Kudos to new architecture and design blog PrairieMod. PrairieMod (short for Prairie/Modern) focuses on the Prairie Style and Arts & Crafts Movement of architecture associated with the work of Frank Lloyd Wright and other architects of the Prairie School. PrairieMod describes the style thusly:
The style makes use of flat roofs, horizontal lines, open plans, natural materials, broad cantilevered eaves, honest craftsmanship and the unified use of decoration and ornament. Frank Lloyd Wright is credited with originating the Prairie Style, and it is seen as an outgrowth of the Craftsman Movement. Even with the massive conceptual leap forward that his work represented, Mr. Wright in his personal philosophy was a product of the 19th century. He firmly believed in Nature, beauty, craftsmanship, simplicity, individualism and the notion that a better home would create better people. It's these ideas that helped shape the Prairie Style and were shared and proliferated by his contemporaries in the Prairie School.
The blog links to a brisk 30 minute documentary on the restoration of the Hollyhock House in the Barnsdall Art Park in Hollywood. The Hollyhock House, an example of the Prairie Modern style, was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1917 for oil heiress Alene Barnsdall. The video's pretty cool with lots of interesting information. We were surprised that Frank Lloyd Wright couldn't design a decent roof to keep out water.
· Hollyhock House: Restoring the Romanza DVD [PrairieMod]
· Restoring the Romanza [GoogleVideo]