The Father of Architecture

Hi y’all 👋

Happy Thursday and welcome back to The Midmod Corner: bringing you the best in interior design and architecture, without the fear of any quarter-life crises – just pure, unadulterated home envy 🏡

In today’s edition:

• Birthday boy: The Legacy of a genius architect

• Bits and Pieces: How to turn your space into a wellness haven

• Cool Corner: Ideas to make this Father's Day one to remember

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📰 The Story

Put on your party hats, 'cause we're throwing a virtual birthday bash for a trailblazing architect, a genius born this very day in 1867 - Frank Lloyd Wright. So, grab a cup of tea, sit back in your favorite vintage chair, and let's take a look at 7 facts you probably didn’t know about the master of organic architecture.

1. Frank Who? 👤

2. An Inspiring Mom 👼🏻

Wright's mother, Anna, was a driving force in his pursuit of architecture. She bought a set of educational blocks created by Friedrich Froebel, the inventor of kindergarten, when Wright was a kid. This playful interaction with geometric shapes in his childhood played a significant role in shaping his design aesthetic.

3. An Early Bloomer 🧠

Wright was just 20, and not yet graduated from school, when he traveled to Chicago to start working as an architectural draftsman for Louis Sullivan - The man who gave us the iconic principle, “form follows function” which Wright later made it “form and function are one”. Frank was even calling Sullivan lieber-meister, which is German for beloved master.

4. The Side Hustler 💰

In the early stages of his career, Wright was known for living lavishly, which didn't quite match his draftsman salary. To fund his opulent lifestyle, he embarked on a daring side hustle - designing houses independently, even while under contract at Adler & Sullivan.

Legend has it, Sullivan stumbled upon one of these 'side-projects' and identified Wright's distinctive flair. This led to an irrevocable split, regardless of who you believe severed the ties. Yet, these secret commissions, famously known as 'The Bootleg Houses,' marked the audacious start of Wright's solo trajectory - painting a picture of a man as rebellious in life as he was in design.

5. Father of Organic Architecture 🌱

Frank Lloyd Wright championed nature-infused architecture. He was sprinkling the term 'organic architecture' into his philosophy as far back as 1908. His early life, nestled within the lush greenery of Wisconsin's countryside, fostered a lifelong appreciation for plants, trees, and landscapes - a passion that flourished when he experienced the austere beauty of Arizona's Sonoran Desert. Wright believed a house could be compared to a living organism with all parts relating to the whole, making form and function wholly intertwined.

6. East Meets West 🇯🇵

Frank was a massive fan of Japanese art and culture, often traveling to the country and collecting Japanese prints - which he resale, offering a relief to his recurring financial problems. His love for the Japanese aesthetic also landed him the gig to design The Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, replacing Yuzuru Watanabe's original 1880 wooden structure.

7. Something of a Playboy ❤️

Wright's love life was nothing short of an architectural maze. Starting with Catherine in 1889, he then rocked society by leaving her for Mamah Cheney, living with her at his Wisconsin home, Taliesin. This chapter ended abruptly with a horrifying murder by a deranged cook. After a brief rebound with wealthy divorcee Miriam Noel and a lengthy divorce, he found love again at a ballet with 26-year-old Olgivanna Lazovich Hinzenberg. Their relationship, which started in Taliesin II, led to marriage, a daughter, and lasted till Wright's final curtain in 1959.

Bonus: How to Bring Frank Lloyd Wright’s organic principles to your home

🌿 Make your plants feel at home
Don't force plants into unusual shapes or formal gardens. No need for fancy shapes or formal gardens. Let your plants grow as they would in the wild, showing off their true, unstifled beauty.

🌵 Pick plants with personality
Find plants that are kinda architect-y in how they look - those with unique textures, shapes, and forms. Think bur oaks, sumac trees, wildflowers - anything with some character.

📍 Go local
Wright was all about that local life. Native plants are low-maintenance and mesh well with the local landscape. He even went as far as using soil and rocks from the site in his designs – talk about an earthy connection!

💐 Throw in some sculpture and flowers
Flowers aren't just for gardens - put them in window boxes, urns, or trellises. Pop a sculpture at the end of a pathway or garden entrance. Just keep it in proportion with its surroundings.

♻️ Bring the outdoor indoor
Think about reflecting your outside world indoors. Play with colors and textures that mirror your outdoor surroundings, and get creative with patterns inspired by nature. Plus, why not bring in fresh cuttings from your garden? It's like nature's own air freshener.

🗃 Bits and Pieces

• Breathe In, Zen Out: Dive into the art of crafting a wellness room for ultimate relaxation

• DIY Moment: A DIY guide to transforming ordinary clothes hangers into your new favorite nightstand

• Resurrecting Glory: Check out the fascinating renovation of Quincy Jones’ Smalley House

• Music to Clean By: An unexpected hack for getting kids excited about tidying up

😎 Cool Corner

This week's Cool Corner is all about celebrating the incredible dads in our lives. With Father's Day on the horizon, it's time to think about how we can express appreciation for their love, strength, and endless dad jokes. So why not do it in style?

To help you find that perfect gift, we've curated a list of unique, design-conscious pieces that will surely make your dad's day.

🌐 Around the Web

• 🛋 That’s interesting: John Legend is partnering with Etsy Makers for a limited-edition collection

• 🏜 Weekend plan: A Joshua Tree modernist getaway

• 🏘 On the market: Three Frank Lloyd Wright’s icons for sale here, here and here

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