PLEASANT HOME:
INSPIRED BY NATURE
One-of-a-kind furniture, designed specifically for the residence by architect George Maher, include an original dining room suite, library chairs, and a grand foyer settee. These uniquely crafted pieces feature decorative motifs inspired by nature.
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT TRUST: THE ROBIE HOUSE:
ORGANIC DESIGN
Consistent with Wright’s philosophy of organic architecture, the Robie House furniture was designed in harmony with the interiors of the house. In his architecture Wright integrated exterior and interior design principles to achieve a level of visual unity never before seen in American design—site and structure, interior and exterior, furniture, ornament and architecture, every element of the building was connected.
CLARKE HOUSE MUSEUM:
REVIVAL!
Clarke House's period rooms contain several early- to mid-19th-century furniture styles. On view are examples of American Empire, Gothic Revival, Elizabethan Revival, Rococo Revival and regional vernacular pieces from the collection of The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in the State of Illinois.
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT TRUST: WRIGHT HOME AND STUDIO:
ORGANIC DESIGN
Bold, innovative, and architectural, Wright’s furniture is an integral element of his Prairie interiors. In accordance with his philosophy of “organic” architecture, Wright’s furniture is conceived in harmony with each specific commission. Today Wright’s Home and Studio displays examples of Wright’s earliest furniture designs and provides a unique perspective on the development of the architect’s organic interiors.
PULLMAN HOUSE PROJECT:
PULLMAN'S SIDEBOARD
One treasure from the Pullman House Project collection is the grand sideboard built for George Pullman's private home on Prairie Avenue, a section of the city known as “Millionaire’s Row.” We also have a large collection of Victorian furnishings, including Eastlake-style furniture made by the Tobey Furniture Company for Pullman's Hotel Florence.
GLESSNER HOUSE:
ISAAC SCOTT
Glessner House Museum contains the largest collection of furniture, picture frames, and ceramics by Isaac Elwood Scott, a talented designer and close friend of the Glessners, who designed pieces in Modern Gothic and Eastlake styles.
MCCORMICK HOUSE AT ELMHURST ART MUSEUM:
A HYBRID SPACE
The museum's hybrid living/dining area includes seating for visitors as well as furnishings by some of the most important and innovative American designers of the postwar period, such as Mies van der Rohe himself, George Nelson, and Florence Knoll. It also functions as an exhibition space with focused groupings of ceramics, functional objects, and art.
THE DRIEHAUS MUSEUM:
ORIGINAL FURNISHINGS
There are a number of original furnishings still on display in the museum, including seat furniture in the drawing room; the settee, rocking chair, and three side chairs in the front parlor; the chandelier and chairs in the library; plus Samuel M. Nickerson’s original dining room table.
THE ANSEL B. COOK HOUSE:
VICTORIANA
The Cook House is completely decorated with furniture from the Victorian Era. Of special note are a rare half-canopy bed in the master bedroom and Eastlake furniture in the front parlor.
THE GROVE NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK:
REGIFTING
The Kennicott family donated more than half of the furniture on view in the Kennicott House, and each of these pieces reflects the heart and soul of the family. Don’t miss the captain’s chair owned by Dr. John Kennicott, as well as the wooden examining table from his medical office. The dental drill owned by his brother William, Chicago’s first fulltime dentist, is on display in the Archives Building.