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Shackitecture Pallet And Ziptie Construction

Picture 1 Wooden pallets and plastic zipties seem unlikely candidates as building materials. But, as this post on the blog dinosaursandrobots.com attests to, sometimes genius comes in the unlikeliest form. See this pallet paradise come to life here.

Image via dinosaursandrobots.com

DIY: Lighted Paper Pennant Garland

Picture 3 Tired of bringing potato salad to summer backyard BBQ's? Consider bringing the decorations next time! Design*sponge.com posted a link to a super sweet paper pennant garland from oncewed.com. Check out the directions here.

Image via oncewed.com

Get A Load Of This Lloyd

Picture 7 Lloyd Wright (Frank's son) had some pretty big shoes to fill when he decided to become an architect. Though papa's shadow was long, Lloyd became pretty adept at designing and building some real gems. One in particular that is now up for sale is the 1948 Usonian-style Dorland house in Altadena, CA. Check out the "For Sale" website here, which is loaded with drool-worthy photos.

Image copyright Erik Grammer

Definitely Not Ugly House Photos

Picture 8 Even though this blog promotes itself as a place for "Ugly House Photos," they recently featured several interior and exterior shots of the recently sold (and beautiful) David Wright House in Phoenix, AZ. See them here.

Image via ugly house photos.com

The Handmade Wedding

Picture 3 My wife and I tried our best to make aspects of our recent wedding as handmade as possible, not only to save money, but to make it unique and personal as well. If you're getting married and would like a little handmade help, the check out this list of articles on etsy.com.

Organic Architecture In France? Oui! Oui!

Picture 3 Well, I don't speak French–but I can pick-up on the "International Language" of Organic Design. PrairieMod reader Eric S. sent me a link to an architectural firm working in France that has apparently taken up the cause of "Living Architecture." See more here.

Image copyright Art Trait Design

Build Your Own Illinois Main Street

Picture 3 Have you always dreamed of having your very own little Main Street, USA? Well, now you can cut and assemble one, thanks to the folks at the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. I'm particularly partial to the model of the First National Bank of Dwight, IL designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1906. See the models and download PDFs here.

Image via Illinois Historic Preservation Agency

Chat Up The Guggenheim Online

Picture 1 We recently received a press release discussing the launch of The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Forum, a new series of moderated online discussions among experts from a variety of fields that will occur in conjunction with major museum exhibitions. Read all about it after the jump...

Continue reading "Chat Up The Guggenheim Online" »

Seen This Site?

Picture 6 I came across the Loving Frank website today and was surprised to see all of the architectural-inspired Flash animation and photos of Wright buildings. Explore a little here.

Image copyright Random House

Duckham's 50th

Picture 1 I received an email from PrairieMod reader, Randy H. who informed me that today is the 50th anniversary of the practice of creative architect Dan C. Duckham. Duckham started in Fort Lauderdale on June 1, 1959 and is still actively practicing architecture in Cashiers, NC.  Check out his website here. Thanks Randy!

Image copyright Dan C. Duckham

Where To Get LEGO Guggenheim

Picture 4 To all of the readers who are wondering where they can get their new LEGO Guggenheim set, wonder no more! Follow this link to the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust's online catalog to get your set. You can build it with the satisfaction that you're money is also helping to preserve Wright's Oak Park Home & Studio and the Robie House! Get it here.

Image via ShopWright.org

Envisioning Wright's Baghdad

Picture 2 Here's a great follow-up to the post I did on Frank Lloyd Wright's un-realized designs for Baghdad, Iraq. A person on the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy "Wright Chat" discussion board posted a link to this animated fly through of the project's Opera House. Check it out here.

Image via Strimoo

@WorkDesign

Picture 1 I wandered into this very cool store in Forest Park, IL a couple of weeks ago and was bowled over with the amazing stuff I found. @WorkDesign specializes in hip, Mod and well-designed items for your life and life-at-work. Check out their newly-launched website for more details.

Image copyright @WorkDesign

Wright LEGO Post is Lighting Up The Internet!

