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Living Room from the Francis W. Little House: Windows and paneling

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright American
1912–14
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 745
The Frank Lloyd Wright Room was originally the living room of the summer residence of Francis W. Little, designed and built between 1912 and 1914 in Wayzata, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The room epitomizes Wright's concept of "organic architecture," in which the building, setting, interior, and furnishings are inextricably related. The house is composed of a group of low pavilions interspersed with gardens and terraces, which, in plan, radiate from a central symbolic hearth.


The Frank Lloyd Wright Room also exemplifies one of Wright's most important contributions to modern architecture: the idea of spatial continuity. Low overhanging roofs and geometric window "grilles" with stylized plant motifs once linked the interior visually and spatially to the wooded site overlooking Lake Minnetonka. The living room itself is not merely a single, enclosed volume but a series of horizontal levels surrounded by glass, which allows the interplay of natural light and the rich, earthy tones that Wright employed throughout the room.


This room achieves tonal harmony through the combination of ocher plaster walls, natural oak trim and flooring, the use of the exterior reddish brown bricks for the fireplace, and leaded windows with an electroplated copper finish. The bold forms of the oak furniture were likewise conceived as an integral part of the composition. The center of the room is empty and furniture groupings enliven the peripheral space. Many of the accessories are similar to those original to the room, and others recall objects that appear in period photographs. The use of Japanese prints and natural flower arrangements are characteristic Wright touches.


The Museum's installation has sought to preserve the continuity between interior and exterior by reconstructing the exterior facades in the side passageways and providing a view of Central Park.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Living Room from the Francis W. Little House: Windows and paneling
  • Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright (American, Richland Center, Wisconsin 1867–1959 Phoenix, Arizona)
  • Date: 1912–14
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Oak, leaded glass
  • Dimensions: 13 ft. 7 1/2 in. × 28 ft. 7 in. × 47 ft. 8 5/8 in. (415.3 × 871.2 × 1454.5 cm)
    Each window panel: 53 3/4 x 22 3/4 in. (136.5 x 57.8 cm)
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Emily Crane Chadbourne Bequest, 1972
  • Object Number: 1972.60.1
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

Audio

Cover Image for 811. Kids: Living Room from the Francis W. Little House: Windows and paneling

811. Kids: Living Room from the Francis W. Little House: Windows and paneling

Gallery 745

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One man designed almost everything in this long, spacious room trimmed with oak, including the room itself—the architect Frank Lloyd Wright. When Wright designed furniture, he thought about how it was used and how he might make it better. Notice the sofa facing the fireplace. It has big, comfortable seats, but it also has wide arms. So wide they could be used as tables. Wright designed the rows of windows along either side of the room. He even chose the decoration, down to the Japanese prints on the walls.

This was the living room in a summer home in Wayzata, Minnesota that belonged to Francis W. Little. Wright’s design for this house, finished in 1914, demonstrates what he called “organic architecture.” Every detail of the design fit with every other part, including the colors, materials, and shapes that Wright used inside and out. He saw a building and the landscape around it as one space. He wanted everything in this room to blend with the forest and lakefront that were outside the original house. Sunlight filtering through the forest trees touched the floor and walls. To give you an idea of the original view, we’ve reconstructed the side passages of the house outside the windows. Instead of Minnesota’s Lake Minnetonka, you have a view of Central Park.

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