I had the good fortune of living in two different houses in Carmel designed by one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s protégés, Mark Mills. there were many signs of Wright’s influence: the uses of wood, glass, stone, and placement in nature. I was aware daily of living in beauty. Mark himself lived down the street, and I told him one day that living in the house that he built was like living in the hand of God.
I've just finished reading Alain De Botton's Architecture of Happiness and so this post really resonated. In stark contrast to what is reported here about Frank Lloyd Wright, I'm struck by what De Botton depicts of Le Courbusier's approach to domestic spaces; dehumanising but beautiful. Getting the balance between functionality and beauty is probably more tricky than it appears. Thanks for another interesting article Bryan.
Nice post! Where you live matters and, especially, when its surroundings permit you to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
Twenty-two years ago, when my husband (born in 1951) and I (1959) moved from a beautiful home (one we helped design and then lived in with our three daughters for 15 years) in rural El Dorado County (Northern California) to the shore of Lake Geneva, we saw parallels: mountain peaks (great skiing) and reflections of the sky in the lake surface (Lake Tahoe wasn't far from our California home).
We looked for natural beauty and, like Roland, we found it. But we also downsized and now live in a practical condo in a 9 unit-building attached to the face of a cliff. The front of the condo is all glass and appears, to my eyes, like a "living" painting: no matter the season, the time of day or night, there's enormous, breathtaking beauty. We were surprised to find ourselves in a condo but now highly appreciate the low maintenance this housing choice requires.
We also changed our lifestyle: we live without cars. There are commercial establishments, schools, businesses and public transport services we visit nearly every day within a 10-minute walk. If, very rarely, we need a car, we rent.
We are also blessed when we step out of the top end of our building: being on the outside edge of a small village surrounded by open space, provides us with infinite hours of strenuous exercise on trails through meadows, vineyards, and forests that evolve with the seasons and the years.
We've painted ourselves into a postcard the likes of which are very rarely found in America (at least in my experience), but is pretty common in Western Europe.
My husband and I have been building our house for the last 7 years, living in it for the last two. It’s true that sometimes I just look at parts of it and feel nurtured, nourished and full of love. It was created with love, with great attention paid to design and our future needs. In fact, I call it the House of Love!
Bryan, thanks for introducing us to Roland. What a story!
I've lived many places over the course of my life and I would say in my current condo residence in my suburban/urban area of Chicaoland what I always notice are the changes in the trees outside my windows.
Right now they're bare following an incredible burst of color in the Fall ,so I see my local mall. In the Spring/Summer, it's a bunch of green that now over the years takes over one of my windows and creates a tree house effect since I am up a couple of stories.
I had no idea there were FLW homes in Westchester!
I had the good fortune of living in two different houses in Carmel designed by one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s protégés, Mark Mills. there were many signs of Wright’s influence: the uses of wood, glass, stone, and placement in nature. I was aware daily of living in beauty. Mark himself lived down the street, and I told him one day that living in the house that he built was like living in the hand of God.
I've just finished reading Alain De Botton's Architecture of Happiness and so this post really resonated. In stark contrast to what is reported here about Frank Lloyd Wright, I'm struck by what De Botton depicts of Le Courbusier's approach to domestic spaces; dehumanising but beautiful. Getting the balance between functionality and beauty is probably more tricky than it appears. Thanks for another interesting article Bryan.
Nice post! Where you live matters and, especially, when its surroundings permit you to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
Twenty-two years ago, when my husband (born in 1951) and I (1959) moved from a beautiful home (one we helped design and then lived in with our three daughters for 15 years) in rural El Dorado County (Northern California) to the shore of Lake Geneva, we saw parallels: mountain peaks (great skiing) and reflections of the sky in the lake surface (Lake Tahoe wasn't far from our California home).
We looked for natural beauty and, like Roland, we found it. But we also downsized and now live in a practical condo in a 9 unit-building attached to the face of a cliff. The front of the condo is all glass and appears, to my eyes, like a "living" painting: no matter the season, the time of day or night, there's enormous, breathtaking beauty. We were surprised to find ourselves in a condo but now highly appreciate the low maintenance this housing choice requires.
We also changed our lifestyle: we live without cars. There are commercial establishments, schools, businesses and public transport services we visit nearly every day within a 10-minute walk. If, very rarely, we need a car, we rent.
We are also blessed when we step out of the top end of our building: being on the outside edge of a small village surrounded by open space, provides us with infinite hours of strenuous exercise on trails through meadows, vineyards, and forests that evolve with the seasons and the years.
We've painted ourselves into a postcard the likes of which are very rarely found in America (at least in my experience), but is pretty common in Western Europe.
My husband and I have been building our house for the last 7 years, living in it for the last two. It’s true that sometimes I just look at parts of it and feel nurtured, nourished and full of love. It was created with love, with great attention paid to design and our future needs. In fact, I call it the House of Love!
Great article, really getting me interested in design.
Bryan, thanks for introducing us to Roland. What a story!
I've lived many places over the course of my life and I would say in my current condo residence in my suburban/urban area of Chicaoland what I always notice are the changes in the trees outside my windows.
Right now they're bare following an incredible burst of color in the Fall ,so I see my local mall. In the Spring/Summer, it's a bunch of green that now over the years takes over one of my windows and creates a tree house effect since I am up a couple of stories.