Picture 1 Wow! The new Frank Lloyd Wright Collection® LEGO sets that we broke the news on in a post has been spreading like wildfire across the Internet--even rapper Kanye West is a fan! Here's a very brief sample of some of the other blogs following the story:
Wired Magazine
Apartment Therapy
Design Boom
Archinect

Image via Kanye West blog

Wright In Italy?

Picture 4 While Frank Lloyd Wright did stay in an Italian Tuscan villa, working on the Wasmuth Portfolio (and spending time with Mamah), there is no evidence that he designed and built anything while over there. So this recent claim of being able to rent a Wright-designed Tuscan villa seems dubious. Does anyone know something we don't about this? See more here.

Image via Tuscany Rent Direct.com

Live Like Old Blue Eyes

Picture 1 PrairieMod Reader, Eric S. sent me this message and link about the news that Frank Sinatra's Palm Springs estate, "Twin Palms" is for sale:

"2 parts Neutra, 1 part Wright, and liberally seasoned with mid-century Swank.  It can now be yours for a paltry $3.2M." Check it out here and Swing, baby!

Image copyright sinatrahouse.com

Saving The Cooley House

Picture 1 A recent post on thenewsstar.com highlights the uniqueness of  the Walter Burley Griffin-designed G.B. Cooley House in Monroe, LA and how a group of local preservationists are saving it. Also, check out this plucky group's Cooley House website to see some great photos and to read more about this very sweet house on the Bayou.

Image copyright The Cooley House Foundation

Something Interesting Is Afoot In Portland

Picture 1 Via a post on the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy discussion board, Paul R. shared a link to Robert Harvey Oshatz, an Organic Architect working in Portland, Oregon who is doing some absolutely astounding work. Check out more by following the link.

Images copyright Robert Harvey Oshatz

10 Best Cities To Be In For Earth Day

Picture 2 Earth Day (week, month, year..etc) is upon us and with it are a multitude of ways to participate and celebrate. But which U.S. cities are the best venues for such a "green" occasion? Follow this link to find out. Spoiler alert: Chicago was number 8 and climbing...

Image copyright Daily Mail/via Treehugger.com

Frank Lloyd Wright The Complete Works Vol. 3 Sneak Peek

Picture 1 Via the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy's discussion board, here's a link to Taschen's website which provides you with a virtual look at the inside of Vol. 3 of the new Frank Lloyd Wright compendium. I can't wait until my copy arrives! Drool over it here.

Image copyright Taschen

Social Designer

Picture 4 Do you want to purchase products that make a difference? How about design your own? Then check out Social Designer. Read more after the jump...

Continue reading "Social Designer" »

Break::The::Box Podcast: Paul Goldberger

Picture 1 Unity Temple Restoration Foundation has added a podcast player to their website. The first podcast is architecture critic, Paul Goldberger's lecture on the importance of Unity Temple. Take a listen here.

Image courtesy of UTRF

Beekeeper DIY

Picture 3 Ok, I have to admit that even though I have a deep seated fear of being stung, I've always thought that tending to a hive of honeybees would be very cool. Seems like I'm not alone in this fascination. I ran across this article about one amatuer beekeeper's adventure with these important pollinators. With the worldwide collapse of bee populations, bees need all the friends they can get! Read more here.

Image via Treehugger

Rudolph Architects

Picture 1 PrairieMod reader Eric S. sent me a link to Rudolph Architects in Chicago. All of their work has a very strong Prairie style to it, from houses to even art-glass details (like the lamp at left.) Check out the work by following the link.

Image copyright Rudolph Architects

Orphan Windows On Display

Picture 1 Donald M. Aucutt's recent Prairie magazine (formally the Geo. W. Maher Quarterly) ran a piece on the Bernard Goldberg Fine Arts Gallery and their acquisition of a set of Maher windows form the now destroyed Winton House, formally of Wausau, WI. The gallery also has second group of windows from the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Little House II, formally of Wayzata, MN. Read about both houses and their remains by following the link.

Image copyright Bernard Goldberg Fine Arts

Etsy Find: Vintage Housewares

Picture 4 The next time you are beguiled by a new plastic dish or votive at Target, consider going vintage instead. Plug in "Vintage Housewares" into an etsy.com search and you'll come across some really cool and cost-effective items. I especially dig these mid-century mod wooden bowls. Whether for yourself or a gift, vintage is always a great choice! See more here.

