Wright Chat

New owners:
https://inmenlo.com/2022/09/19/frank-ll ... -restored/

$6.3M = $3,247/sf

Let's hope that the little birdie who whispered something in my ear about enlarging a bathroom was misinformed . . .

The house is in very good original condition; I can't think of much that needs restoration. A couple of patches to the slab might be improved. And of course the unrealized furnishings Wright designed for the house could be constructed. A row of plywood chairs with cushions were to have been placed against the long brick wall of the living room, in an unusual alternative to the usual built-in upholstered bench. Reading lights with pyramidal cloth shades would have hung from the shelf above. And of course the original dining table, attached to the brick wall to the right of the fireplace---its attachment points are visible in photos, below a convenience outlet---could be recreated.

S

This house over $6M, that one in Racine under$1M....it really is all about location.

Mathews is one of the best-built Usonian houses that I have been inside. Consider for instance the living room ceiling and the grooves of its T & G boards which align perfectly despite three different ceiling slopes and board widths -- combined with the 60-120 degree parallelogram grid of the plan, it is a thing of beauty to behold.

Quite right, Henry---the ceiling is a thing of wonder. There are two drawings that Aaron Green made (he saw to the completion of the house; many drawings in the construction set are by him) showing the layout of the ceilings and the length and end joints of every single board ! It's quite the labor of love, clearly. These drawings would have served as guides to the carpenter, assuring that no end joints would have coincided accidentally---and not incidentally, useful for the job of "take-off"---materials calculation.

To be precise, the roofs (and thus the ceilings) are made to two pitches, one twice as steep as the other---yet another example of Wright's number-play. This drawing shows them: 1 in 4, and 1 in 2. It couldn't be much simpler than that . . .

https://library.artstor.org/#/asset/338 ... 3696072492

I love Wright. I love Green. I love this house.

S

This is a Matthews House in Atherton, California designed by Frank Lloyd Wright - (2:30)


David

Hmm. Why this video now; the house was sold late last year. Is it for sale again ?

Thanks for finding this, David.

S

The video is not new…I saw it as part of the marketing when the house was last sold.

Thanks, Duncan. Odd that it would have appeared at Vimeo this week ?

S

Hope this isn't redundant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZScskVuF3BI

Thank you, Reidy---amazingly, that is not a redundant gift to the discussion. Hard to believe I never saw this; I've been in and out of the house and spent time with Ms Anton. The house has never looked better to the public eye---largely because the house has almost never been published or visited, until the recent sale.

The redwood ceilings are asymmetrical tents. There are drawings in Aaron's hand of randomized planking joint locations for those ceilings (boards of two different widths, for the two opposing ceiling planes of differing pitch)---intending to use as few and thus as long boards as manageable. This map, if adhered to, would allow the builder to order just the numbers and lengths of planking as needed. Granular architectural detailing exemplified . . .

S

Drop dead gorgeous house.
Magnificent trees.
Ms. Anton not too shabby herself.

Sublime!