Look inside Wright's Laura Gale house in Oak Park

Paul Ringstrom · Post by **Paul Ringstrom** » Mon May 15, 2017 10:24 am

For Sale: $1.075M

Article:
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/realesta ... e-for-sale

Photos:
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/apps/pbc ... 9&Ref=PH#1

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Mon May 15, 2017 11:11 am

$1.075M looks like a California price tag. Isn't that a tad high for Oak Park?

DRN · Post by **DRN** » Mon May 15, 2017 11:15 am

Thanks for posting that Paul...I've never been inside this house and I don't recall seeing published photos of it. Something makes me want to change the interior color of the kitchen windows;)

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Mon May 15, 2017 11:32 am

... to say nothing about the countertop.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Mon May 15, 2017 11:36 am

Yes. A view of the rear elevation reveals a cantilever echoing the one at the front. Something odd going on with a horizontal above the kitchen. Truly uninspired staging doesn't dim the qualities of the interior spaces. And the lack of window "dressings" is a relief . . .

SDR

clydethecat · Post by **clydethecat** » Mon May 15, 2017 1:04 pm

Those furnishings give me pain.

Tim · Post by **Tim** » Mon May 15, 2017 4:14 pm

I can't comment on the price. The house looks well kept, which is nice.

peterm · Post by **peterm** » Mon May 15, 2017 5:34 pm

As to the price... the lot is not huge, but the street and location is one of the most charming spots in Oak Park. The design also predicts the cantilevered balconies of Fallingwater, and because of its importance, maybe it warrants the price. It's still a bargain compared to California.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Mon May 15, 2017 5:34 pm

Following on this fragment of the text, ". . . listing agent Greer Haseman of @properties staged much of it with furniture that . . ." I searched for @properties as a realty entity. Found nothing. Let's assume that a total amateur was involved in the staging of the house; I don't know what else would explain what we see. Perhaps there was a used furniture store or a yard sale involved . . . ?

SDR

peterm · Post by **peterm** » Mon May 15, 2017 5:39 pm

@properties is a huge Chicagoland realty:

https://atproperties.com

The staging leaves much to be desired, and reveals something that I have noticed with other listings in Chicago. Overall, the midwestern realtors are not as sophisticated as their California and New York counterparts. An exception is Joe Kunkel, who really gets it.

Of course, one of the problems is that "mid century modern" is hot right now, and Craftsman is not the flavor of the month, so the staging often reflects that. But Mies Barcelona chairs in a Prairie house is a tough one to make happen. They should stick to Scandinavian modern if they find Stickley too "stuffy"...

SREcklund · Post by **SREcklund** » Mon May 15, 2017 7:56 pm

It's on the housework Saturday for anyone who wants a closer look ...

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Mon May 15, 2017 7:56 pm

Yes. Like it or not, Stickley et al is probably the default choice for many Prairie-period houses, when the real thing (Wright's furniture) is not available. In my world, no Wright house would appear on the market until all the original furnishings had been rounded up or replicated. Quality MCM pieces (with Scandinavian preferred) or Nakashima would be acceptable -- for virtually any Wright home ? Or is that too broad (or too limited) a prescription ?

SDR

peterm · Post by **peterm** » Mon May 15, 2017 9:16 pm

Whatever happened to empty rooms? It's as if people no longer possess the fantasy required to envision the space properly furnished. Maybe the thinking is that staging obscures defects as well as showing how much "stuff" potential buyers might be able to cram into a new home?

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Mon May 15, 2017 10:50 pm

I suppose that's it. As with many another commercial enterprise, there's no doubt some theory behind it -- and maybe some research. I still prefer a bare house . . .

Photos from the last time the house appeared on the market:

https://chicago.curbed.com/2015/5/12/99 ... gale-house

SDR

pharding · Post by **pharding** » Tue May 16, 2017 8:23 am

It is a fine house. It suffers from not having a garage and access to the lot to access one if you were to build it.