter intends to use the new hassocks for dining, which was also the original intent.

So, you have a good eye -- which we already knew !

SDR

DRN · Post by **DRN** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 12:25 pm

oooooooooo-weeee!
That there's a purdy picture of a living room by FLLW's country cousin decorator, COW....Calvin Orville Wright.

Sorry, I couldn't resist; after being enraptured by the new Pauson pics, this one was like a punch in the stomach.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 1:35 pm

Our esteemed fellow Wrightian, photographer Yukio Futagawa, has in the past occasionally been lumbered with an owner's possessions -- as have other photogs -- but never quite to this degree.

The plentiful post-restoration photos of Auldbrass are loaded with the owner's collections of Arts and Crafts pottery, vintage toys, and perhaps
Hollywood memorabilia, but at least these objects are of some interest to modernists -- and the furnishings in the spaces are almost all Wright-
designed. Indeed, we can be grateful for the number of photos of Wright houses which are virtually or literally bare of furnishings.

Not so in the above example ! But at least it reveals the brick fireplace apron, and nicely documents the ceilings.

SDR

peterm · Post by **peterm** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 2:24 pm

The other nice thing about having this photo, is that because it is so hideous, anything that we might do to the house will be seen as an improvement!

It's amazingly fussy and frilly for a football coach, eh?

Doesn't this support Wright's insistence on designing the total interior, including furnishings? Left to there own devices, many homeowners can make strange choices...

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 2:44 pm

Sam Freeman told me his house looked best the day he and Harriett moved into it, completely devoid of furniture (the few built-ins not at that time having been installed). For seating, they used a couple of orange crates and a board.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 3:42 pm

I believe that. Having occupied the same quarters for 24 years, I have to say that the stuff does accumulate !

Isn't it possible that the coach's wife was the party responsible for the former Lamberson decor ? Please don't tell me he was a bachelor ! And yes,
Jeff, that is surely an old-fashioned ironing board serving as a "sofa table". . .

SDR