Penwern: A Photographic Review, 2022

© Lauren Collander Interiors

We have had the extreme pleasure of working on a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Lake Delavan, Wisconsin. We’re honored to have been asked by the homeowners to make this home their own while paying homage to the important history of the home and its famous architect. As with all FLW homes, there is a certain magic you feel when you approach the house and when you’re in the home.

Sunroom corner

The color palette and furniture used in the home were heavily inspired by the home’s architecture and nature. Every window throughout the home looks out over a field of flowers, or the lake and it was important that the interiors flowed with the natural surroundings as it is the backdrop of every room. Original warm wood tones fill the home which made it important for our team to take to time and care to color-match all new wood to the existing. An onsite museum holds a collection of the paint and wood colors used throughout the home over the years. A beautiful buttery yellow and soft sage green are seen repeatedly on the exterior and interior of the home. The new items brought into the home were carefully selected to blend with the home’s color and material palette and level of craftsmanship.

When placing the furniture in the Primary Bedroom, we wanted to make sure it felt grounded in the space. Two transom windows overhead architecturally frame the bed. A brick fireplace wall to the side balances two lounge chairs sitting facing out the bay window on the opposite side of the room.

Expanding the ensuite was one architectural change to the home that updated the floor plan to today’s standards. A little bit of space was taken from the neighboring Guest Bedroom so a bathroom with a soaking tub and walk-in shower, as well as a walk-in closet, could be added.

It became important to make the Sleeping Porch a space the clients could call their own. A lounge room enclosed in picture windows with views of the garden, pool, and the surrounding foliage is the perfect spot to unwind at the end of the day or start each weekend.

Because the clients host events, the renovated Greenhouse is now a destination for morning coffee, cocktail hour, or dinner parties.

This home is wonderfully nestled into the land, but as evening approaches the house starts to light up as the sun goes down. The exterior lighting emphasizes and honors the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright’s vision. The estate was built when gas lanterns were the only option for lighting the home. From studying the drawings, we found a simple circle drawn at each gas sconce location. It was an incredible opportunity to put ourselves in Wright’s shoes to design Arts & Crafts light fixtures that he would have chosen.

For more information about Lauren Collander Interiors, visit www.laurencollanderinteriors.com.

Video Gallery

First look at the home

Design Tour of three spaces

Film on color palette inspiration

Film on lighting on front porch

Image Gallery