Buehler House soon on the market

KevinW · Post by **KevinW** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 5:32 pm

http://www.franklloydwrightthebuehlerhouse.com/
I understand that it will be marketed in the $5 million dollar range.
The "Wright designed media room" was actually Maynards Wright designed workshop..
I spent some wonderful days and evenings there with the Buehlers and the original apprentice Walter Olds.

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 8:35 pm

Wow, the shots are amazing. I walked through this place around 1996 or so and it was "under construction - or rehabilitation." I thought it looked in fairly sad shape at the time. I could never have imagined it being brought up to this level. I love the gold plaster ceiling. Do you know if that was originally specified? If not I still find it fitting and mildly revelatory of what a space by Wright should be. It makes so much difference to my eye as opposed to white or off white plaster.
Thanks for posting. Would love to hear some stories about Wright and the Buehlers.

dtc · Post by **dtc** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 9:58 pm

Does this house still belong to the Buehlers or a second generation family member?

Or is a second owner responsible for this fantastic work?

I must say it is a beautiful compound...at least two full time landscapers/gardeners to manicure the gardens? maybe three?

The gate is new?

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 1:08 pm

What about the cmu in this house? It appears more dense than standard bolck. Or maybe that's just my wishful thinking overcoming observation. Anybody know?

KevinW · Post by **KevinW** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 4:15 pm

Tom, yes you visited the house during reconstruction after a fire in 1994 that destoyed the whole bedroom wing, the main kitchen wall, and some of the living and dining room. The original apprentice Walter Olds was still living in nearby Oakland and rebuilt the house pretty much to original, except he enlarged the kitchen to the way Katie had asked Wright to design but he wouldnt budge. The gold leaf was there before the fire, so I believe it to be per the plans.
To my knowledge the house is being sold by the daughters.
To me it's like looking at a different house, Katie and Maynard were packrats and collectors of all sorts of things, it's nice actually seeing the house without all the clutter. Since Katies countertops were always covered with things, I cant even remember what was originally there. I find the granite pretty inappropriate and difficult to look at, but thats just me.
I remember the house being very very warm in the summer and early fall, I think most of the only operable windows are the french doors. That could be a real turn off, unless screen doors were installed...bugs, critters, etc...
The concrete block appears to be a fine texture type, something you see more for interior usage. They do give a much more solid elegant look, don't they.
The former poolhouse, though is were we would often gather, it had AC, and the seating made for more intimate comfortable atmosphere.

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 6:39 pm

Yeah, I was living in San Anselmo and going to school. I drove over, parked on the road, walked in and nobody was there but the place was wide open so I helped myself. What really impressed me, just in terms of form now, was the way the main line of the house transitioned into the octagon around the kitchen and dining room. In plan I thought that was weak and clumsy, but walking through it seemed fully conceived and 3 dimensionally very intriguing. Buehler was the first type of that style of Wright I had seen. And the simplicity of the square roof pitched on the diagonal over an octagon plan made me laugh ... organic sure, but very, very geometric, perfunctory, and analytical. The simplicity of the plan, even the elevations do not represent the thing itself.

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 4:15 pm

The only thing about the Buehler plan I find odd is the curved wall in the sanctum. The square roof over the octagonal living room creates an interesting tension and contrast. The original design for Dobkins had a rectangular roof over the half-hex living room, so Buehler wasn't unique in that regard.

dtc · Post by **dtc** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 5:31 pm

Roderick,

You are correct about the Dobkins roof being square over the main living space.
It is clearly depicted in an early drawing. It of course had been changed to its present form.
I must say these Wright Chatters are well informed!

Have you seen all the drawing for Dobkins?

KevinW · Post by **KevinW** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 5:59 pm

During one of my stays at Taliesin West, I was able to view the program that the Buehlers provided Wright. It contained pages upon pages of of demands from Katie....extremely detailed requests, for clothing storage, number of shoes, etc...the very last page of this document, was Maynards requests, it pretty much just requested a shop, office and approx, square footage. I wonder if I can get a copy of that to post here, as it was fascinating reading. Also, it once again is contrary to the idea that Wright wasnt concerned about the clients wishes. Other than the size of the kitchen, they got everything they wanted.

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 12:28 pm

Wondering again about the gold ceiling. Does anybody know exactly how that was done? Paint on plaster? What kind of paint?

Also wondering about why I have not seen more of that in the houses. Was it a matter of client resistance or did he he not use it that much?

peterm · Post by **peterm** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 12:31 pm

It's 22 karat gold leaf, not paint.

http://www.gildedplanet.com/gildingceilings.asp

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 1:37 pm

Well. That's why.
I didn't know he'd ever gotten to use that in a project.

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 1:41 pm

Now I understand about the asking price.

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 1:42 pm

And of course putting one's money in gold these days is becoming more of an attractive option.

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 1:54 pm

Scraping it off the ceiling to cash in is a problem, however.

dtc, the only info on Dobkins that I've seen, aside from what you have posted here, is in the Monographs. I have a magazine from the 70s that has an almost indiscernible photo, but it was one of those houses, like Goddard and Arnold Friedman, that was not covered at all.

When my parents built their house in 1960, mother's requirements filled pages, while dad just said, "Keep the price reasonable, curtains on all windows, and the garage should be to the right of the front door."