Bradley House – Frank Lloyd Wright
The Bradley House they call it. In Kankakee, Illinois. Frank Lloyd Wright. Right there on the river. I will let the pictures speak for this house. Federico took images as well. His are the bigger wider shots. I have focused on the detail. John is a huge fan of Frank Lloyd Wright but not a huge fan of Camera House so as usual he and The Matriarch made sure not to be caught on camera.
And for all its size it is a house of small spaces. Drifts of gentle slopes against hard edges. Every surface micro designed. Every decision a comment. Every single key hole has a cover. 
Beside this house is it’s sister house also designed by Wright though it is a private home. Not on the tour.
Both houses were built at the same time in 1901 when Frank Lloyd Wright was 33 years old.
Another world.
You know I love it when you all talk to each other.. and I think it is hilarious when you steal a thread. because in the summer I do get busy and though I avidly read every single comment often I do not have time to answer all your lovely words, which does make me sad. This is why I am always happy to see you talking to each other. The Fellowship is good like that.
And while we are at it I am also happy for you to steal any of the images that I produce withOUT prior arrangement.
I hope you all have a lovely day. It rained last night too. Cold rain. The crops are coming up into a mire.
Love celi
58 Comments on “Bradley House – Frank Lloyd Wright”
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Oh, the lovely light! One of my favourite aspects about FLW architecture is how he plays with light in the interiors. Beautiful photos, both of you, Miss C.
Sadly all the original light fittings were sold or ruined in a fire in this house..plus when it was a restaurant they put in air conditioning which made for a few unfortunate changes . I love the outsides of his houses and the furniture.. c
Thank you, Celi, for the tour of The Bradley House & Camera House’s gems. It is interesting to see & a fine thing for your all to do for your visitor. I am not a fan of FLW, but he certainly was a characte & brilliant (or genius). I would prefer a cozy English cottage if I wanted dark & small, but when I saw Fallingwater in Ken Burn’s documentary of Wright & his works, I did fall in love with that one. I hope the sun comes out again soon on fields & gardens & pastures. Judith in Asheville
I also think his houses are quite dark, he was quite obsessional about privacy and this does show in his work, but OH those closets! wonderful
Wow, beautiful Arts and Crafts style. I live in an early 1900 Craftsman so love this. Not keen on FLW later organic style, but what a style he had. And what a tragic life, poor man. But he did produce some historic gems.
He did, this one has stables and also a stanchion for the cow, the owners had the cow grazing right there by the river and she walked up a ramp and into her milking barn.. sadly this was destroyed in the fire so we were not able to see a FLW milking stanchion! c
Thank you so much, Celi. When I looked into the Wikipedia I guessed it might be this one . . . you have given us such a gift of your photography of the interiors: love your detailed close-ups. When I was a child I so wanted to become an architect and so admired the photos I saw of his work . . .
I love to design too, but all my work flies right UP, dark interiors are not for me.. are you still up watching the cycling?
*smile* The 21 days have just begun! We get it live with wonderful local commentary added but it begins at 11pm !! Last night was mostly spent in Genoa and surrounds: taken both by motorcycle cameramen and from helicopters the journey is breathtaking !! Reason why you are getting ‘early comments’!! Am waiting!! Could not sleep half the nights anyways: unseasonal gales battering the house for days now . . .
How fantastic! 20 years ago, I gave a talk and slide show to a group of Atlanta architects on the architecture in Barcelona. A couple of them had worked as juniors for Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin and had some amazing pictures and stories.
Wow, I would loved to have had a chat with them too.. – pity you are not here for lunch today Mad, Federico spent an hour yesterday evening just making the chimichurri..
I’m very jealous – I’d love to try the empanadas and chimichurri, both of which I’ve been known to make myself. I do love a good barbecue too 😉
Lovely to see some Frank Lloyd Wright but then to see the crop emerging! Nature is amazing.
It is all coming up now, our landscape is all green dots in lines! c
Hi Celie We had a nervous wait on some grass seed (dog being culprit for decimating in our postcard backyard) – so appreciate it must be so rewarding to see a crop springing up
We have visited the Bradley House many times. Back in the day, it was a fine restaurant known as The Yesterday and was our favorite for special occasions. There were also a variety of small shops and a travel agency in the out buildings. Recently we were treated to a tour of the rooms not used for the restaurant. Your photos capture the essence of the building.
Sandy used to to go there too.. such a shame the restaurant closed all his outdoor porches with glass.. but they kept it alive and humming for such a long time.. there is still a business being run out of the upper levels and i might go back to their gift store at christmas! c
Love the detail you have focussed on. While I could never, ever live in a FLW house, I appreciate the details of them and what the prairie style emoted. We are close to quite a few here where we live. Thanks for sharing the Camera house with us today – and a Happy Mother’s Day to all the mamas on the farmy. 🙂
All the Mamas and Aunties are having a soggy quiet day.. Love to all the Mamas in your life!
I have not been to this Frank Lloyd Wright house yet but it is on my list. I have always been a huge FLW fan and we have seen quite a few of his creations over the years. We are privileged to live in Mason City, Iowa which boasts the renovated Historic Park Inn–the last standing FLW designed hotel and it is fabulous. I take every guest here to see the craftsmanship. We also have the largest concentration of Prairie School homes in our Rock Glen area of town where many of his students built houses along with the Stockman House. It is a fun walking tour and it always amazes me to be able to have such great architecture in our little town. Thanks for these lovely shots today.
Do your houses still have the original fittings and furniture? It was so sad that they sold the furniture out of this house.. it is all gone.. the rooms were only a part of his vision really.. but so modern, for the times, well for any time.. lucky you with that hotel.. i would like to see that.. c
Rows. Rather they be wood, or metal, or glass, or fields growing. Such a fine order to life when it comes in neat and tidy rows. Thank you Miss C.
