Pay Design Homage to the Iconic David and Gladys Wright House
Re-create the interior aesthetic of a Frank Lloyd Wright landmark.
By Rachel Kupfer | Photography by Scott Sandler
The David and Gladys Wright House was completed in 1952 by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright as a sanctuary for his son and daughter-in-law. It features a spiraling shape, which he also famously executed in the V.C. Morris Gift Shop in San Francisco and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City, which perfectly embodies the designer’s penchant for organic architecture. Locally sourced cement blocks create an elevated main level where floor-to-ceiling windows look out to the treetops of surrounding orchards.
In classic Wright style, the interior seamlessly echoes the contours of the exterior. Unadorned block walls in the living room pair with concrete floors and Philippine mahogany window frames, doors and ceiling panels. Simple, geometric shapes, such as hexagons and squares, work together to form furnishings and lighting specially crafted to fit the room’s curvature. The aesthetic culminates with the show-stopping signature March Balloons area rug, designed by Wright. Circles intersect with and coil around each other, bubbling in a spectrum of primary colors that sets the palette for the entire room.
While the home’s future is in transition, elements of this landmark can be re-created with furnishings that emulate the architect’s iconic design.
Simple, geometric shapes work together to form furnishings and lighting specially crafted to fit the room’s curvature.
This rosewood dining table by local interior designer Elizabeth Rosensteel features inlaid glass, which echoes the inset glass bowls seen in Wright’s circular table designs. 74″ square. Custom (linearfinewoodworking.com)
Layers of bronze rounds on the Discette Candle Holder Sconce are reminiscent of the stacked wood floor lamp. 12″H by 2.75″W by 4.75″ D. $68 (anthropologie.com)
The steel Cuauhtli—”eagle” in Aztec—accent table was inspired by origami and is handcrafted by Phoenix artisan Brian Cano. Its angled legs mimic the multidimensional feel of Wright’s triangular chair back designs, while cutouts add depth and fulfill his dedication to a careful use of space. 26.25″H by 14.5″ square. $550 (ironwoodmetalworks.com)
To re-create the swirling centerpiece rug in your home, choose the cheery Bubbles Rug. Interlocking circles, made of pure New Zealand wool, form its irregular shape. Ranging in size from 3’11” in diameter to 11’10” in diameter. From $1,080. (sonyawinner.com)
The Paris Paname Composition Per Elements sofa mimics the textured, sweeping feel of the ceiling’s wood paneling and echoes the room’s built-in seating. 179.9″W by 30.3″H by 59.1″D. $16,100 (roche-bobois.com)