Image copyright elizabethwrenvintage

The New Moleskine Website

Picture 1 The official Moleskine website has recently relaunched with an all-new look with lots of content including the new MSK format that lets you print your own pages...plus their full product offering. When checking out the new site, be sure to leave your thoughts, questions and suggestions for the Moleskine team.

Image copyright Moleskine

Etsy Find: Greenware Design

Picture 5 Etsy.com recently featured the talents of greenware design, a two woman team that combines the talents of longtime friends, Irene McCollam and Leslie Geer. Their beautiful ceramic vessels are filled with arrangements of unique succulent plantings. These would make great easy-to-care-for gifts for anyone who is looking to "Bring The Outside In." See more here.

Image copyright greenware design

DIY Greywater System

Picture 3 Inhabitat.com reports on a way to utilize a greywater system without breaking the bank. Sloan Valve Company has developed a compact greywater system for existing bathroom fixtures that is easy to install. The Sloan® AQUS® Greywater System filters water going down the sink drain and then uses it to flush the toilet, potentially saving up to 5,000 gallons of potable water each year. check it out here.

Image copyright Sloan Valve Company

Guggenheim In Modernism Magazine

Picture 2 You're going to be reading about the Guggenheim Museum in New York a lot in the next few months. The fact that it turns 50 and their holding a huge Frank Lloyd Wright exhibition this summer means that it will get plenty of press. Case in point: check out this online article in Modernism Magazine about the spiral wonder written by author and Wright expert William Allin Storrer.

Photo copyright William Allin Storrer/via Modernism Magazine

The Spoonflower Revolution

Picture 4 Spoonflower is quite possibly one of the coolest things I've come across in awhile. I'm a designer who loves to customize everything, so being able to customize my own fabric designs opens up a whole new world of possibilities for several of my projects. Spoonflower is a company that allows you to upload your graphic designs, choose your fabric size and then they print very small batches of custom fabric for you. check out more by following the link.

Image copyright Spoonflower

Plan A Wright Road Trip

Picture 3 The Daily Traveler Blog has put together a suggested list for anyone interested in taking a Frank Lloyd Wright Road Trip this summer. Gas-up the fuel efficient car, get some snacks and head over to this link to see the suggested stops.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

A Look At Some LA Modern

Picture 1 PrairieMod reader, Scott T. sent me a link to a fantastic looking work of modern architecture by LA architect Rex Lotery (who works with another LA architecture legend, Ray Kappe). Check out the images by following the link.

Image courtesy of movemodern.com

Wright Site Relaunched

Picture 1 The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has recently relaunched their website. In addition to updating the look, there is also several pieces of new information to soak up and some goodies to look at as well (check out a short video on the Taliesin Prefab dwelling that we've posted about in the past. See it all here.

Image copyright The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

All About Architecture: Buffalo, NY

Picture 3 PrairieMod reader Philip Bobrowski put us onto a fantastic website all about Buffalo, New York's architectural wonders. This amazing site is the brain child of Chuck LaChiusa and he has definitely put together something special. If you're planning on visiting Buffalo soon (or are just curious) then check out the site here.

Image copyright Chuck LaChiusa


Chicago Architectural Prints

Picture 1 Looking for some great 19th century prints of Chicago buildings like Dearborn Building by architects Jenny and Mundie shown at left? Then check out St. Croix Architecture and their amazing (and affordable) selection of prints. Oh yeah, they also carry other cities as well. See it all here.

Image copyright St. Croix Architecture

Paper N Stitch Find: Four Seasons Cup Set

Picture 1 I just found out about a site called paper n stitch. It's a very well designed online exhibition space created to promote talented artist, designers, makers selling handmade goods, and independent boutiques. While on the site I found this awesome set of porcelain cups representing the Four Seasons. Head on over and check out all the cool stuff!

Image copyright Bailey Doesn't Bark

Cyber Monday: Ho! Ho! Ho!

