Frank Houses: See the Architect's Style in the http://www.realtytoday.com/articles/21435/20150720/frank-lloyd-wright-houses-see- architects-style-hollycock-home.htm

Realty Today Says: , CA - FEBRUARY 13: Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell attends the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the re-opening of The Hollyhock House on February 13, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo: Araya Diaz/Getty Images for Foundation)

One of Frank Lloyd Wright's houses that have gained public attention is the Hollyhock House, which was built for oil heiress in 1921. The Maya-inspired National Historic Landmark in Barnsdall Art Park in East Hollywood was Wright's first house built in Los Angeles. Closed for nearly four years due to restoration, the famed building was reopened for public viewing in February this year.

L.A.'s historical landmark design was inspired with Barnsdall's favorite flower, the Hollyhock. The property was built during the years that Wright was also constructing Imperial Hotel in Japan. However, due to some financial issues while building it, Wright was fired by Barnsdall and was replaced by Rudolph Schindler. After construction of the Hollyhock Home, it was donated to the government of Los Angeles. The building was renovated two times in the past, one in 1946 and the other one in 1974. The succeeding years, it reportedly lost its splendor. In 2010, the 36-acre hilltop site on Hollywood Los Feliz border has been restored to its original style and design, according to L.A. Curbed. Hollyhock curator Jeffrey Herr was joined by Kevin Jew of the nonprofit Project Restore and Hsiao-Ling Ting of the city's Bureau of Engineering in renovating one of Frank Lloyd Wright's houses in L.A. Guests are welcomed to its pergola, an open-air entry to Hollyhock Home that displays its motif. The interior is fully accented with custom-designed rugs and textiles inspired by Hollyhock designs. The exterior is fully ornamented with glass and wooden texture that displays Wright's style, Architectural Digest reports. The property also boasts a personalized dining room with dining table and chairs that were designed by Wright. The dining centerpieces with Hollyhock design were sculptured from Philippine mahogany. The chairs were designed with spines like Hollyhocks.

A bas relief fireplace and a skylight are the focal points in the main living room. Japanese screens are displayed on the wall. The furnishings were all made from Wright's signature quartersaw oak material. One that stands out in the living room is the "light Nile green and bronze" walls made from brass flakes, L.A. Weekly reports. The L.A. home also features a kitchen and a library that have been restored with its 1940s design. Bedrooms have remained to be closed for public due to its ADA requirements. The home remains as one of Frank Lloyd Wright's houses that are listed as a Unesco World Heritage by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Realty Today July 22, 2015