November 2, 2016

Bring Frank Lloyd Wright Into the Home

Optimized exterior of Pope-Leighey House

photo by: Paul Burk

Frank Lloyd Wright's Pope-Leighey House, a National Trust Historic Site.

I don't know if anyone has ever done a study to determine which American architect has the biggest collection of stuff inspired by his life and work, but I'd venture a guess that Frank Lloyd Wright would win, hands down. From books (biographies, novels, and coffee table tomes) to coffee mugs, building sets to decorative stained glass and more, there's something out there for every Modernism lover.

With the holiday season just around the corner, we decided to compile a list of five of our favorites. Find the perfect gift for the Frank fan in your life below:

Loving Frank, by Nancy Horan

The story of FLW's extramarital romance with Martha "Mamah" Borthwick Cheney started as a scandal and ended as a tragedy—though we know little of Mamah's side of the story. Nancy Horan's novel imagines their relationship, which began when the architect accepted a commission to deign a house for the Cheney family. (Check out this and twelve more essential preservation books.)

Famous Buildings of Frank Lloyd Wright (Dover History Coloring Book)

"Adult coloring books" are very much a trend in 2016, but despite being nearly two decades ahead of coloring's moment in the zeitgeist, this coloring book holds up. Break out your colored pencils and work your way through more than 40 of Frank Lloyd Wright's building designs. (And if these designs seem like it might be too hard not to color outside the lines, the Stained Glass Window Designs of Frank Lloyd Wright might be a better option.)

Frank Lloyd Wright Art Glass Designs Coasters

CoasterStone makes a broad selection of coasters featuring FLW designs, all of which are cork-backed and made from absorbent stone, the better to keep drink rings off the furniture. (The Hillside Rug and Bougainvillea designs are gorgeous, too.)

Frank Lloyd Wright 2018 Wall Calendar

Yes, smartphones make it super-easy to keep our calendars in our purses or back pockets, but still...a wall calendar comes in awfully handy for at-a-glance scheduling. And when it comes with beautiful architectural photos, it seems almost essential.

Ken Burns: American Lives—Frank Lloyd Wright

As part of the American Lives series filmmaker Ken Burns made for PBS, he tackled the life of Frank Lloyd Wright in a two-part story that looks at how the architect "changed America's approach to architecture forever." Stream online via the link above, or order the DVD set and get the Burns treatment of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Thomas Jefferson, and others too.

Did we miss your favorite Frank Lloyd Wright book, movie, or household object? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter.

By purchasing any of these products using the links on this page, you'll be supporting the National Trust. Check out other ways you can support preservation as you shop, travel, and play.

Sarah Heffern headshot

Sarah Heffern, the National Trust's former director of social media, embraces all things online and pixel-centric, but she’s also a hard-core building hugger, having first fallen for historic places in a fifth grade “Built Environment” class.

This May, our Preservation Month theme is “People Saving Places” to shine the spotlight on everyone doing the work of saving places—in big ways and small—and inspiring others to do the same!

Celebrate!