Morning Deb – I hope you are having a lovely day
Why thank you Miss C, and you as well 🙂
I’ll have to take the kids to see this one. We’re planning on doing the Home & Studio this summer in Oak Park. I used to be a tour guide there – absolutely one of my favorite “jobs” ever – to bad it’s volunteer or I would have made a career of it! I have quite the FLW obsession myself. Volunteered at the Oak Park house from 7th grade through the time I was 22. Your images are beautiful!
We had a guide for this one too but she annoyed me no end by starting in the BACK of the house.. and FLW was so into Flow.. I said if you don’t mind I would like to start at the beginning not in the servants quarters, oh of course she said .. we will wait for you.. I had to laugh!.. c
Lovely photos, Celi. I admire FLW and his designs so much, and I probably wouldn’t want to live in one of his dark houses. Are you near Kankakee? A lot of my husband’s family came from there.
Quaint but very beautiful….I would like a house like that!
Your fields look like a quagmire.are you going to teach the plants to swim?
I did enjoy that, thank you Celie and Federico. The style and era are similar to Charles Rennie Mackintosh eg The Willow Tea Rooms in Glastow, and it is a style I am very fond of.
The sun has come out at last, with warmth in it, so we have high hopes of sprouting rows of green any day now in the field opposite the house.
Of course the Fellowship talk to each other – we have such a good leader!
love,
ViV
I love it when you do.. c
At least the crops are coming up…Terry is afraid ours might have rotted in the ground…we have had very little sun and tons and tons of rain. Sure is a worry.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
https://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/sherlock-boomer
Our new hay grass is underwater too which is a worry.. c
Oh, yes it is. This too much wet, is well, too much
My Mother loved Frank Lloyd Wright houses. A nice memory of her for Mother’s Day. Thank you, miss c. Tons of snow here in Colorado today…
SNOW! oh no.. poor you.. c
Frank has been one of my favorites since I lived near the Oak Park house in a previous life time. You were just down the street from where I work now. Franks on going school remains in SW Wisconsin. that’s a lovely place worth a visit on a long weekend.
I would like to go there one day.. I have seen pictures.. c
Like Viv, Charles Rennie Mackintosh immediately czme to my mind. I loved the photos, thanks to Celi and the talented toy boy Federico! Your lunch sounds delicious, any chance of a doggy bag?
Beautiful images C. of a beautiful home…I also love it’s sister home viewed through the window? You framed it beautifully! When we first moved to Tacoma, Wa. in the 70’s we bought a lovely little Craftsman bungalow built in 1932 and restored it. The sister house reminds me of it. I love that style of home but then again, I love anything with a history and built well.
Please give us Frederico’s chimichurri recipe…I’m dying to make it and Happy Mama’s day to all the Fellowship Mamas here!
Hopefully I get it today.. it is SO good! c
I too am a fan of FLW, never knew about this house. I am originally from Elmwood Illinois and now live Northwest of Minneapolis MN
Such an accomplishment to produce something so lasting that it still has so many followers even today — and all by the age of 33! Those chairs are spectacular, says she staring at them with great longing.
Lovely to see so much green — and all is greening up here too. The Linden tree in the back garden has popped in the past 2 days, from sticks to luscious greenery, Magnolias are in full bloom here and cherry blossoms abound. It is a truly glorious time of the year!
Hope your day is a marvelous one…. Mame
I want that bathtub. That is all. I don’t even take baths, per se, but I do appreciate art.
How beautiful. The whole house feels like a place to be quiet and contemplative to me. I want to go there and read a book.
gorgeous gorgeous house…..my dad was an architect and I should have been ( another story) even though I love light open spaces-I do love his homes.
Beautiful home, beautiful pics to show it off Celi 😄
Lovely collection of photos, nicely rounded out by the study of man and nature working together (or for better or worse but fingers crossed)… And who would’ve thought the underside of a bathtub could so resemble that of a portly pig 🙂
Wonderful!! a pregnant pig too – lest we take our eye off the ball !.. c
Speaking of which, Cinders…did you have to get down on your tummy to take that photo? 🙂
Oh, that beautiful house. FLW made gracious spaces, but I have to say, I wouldn’t want to use a kitchen he designed. Dude had no clue.
I really like FLW…this house is really quaint and beautiful, I love the front of it and the windows. The first house I saw of his was in the Wisconsin Dells it was called “House on the Rock” very cool house a little weird but cool…there was a part of it that narrowed down to a point (hard to explain) but it reminded me of something out of Alice in Wonderland. Anyway, great pics! Happy Mothers Day!
Robin🐥
I worked for a landscape architect oh, so many years ago that taught me about FLW architecture. It’s beautiful, just not my style. to austere and dark. I do love looking at the sleek lines. Glad you had a wonderful day out. It’s good for the soul.
Beautiful!
My oldest son is on a little vacation with his group home this week. They are staying at a Frank Lloyd Wright home in Milwaukee.
The photo of the soggy field looks much like ours here in Oklahoma. We were lucky in this region not to have damage from tornadoes and hail, but the rain sure has flooded many areas. I’m wearing my muck boots a lot these days!
Have a splendid week ahead C!
🙂 Mandy xoxo
John must visit Mason City, Iowa, to see all of the Frank Lloyd Wright architecture there: http://mnprairieroots.com/?s=frank+lloyd+wright
Love your mix of images. Detail and wide are perfect to tell this story of place.
I love all the wood, the windows. And I’d love to tour the sister house across the street! 😉
Such designs. Bold. Simple. (although not always sturdy enough for the long term with some of his structures, I understand. )
Would like to see them for real…real places have presence and a texture of life.