I had every intention of spending another day at ArtPrize yesterday, but the universe had something else planned for me (the universe being my sister). She’s been dying to tour the Meyer May house in Grand Rapids, so we went over there expecting to walk around for a bit and then take off. It turns out, the Meyer May house is a bigger operation than we anticipated!

First, we watched a film about the restoration of the house, which Meyer May commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to build in 1908. Seventy-seven years later, Steelcase bought it and began a complete restoration. I mean complete. May’s daughter was able to provide some artwork, books, etc. and the restoration team located much of the original furniture (which was placed in the same spots May had them.) Even the books were carefully re-covered and bound! If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen the mural that resurfaced after they removed at least five layers of paint!

During the tour (our guide was so knowledgeable, and did I mention this was all for the low low price of free?!) we learned that it was unusual then as it is now, for the architect to also act as interior designer, but Frank Lloyd Wright sure did. In fact, he was a little obsessive if you ask me. He put wooden knobs on which to hang pictures, because he didn’t want them hanging just anywhere! He designed the light fixtures, furniture (all circles and squares, thank you very much!) and the landscaping (the yard slopes downward, so the house sits in sort of a nest.) Like his flat roofs, not super practical, but what the heck- he was Frank Lloyd Wright! Practicality schmacticality!

Even the landscape was restored to the 1909 design!

Eventually we did make it over to ArtPrize- more on that tomorrow!