Prairie House in the Virginia Woods

Gelotte Hommas Architecture draws inspiration from legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright and his signature Prairie style designs, which are reflected in our “Prairie House in the Virginia Woods” project, consisting of a 3,000 square-foot main house and 550 square-foot guest house (above). The traditional home, located in Charlottesville, Virginia, displays the horizontal lines, low-perched roof, and open floor plan that characterize Prairie style.

The colors and materials in the home were chosen to match the landscape.“Wisteria” detailing is featured on interior and exterior doors as well as in the tile work in the showers.Increasing functionality, the dining room is flanked by a built-in shelf that can be used as a buffet or folded up and hidden away.

Modern stainless steel appliances contrast beautifully with the warm, honey-colored cabinets, mouldings, and floors.

Photography: Philip Beaurline

Builder: Shelter Associates Ltd.

For further reading, check out the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation here, and read this article about his Prairie style designs.

What Makes Good Design?

Watch this YouTube video of an interview with Curtis Gelotte of Gelotte Hommas by Denese Bottrell of Inside the Exterior to hear his thoughts on design. In the clip, Gelotte discusses the importance of scale and proportion in architecture as well as the forgotten art of sketching. Find out to what Gelotte attributes his more than 35 years of success as an architect in the Seattle area.

This interview is one in a series by Inside the Exterior on veteran architects. Inside the Exterior is an inspirational blog for aspiring architects that “hopes to encourage designers, architects, and the creative genius in all of us to recognize opportunity, to be courageous and move the ideas from Moleskine to Main Street.”

We are excited about the energy Denese and Inside the Exterior is bringing to the design industry. Here’s to the power of artistic design!

Look Up

Whether you’re looking for a fun outing this summer for you and your spouse, your kids or visitors to the city of Seattle, we think the Seattle Architecture Foundation’s informative, guided walking tours are  a pretty neat way to get to know our surroundings.

Some neat upcoming tours include: “Let the Streets be your Museum,” a tour of the city’s best public and privately funded art (stops include Freeway Park and the Washington State Convention and Trade Center) on June 12 and “Window on Seattle’s Style,” an exploration of design elements of buildings ranging from English Gothic to brutalism and from Beaux Arts to Modernism (stops include Plymouth Congregational Church, the Financial Center and Fairmont Olympic Hotel) on July 1.

Find out why Seattle Met magazine named the SAF’s Tours one of 26 perfect ways to spend your Saturday.

Tours last approximately two hours and begin at the SAF Gallery, 1333 5th Ave, 3rd Floor, Rainier Square Atrium. Advance registration strongly encouraged. For more information, visit Seattle Architecture Foundation.

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