The house was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1936, shortly after the Big Depression, as a weekend retreat for the Kaufmanns, owners of the biggest Pittsburgh department store. The house with guesthouse for the maids and other guests (in exactly the same style) was finished in 1939. Clearly, the Kaufmanns had not suffered under the Depression: Wright exceeded the original budget with a whopping 5 times. After inflation, the price these days would be around $20 million.
My name was called and I could go down over a nice walkway and there, all of a sudden, the first sight of the house appeared. I knew this was not the view that you usually see on pictures but this was already stunning. What a perfect integration of the house with the natural setting.
The guide was bringing us to all the rooms and each of them had an architectural surprise: the views on the forest, the way light was (not) able to invade in the house, functionality, the eye for detail. One of the bedrooms was actually pushing us outside to the patio, without us even realizing. The guide told us that everbody who comes in the room, is attracted to this wonderful outdoor space and apparently that was what Wright had in mind with this room. Unbelievable!
The guide brought up another good point: this house must have been so modern in the 30's. Most houses were small and did not have a lot of light coming in. This house was just the opposite.
Unfortunately, no pictures were permitted on this tour so the only advice I can give you: check it out yourself. This house is a true masterpiece. I would love to come back here in fall and winter time.
Below are two pictures I took from the famous angle.
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