WRIGHT DESIGN

A quick glimpse of the trip while I have a chance. Fallingwater has been called the greatest home of the 20th century,  and the Smithsonian names it as one of 20 must -see places for your bucket list if your into design and architecture. As a fan,  it's been at least 10 years since I saw it last, so the Lad and I rented a cabin and took off for a weekend jaunt. It's not in one of my favorite parts of the state by any means... I have never been  a fan of Pittsburgh or Allegheny or Fayette Counties, but must admit the scenery around the house is pretty spectacular. The house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1939 was built partly over a waterfall on Bear Run, and was designed originally for the owner of the Kaufmann's Department Stores. Wright himself thought the household should never be constructed on a hill or plot of land,  but be merged with the landscape, and blend in with the natural surroundings...and he archived that.

Approaching the building, I had forgotten how much more massive it appears in person. It's enormity is in part optical illusion. The house has three levels and a private detached guesthouse. Wright is most times noted for his conviction that the hearth is the heart of the home, so upon entering Fallingwater, one is interested to see where he placed it for the Kaufmanns. After entering the first view through the door is into a massive open living area surrounded on three sides by glass, looking out onto the wooded hillside. And the heart is a vast expanse.

You can't help but notice the lush natural world coming into the hearth, dining and living room. It feels welcome, comforted, a home at peace. I think it's why I enjoy my treehouse apartment. When I look out, all I see is leaves and woods. It is calming. You can tell Wright was conscious of the effect of design on one's mood and sense of well-being, and he used design and structure to evoke that.  Walls and floors of the home are natural stone from the local hills. When going from level to level, the stone steps along narrow shadowy corridors, often lead into beautiful rooms, well lit by sunlight thanks to numerous windows, which again illustrates Wright's use of transitional area to channel foot traffic and emotional reactions. While the home does feel dated in some ways to me, I still think it's one of my favorite homes of his. It really does seem to bring the outdoors in more then any other.

It was a good weekend. I finally got to wear some turtlenecks and sweaters finally. We also enjoyed a great firepit at the cabin. Truth be told, I think the fire might have been my favorite part of the weekend. I enjoy a good firepit, and nothing like a chilly November night to take in the feel of the heat, the smell of campfire, and a bottle of merlot. I wish someone would bottle that scent into a perfect candle. I have yet to find one that actually smells like campfire since Henri Bendel's closed.

And we hit a great roadside farm stand on the way home.

 Many apples bough. I think I'll be making some homemade dumplings to take to Pearly. After a busy work work, I'll be looking forward to the next excursion. Be back when time permits dears.

House Over Waterfall

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! I had a most relaxing one, as I had a lovely fall get away with the Lad and it was over due. I was very excited to cross another item off the bucket list in addition to the Alexander McQueen exhibit this year, Fallingwater. Fallingwater is a house designed by North American architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935 in rural southwestern Pennsylvania, 50 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. The home was built partly over a waterfall on Bear Run in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, in the Laurel Highlands of the Allegheny Mountains. Talk about some beautiful scenery!!!! It was about a 5 1/2 hour drive, but so worth the time to see!

Frank Lloyd Wright completed Fallingwater in 1937, and months later Time magazine put the house on its cover, proclaiming it the architect's "most beautiful job." Ayn Rand based much of her 1943 classic, The Fountainhead, on Wright and the house he had wrought. Wright designed it at his professional nadir, as a mountain retreat for Pittsburgh retail mogul Edgar J. Kaufmann, who owned the elegant and successful Kaufmann's Department Store who wanted a home near the waterfalls of Bear Run. Wright took that notion to its extreme. "I want you to live with the waterfall," he is said to have told Kaufmann, "not just to look at it." Cantilevered concrete terraces hover some 30 feet above the falls. The incessant sound of rushing water permeates the home, yet never overwhelms. A boulder juts through the living room and doubles as a hearth. Low ceilings direct attention outside. During my visit to the house, I was struck by Wright's vanishing windows, which open outward from wall corners, leaving no panes to obstruct the wilderness view. The interior was not my style, but I could appreciate it. I think it was the furnishings I didn't like. I was more blown away by the exterior by far! When the Mistress buys the place she can always replace the furnishings and update the joint, you know , for when I move in!

But I must admit, overall I was left in awe! The bed and breakfast was also very quaint and secluded. It was a gay owned place and the couple in the next room was straight!!!! It was so funny, and we hit it off with them since most of the other couples there were much older than us. We all had some nice cock-a-tails and conversation in the jacuzzi and were in bed by 1:30am! (Me and the Lad, not all of us!!!) Early by my standards. What a great rejuvenating weekend. Now to get through the week! Tootles.