- Ray and Mimi Brandes Residence, Sammamish (Issaquah),
- Washington (1952) (S.350)
(Note, due to the fact that the internet is constantly changing, and items that
are posted change, I have copied the text, but give all the credits available.)
For Sale: Frank Lloyd Wright Designed “Brandes Residence”
By Jack Cullen and Deborah Vick
http://www.dlvdevelopment.com/FLW_Brandes_House_For_Sale/index.htmlIn 1952 Frank Lloyd Wright designed a unique “Usonian” house for Mr. & Mrs. Ray Brandes for their acreage on Issaquah’s Pine Lake Plateau, now Sammamish. This is one of only three Wright designed buildings in Washington. The house is located on 3.2 acres in a natural woodland setting. Secluded 300 feet from the road, the drive is private and gated. It is listed on the National and State Register of Historic Structures and has been the recipient of several prestigious preservation awards. The Brandes house has also been extensively published, most recently in Frank Lloyd Wright: The Houses by Weintraub & Hess.
The low-slung, organic design features Wright’s innovative use of natural materials including: the heated red concrete floor, rose colored masonry walls and natural redwood interiors. Full height glass doors in every room and casement windows open the house to the out-of-doors woodland setting emphasizing the free flow of space for which Wright is so justifiably famous.
Wright used his characteristic hovering horizontal roofs, and some artfully concealed steel structure to connect the main house to a separate workshop, thus creating a carport. The house is approx. 1,900 square feet including a 400 square foot workshop/office, which now functions as a family room and separate office with fireplace. There are 3 bedrooms and two baths. The house receives natural light throughout the day via the clerestory windows. Wright placed the building on the site to take full advantage of the natural contours of the land and the movement of the sun.
This beautifully landscaped and impeccably preserved home has Wright’s original furniture. The Wright designed redwood cutout boards in the clerestory windows banding the house give the effect of a jewel box at night when the light shines from within. The dentil details along the fascia as well as the clerestory windows create magical designs within the house as the sun changes angles during the day.
The house is fully furnished by Wright-designed freestanding and built-in furniture made of redwood. The kitchen features stainless steel counters. built in redwood cupboards and a utility room including washer/dryer is just off the kitchen The purchase price includes the furniture, a copy of the original blue prints, and copies of other historical documents including letters written between Mr. Wright and Mr. Brandes. The house is currently owned by the Brandes’ son, Jack Cullen and Deborah Vick.
BACK HOME ARTIFACTS AUDIO BOOKS PERIODICALS PHOTOS POSTCARDS POSTERS STAMPS STUDIES ASSISTING ABOUT SEARCH
©Copyright 2008
