Living with the Land - How Frank Lloyd Wright's ‘Prairie Style’ Shaped My Vision of Home.

CHA
Jul 4
3 min read

The Arthur Heurtley House, Oak Park, Chicago (1902)

There’s something about Frank Lloyd Wright’s work that gets under your skin. For me, stumbling upon his Prairie Style homes while studying in Cardiff was like seeing what residential architecture could be for the first time. Not just buildings, but living, breathing extensions of the land they sit on. Thoughtful. Functional. Timeless.

I will never forget standing in front of the Arthur B. Heurtley House in Chicago. The horizontal lines, the low-slung roof, the way it hugged the landscape, it felt powerful, solid and delicate all at the same time. There’s a modesty to Wright’s Prairie designs, but also a deep confidence. He wasn’t designing to impress. He was designing to belong.

What Makes Prairie Style So Special?

Wright developed the Prairie Style in the early 1900s as an answer to the cluttered, compartmentalized Victorian homes of the time. He wanted open spaces, flowing interiors, and homes that felt rooted in the land. Hallmarks of the style include:

Strong horizontal lines, echoing the flat Midwestern prairie
Low-pitched roofs with deep overhangs
Open floor plans that encourage movement and connection
Built-in furniture and fixtures, designed as part of the architecture
Natural materials, stone, wood, and brick used honestly and beautifully
Custom-designed art glass windows, filtering light in dynamic, artistic ways

More than anything, these homes feel alive. They change with the light and seasons. They invite you to look outward, to connect with nature, but also offer spaces of comfort and stillness within.

Walking Among Masterpieces in Oak Park

If you ever visit Chicago, carve out a day for Oak Park. Within just a few blocks, you’ll encounter some of the most formative works in Wright’s career:

The Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio (1889/1898) – This is where it all began. Wright designed his own home and later expanded it to include a studio. It’s a fascinating look at his early thinking, full of experimentation and personal touches.
The Arthur Heurtley House (1902) – One of the finest early Prairie designs. The living spaces are raised above street level, and the horizontal lines are reinforced by bold brickwork and overhanging roofs. It feels both grounded and grand.
Frank W. Thomas House, the Nathan G. Moore House, the Hills-DeCaro House... The list goes on. Each one reveals a different step in Wright’s evolution, some more traditional, others radical for their time, but all unmistakably his.

The Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, Oak Park, Chicago (1889/1898)

What strikes me most is how liveable these homes are. Yes, they’re architectural treasures, but they were designed to be lived in. Wright’s Clients were families, he believed beauty, comfort, and function should go hand in hand.

The Robie House: Prairie Style in Full Bloom

A short trip away in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighbourhood is what many consider Wright’s 'Prairie Style' masterpiece: the Frederick C. Robie House (1910). With its sweeping cantilevered roof, continuous rows of windows, and revolutionary open plan layout, the Robie House pushed every boundary of what a home could be. It’s bold, modern, and deeply rooted in Wright’s vision of American living.

A Legacy That Lives On

What draws me to Wright’s work, and why it continues to influence how I think about design is the way he centred the human experience. His houses weren’t showpieces, they were lived-in, loved, evolving spaces. He was obsessed with the feeling of home, and how that feeling could be shaped through light, space, and proportion.

I don’t believe in copying Wright, but I do believe in listening to and learning from him. The lessons learned from thoughtful design, honesty in materials, harmony with the site are as relevant now as they were over a hundred years ago.

If you’re dreaming of a home that feels grounded, intentional, and uniquely yours, Frank Lloyd Wright is wonderful inspiration. His philosophy reminds us that good design should serve life, not the other way around.

And if that’s something you're thinking about, a new home, a transformation, a vision, we’d be honoured to help you explore it.