One of the best-kept secrets in Bountiful is a home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. For 30 years now, it has been hiding behind foliage in North Canyon.
But present owners David Carlquist and George Frandsen have decided not to keep this architectural delight under a bushel. Working with the Bountiful/Davis Art Center, they've planned an open house for Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 21 and 22. And you're invited.In 1957, Donald and Jane Stromquist commissioned Wright to design the home. However, before accepting, Wright insisted on seeing photographs of the site from every angle. Those of you familiar with Wright's architectural philosophy know that he strongly believed that a house should become one with its natural surroundings rather than dominate it.
"Wright designed a home that was twice the size they wanted. Reluctantly, he agreed to scale it back," Frandsen said.
Wright died before construction of the home began in 1959. However, his architectural drawings were meticulously followed.
When the home was completed in 1961, the Stromquists moved in and stayed for several years. Then they moved to Pittsburgh.
The house remained vacant for five or six years. Finally a man bought it, but mainly for the seven acres on which to keep his horses.
When Carlquist and Frandsen bought the home in May 1989, it had been pretty well gutted. The only piece of built-in furniture remaining was a bench.
Before the new owners began to restore the interior, however, they focused on the outside.
Their first project was to remove all evidence of horses. They took out corrals and fences. "We also hauled out 25 loads of trash," Frandsen said.
As part of their preparation for restoring the home's interior, the new owners contacted Wright's architectural firm, Taliesen Associated Architects, in Scottsdale, Ariz. They were delighted to discover that detailed drawings of the home had been kept, including specifications for built-in and free-standing furniture.
With plans in hand, Carlquist and Frandsen had the ammunition to combat the problems that lay ahead.
While taking me on a tour of the home, Frandsen mentioned a few of the challenges that had to be addressed. The exterior of the house had been painted another color. The mahogany fascia on the outside needed to be taken down and refinished. The front door had been sawed off at the bottom and had to be rebuilt. Most of the interior mahogany paneling had been painted or wallpapered. The furnace on the top of the roof was inadequate; it had to be replaced with two furnaces now located in the utility room. All the wiring for the lights in the ceiling had to be replaced. The tops of two dressers
still in the home had been used for work benches, so had to be refinished.
"We did most of the contracting out ourselves," Frandsen said. Most of the carpentry work was done by Dean Osborn of Salt Lake. "But we refinished much of the interior wood."
When it came time to select fabrics for the home, the owners contacted Cornelia Breirly and John deKoven, two former employees of Frank Lloyd Wright. They were extremely helpful in choosing carpets and fabrics very similar to the original ones.
As restoration neared completion, the owners decided to name the home "Crystalwood" - a word that reflects both the building's shape and its wooded location.
The methodical process of restoring this home according to the original specifications is attracting attention. Today, a number of participants of the annual conference of the Western Mountain Region/-American Institute of Architects are touring the home. On Thursday, Oct. 26, the home will receive one of the 1991 Utah Heritage Foundation Preservation awards.
Crystalwood is filled to the brim with Wright's innovative style. In fact, it overflows with ideas that contradicted the norm of the time.
In his autobiography, Wright wrote, "First thing in building a new house, get rid of the attic. Next, get rid of the unwholesome basement."
One of Wright's goals was "the destruction of the box." Hence, 90-degree angles are found infrequently in Crystalwood. Instead, they have been replaced with nontraditional angles - 60 and 120 degrees. In fact, the floor plan is based on a parallelogram grid.
Wright also believed the American home should have a concrete core for working space. Inside Crystalwood's core is the kitchen, the utility room and two bathrooms. Natural light from a band of clerestory windows brighten this area. Surrounding this "hub" are an entry, a living room, a study, two small bedrooms and a master bedroom. A cantilever-constructed balcony extends from the master bedroom and appears to float over the canyon, since no vertical supports are found underneath.
Wright also championed the big fireplace that's part of the central core. "It comforts me to see the fire burning deep in the solid masonry of the house itself."
The architect was a proponent of the "uncluttered home," - one with fewer doors and fewer window holes. That meant much larger windows that sometimes wrap around the corners of his buildings. As you look at these large windows, you can almost hear Wright saying, "Bring the outside in and let the inside of the house go outside."
Much more could be said about this incredible home. But we'll leave some surprises for when you see it. Crystalwood will be open Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are $5 per person and can be purchased at the home. However, they are for specific times (9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and 5 to 9 p.m). At 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. lectures about Frank Lloyd Wright and his architecture will be presented.
To find Crystalwood, take Exit 318 (North Salt Lake and Woods Cross) off I-15 and drive east. Go to the second stop light (500 West) and turn right. Drive several blocks, veer right on Orchard Drive and then make an immediate left under the Val Verda Estates arch. Continue east on 3100 South, which later becomes Indian Springs Road. Drive to Canyon Creek Road and continue up the canyon until you reach 1289 East. Crystalwood is on the hillside to the left.
Plaudits should go to Carlquist and Frandsen for successfully recapturing the spirit of the original home. They must have been inspired by the words of Cary James, author of a book about Wright's Imperial Hotel. He said, "To restore the form without the spirit of life is to embalm rather than to rejuvenate."