Melvyn Maxwell Smith House by Frank Lloyd Wright

Just less than 5 min drive from Cranbrook is a less known Wright creation, the Melvyn Maxwell Smith House



Privately managed and owned, the Smith House was built in 1946. I cannot remember the details, but here's the brief summary of the story.

The owners were highschool teachers who aspired to become a Frank Lloyd Wright house owner. Of course, that began as a dream. Then in one occassion, Mr. Smith met Wright and asked Wright if he would design him a house. Wright agreed, and used this project as a marker for his "Low cost" design projects.

Even though the total amount of budget that took to build was by no means "low", it was still one of the more affordable houses that Wright built. I guess it's what we call "bang for the buck", because Wright's signatures are evident in the house. The open indoor/outdoor space, usage of sky and natural light and the design of the space layout are all very "Wright". The house itself is small(cosy), and not very suitable for winter times, but it does look over a nice private lake and surrounded by the wealthy. So it's an affordable designer architecture in a upscale neighbourhood... something still doesn't sound right.



Nonetheless, there are tons of details for us to appreciate. Please be sure to check out the complete photo gallery HERE