Picture 3 With about 6-8 inches of snow clogging streets in the Midwest this morning, there may be plenty of people participating in "Cyber Monday" today. If you're one of the people looking for holiday gifts online today instead of working then check out a few of my favorite places to shop online after the jump...

Continue reading "Cyber Monday: Ho! Ho! Ho!" »

Arte Moderne Online

Picture 4 One of my favorite places to shop for that perfect gift (either for me or someone else) is a little shop called Arte Moderne in Glen Ellyn, IL. They have a fantastic selection of very cool vintage modern items from all over the world. Well, now you can shop their store online! Cruise over to their website to see what they have up or to inquire about what they have in the shop.

Image copyright Arte Moderne

The Game Of LIFE

Picture 1 It was recently reported that over 10 million images from the LIFE magazine archive will be made available on Google, some never before seen by the public. There are even some great photos of a certain Mr. Wright and his work to be found. You can play around with searching the archive for yourself by following the link.

Image copyright LIFE and Google

100 Days of Holidays Program at BHG.com

Ss_MWL444680 With my recent posts about Thanksgiving, Better Homes and Gardens online contacted us about their 100 Days of Holiday Program. I headed over to their site and was amazed by all of the great ideas. I especially enjoyed the section about Thanksgiving Decorating With Nature. Read what BHG.com emailed us after the jump...

Image copyright BHG.com

Continue reading "100 Days of Holidays Program at BHG.com" »

Art Of The Title

Master_sheet_v3 I just stumbled upon a fantastic site called Art Of The Title. If you love to watch title sequences from movies, you will spend endless hours experiencing this website. I just watched the opening of To Kill A Mockingbird and was in awe of the beautiful cinematography. Enjoy!

Image copyright Art Of The Title

Are You A Design Addict?

Picture 1 Then check out the website by the same name. Over 350 designers are listed with information about them, photos of the stuff they've created and other very cool stuff. The one problem? Where's America's foremost designer, Frank Lloyd Wright? Check out the site by following the link.

Image copyright Design Addict

Explore Wright's Wisconsin Past

Picture 1 The Wisconsin Historical Society has tons of fantastic photos associated with the life and work of Frank Lloyd Wright. Especially significant are some extremely rare photos of Taliesin I before it was tragically burned in 1914. Check out all the photos by following the link.

Image copyright The Wisconsin Historical Society

Cartoon Modern

Blair_littlehouse Vivid colors, geometric abstraction, cutting-edge technology and design. No, I'm not talking about modern architecture, I'm talking about modern cartoons! Check out the Cartoon Modern website, by the author of the book by the same name. I found it while looking up info about one of my favorite modern Disney conceptual artists, Mary Blair. See more by following the link.

Image copyright The Walt Disney Company

AIA's Shape of America Website

Shape_am Mike from Wisconsin sent this submission...

I received an email from the AIA in regards to their new web site The Shape of America and there is an interesting video snippet about Taliesin West with architect commentary that I thought you might find interesting. There are also some other amazing architectural treasures to peruse as well.

Image copyright AIA

Friday Morning Flickr

Picture 2 It's a little dreary in Chicago this morning, so I was glad to come across these absolutely stunning photos of the Price Tower on Hypno+Raygun's Flickr page. I gotta get out to Oklahoma to check this place out! See the photos here.

Photo copyright Hypno+Raygun

How Is Wow!

Picture_1_2 Check out this great "For Sale" website featuring amazing photos of the R.M. Schindler-designed James Eads How House in Los Angeles, CA. If only I had an extra $5 million lying around...

Image copyright Cory Weiss

The Guggenheim And Your Ear

Monte6 Edward Lifson noticed an interesting observation regarding the Guggenheim Museum and your inner ear. Read about it on his website by following the link.

Image courtesy of Edward Lifson

Recent Past Preservation Network

Picture_1 RPPN is a great resource for nurturing public awareness of an under-appreciated era of design: Mid Century Modernism. They generally define the recent past as a moving window of approximately 50 years time. Of specific interest are buildings that are not considered eligible for the National Register of Historic Places because they are less than 50 years old. This makes them the most vulnerable to destruction. Follow the link to learn more.

Image courtesy of RPPN

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